“We need to have a sense of ownership in our dialogue to discuss our own Sustainable Development Goals”; Minister Larose at the opening of the SDG workshop
July 12, 2017
Representatives from different sectors, departments, ministries met, at the Avani Resort for a two-day workshop on the integration of the Sustainability Development Goals, (SDGs) in the National Plans and Budget.
The Minister for Finance, Trade and Economic Planning, Dr. Peter Larose, officially launched the workshop, organised by the United Nation Development Plans (UNDP), in collaboration with the Economic Planning Department.
In his address, Minister Larose, says that Seychelles has made significant progress during the Millennium Development Goals era and that it is therefore fitting that as we move to the Agenda 2030, (Sustainable Development Goals), we must celebrate our achievements made so far. Minister Larose says that we need to involve our partners as we are expected to utilise our Domestic Resources to finance our development in a sustainable way.
“I am pleased that Seychelles has had the foresight to adopt this National Policy for more than four decades, where no one should be left behind”, says Dr. Larose. “Our development has always been people centred. This policy has allowed us to make significant socio-economic progress, although there is still room for further progress”, he continues.
Minister Larose says that he sees the cost of development of our human capital, be it in health, education, technology and environment protection as national investment. He says that we need to have a sense of ownership in our dialogue to discuss our own Sustainable Development Goals. “It is in this regard that we need to link our National Strategic Plan with the SDGs targets”, says Dr. Larose.
According to Minister Larose, as we continue to create new economic opportunities, we must become more conscious in promoting a sustainable environment, and calls on everyone to a partnership agreement with a view to tackle climate change and environmental challenges.
Minister Larose, says that we must be prepared to change and adapt to new realities. And to succeed with the Agenda 2030, we must build new partnership with all stakeholders in many areas because business as usual is something of the past.
“We need all stakeholders on board because the goals and targets are interconnected and many of them requires strong collaboration across different frontiers”, Minister Larose concluded.