Government reviewing development goals

Government is reviewing its efforts to date to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within its development policies.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott stated a report will be presented to “the United Nations in July that will outline what we have achieved and the challenges we face”. He said, “In preparing for this review, I assure you that the government will engage the private sector to ensure that its perspective is fully reflected.”

He made this disclosure on Tuesday as he addressed the Dialogue on the Private Sector Contribution to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals at UN House.

Walcott told the audience that it is not possible for government to achieve the 17 SDGs alone. Rather, its best hope in doing so is through partnerships. He noted that the “partnership between the government and the private sector and business community is indeed a critical one,” in this regard.

“We believe that it is not enough today for the private sector to focus solely on profits. They must seek to contribute to the development priorities of Barbados and the region, and to uplift and improve the lives of Caribbean people by incorporating the SDGs into their operations.”

He continued, “By so doing new and innovative initiatives will be created that will increase the well-being of Caribbean citizens and simultaneously increase the productivity and growth of Caribbean companies, which more and more will be required to operate at internationally accepted environmental and other standards. In fact, the private sector should recognise that they too have to be engaged in the global fight to save the planet, and that they must act locally to adopt sustainable practices and contribute to national development efforts.”

Walcott further told the gathering that “the next decade in the Agenda for Development, 2020 to 2030, has been designated the Decade of Action, during which Governments will accelerate their efforts to live up to their commitment to attain the SDGs.” He said “the government looks forward to building on its partnership with the private sector to be able to accelerate these efforts.”(MG)