The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as the Secretariat of the Special National Coordinating Committee for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Brunei Darussalam recently organised a three-day Second Voluntary National Review Workshop for Brunei Darussalam at the Theatre Hall, PMO.
The main objective of the workshop was to support the preparation of the Second Voluntary National Review report for Brunei Darussalam which will be presented to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2023.
The workshop shared and discussed whole-of-nation efforts as well as challenges and the way forward in implementing the SDGs.
In his welcoming remarks, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah shared that efforts by the PMO as the national focal agency in achieving the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development are aligned with national efforts to attain the Wawasan Brunei 2035.
“Current efforts include strengthening the monitoring of the SDGs implementing, documenting up-to-date data and information on SDGs progress as well as post-pandemic recovery actions on key sectors in regaining back and accelerate decades of progress,” he said.
On her part, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam Karima El Korri highlighted potential bilateral cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and the United Nations toward achieving the 2030 Agenda.
“Since 2015, Brunei Darussalam is committed to playing a part in the global commitment to pursuing the Agenda 2030. One of the key messages emphasised in Brunei Darussalam’s First Voluntary National Review report presented virtually at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in 2020, is that we shall achieve the SDGs by aligning the SDGs with our National Vision, Wawasan Brunei 2035,” she said.
The resident coordinator further said that they acknowledged the availability of disaggregated data as one of the weaknesses to prepare for VNR, adding that the importance of robust data collection cannot be overstated.
“We need a reliable source of data for policymaking. On this note, I am pleased to inform our immediate action to strengthen data capacities has been fruitful with a strong partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. We are now developing SDGs priority indicators for Brunei Darussalam which are soon to be uploaded into a data repository system called SDG Tracker. This will advance our monitoring capacity,” she continued.
Another preparation, she added, is the progress review through the 1st VNR stocktake, carried out by members of the Special National Coordinating Committee on SDGs.
“One of the preliminary findings highlights how much national achievement in SDGs hinges heavily upon the Whole of Nation approach. What this calls for is a closer and more meaningful collaboration between government agencies and non-governmental actors especially non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations, the private sector, and academics,” said the resident coordinator.
After the opening session, YB Dato Dr Hj Mohd Amin Liew launched the official Instagram account of the National SDGs (SDGs_Brunei) which will be one of the social media platforms used to share national development in SDGs.
In attendance at the workshop were Deputy Ministers from the Prime Minister’s Office and Pengiran Hajah Siti Nirmala Pengiran Haji Mohammad, Permanent Secretary (Wawasan) Prime Minister’s Office as Chairperson of the Special National Coordinating Committee for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Brunei Darussalam (JKPK SDGs).
Members and secretariat to the JKPK SDGs, representatives from the Government, United Nations agencies, Private Sectors, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), civil societies, academic institutions, the private sector, youth, and financial institutions also attended the workshop.
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
