An effective regional collaboration is essential in South Asian countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as many of the goals are transnational besides being interrelated. But the existing practice of regional collaboration under the platform of SAARC and others does not seem to have produced expected outcome. Therefore, the collaboration among the countries needs to undergo a structural change. Countries need to learn from each other’s best practices while also taking organised collective efforts.
These observations were made at a Research-Policy Meeting organised by CPD held during 20-21 November 2018 at the Golden Tulip – The Grandmark, Dhaka. A research project, “Interpreting SDGs for South Asia: In Search of a Regional Framework”, was launched at the event. CPD in partnership with UN ESCAP South and South-West Asia Office (UN ESCAP-SSWA) and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Bangladesh is embarking on this multi-country research and policy initiative.
- Country Presentations
Afghanistan | Bangladesh | Bhutan | India | Myanmar | Nepal | Pakistan | Sri Lanka - Session Presentations
– Interpreting SDGs for South Asia: In Search of a Regional Framework – Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya
– A Glimpse of CPD’s SDGs and South Asia Related Activities – Dr Fahmida Khatun
– Key Areas of Regional Cooperation for Achieving SDGs in South Asia – Nagesh Kumar
– Promoting SDGs in SA Countries: Regional Means and Instruments – Professor Mustafizur Rahman
– What are the Prospects of Achieving SDGs in Bangladesh? – Dr Fahmida Khatun - Press Reports
- Photos
The study aims to design a regional development cooperation framework and identify the policy priorities at country level to implement the SDGs. This will also be an attempt to identify the regional priorities, policy instruments, financial resources and institutional setup required for the SDGs delivery in South Asia. Research outcome will be published in a book due in 2019.
At the Opening Session of the meeting, Professor Dr Gowher Rizvi, International Affairs Adviser to the Hon’ble Prime Minister was the Chief Guest. Heads of the mission of participating countries spoke as Guest of Honour. Welcome notes were delivered by Dr Nagesh Kumar, Head, UN ESCAP-SSWA, India and Ms Tina Blohm, Resident Representative, FES, Bangladesh. Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, CPD’s Distinguished Fellow, made a presentation on the overarching issues of the study and Dr Fahmida Khatun, CPD’s Executive Director, chaired the opening session. Other eminent guests spoke throughout the two-day long intensive meeting.
Participants at the meeting shared experiences and measures from their respective country perspective to implement the SDGs. Learning from the European Union and African regional cooperation was encouraged in the discussion.
The meeting was attended by the researchers in the study from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka along with other eminent researchers, academicians, government officials, the private sector and development partners. Journalists from the digital and print media were present at the Opening Session of the meeting.
