On July 12, 2022, at the meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the Republic of Belarus presented the second Voluntary National Review on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The presentation of Belarus was focused on five Sustainable Development Goals that affect education (SDG 4), gender (SDG 5), marine ecosystems (SDG 14), terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15), partnerships (SDG 17) and identified as priorities for consideration at the meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development of the Republic of Belarus in 2022.
In the speech of the Republic of Belarus, it was noted that in 2017 Belarus created and effectively operates a multi-stage national architecture to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Most of the goals and objectives of sustainable development are included in the main strategic and program documents of Belarus. The sustainable development goals are a cross-cutting theme in the National Strategy for Sustainable Development for the period up to 2035. The key tasks identified in the NSSD 2035 include: achieving high standards of living standards for the population; qualitative growth of the economy on a new digital basis; formation of a competitive environment; creation of comfortable conditions for life and development of personal potential; conservation of natural systems.
Since the end of 2020, the Republic of Belarus has been fulfilling the 2030 Agenda in the face of unprecedented sanctions pressure from Western countries. Illegal unilateral coercive measures unnecessarily hinder Belarus’s ability to exercise its right to development and jeopardize Belarus’ achievements.
SDG 4 «Quality Education»
In Belarus, education is a priority area of state policy, so Belarus predictably demonstrates consistently high achievements in the field of education. The principle of inclusiveness plays an important role in ensuring equal access to education for all students. Citizens of Belarus have the right to receive free general secondary education; there are more than 7.3 thousand educational institutions in the country, in which about 2 million children, pupils and students study. The export of educational services is growing: more than 30 thousand foreign citizens from 107 countries study in Belarus. “Digital education” is being developed both to improve skills in the IT field and to adapt the population to digital transformations. Work is underway to develop and improve integrated education and upbringing, to include children with developmental disabilities in joint education and leisure with healthy peers. The educational process pays special attention to socialization, personality education and the formation of the worldview of young people.
SDG 5 «Gender Equality»
The implementation of the gender policy in Belarus is based on the observance of national interests, the principles of international law and human rights, the support of traditional values and foundations of the Belarusian society. An integral part of the state policy of Belarus in the implementation of international obligations in the field of gender is the promotion of issues of equal rights and obligations of men and women. High positions in international rankings are due to the high level of women’s participation in decision-making. Women, including those in rural areas, are assisted in the development of entrepreneurship, including through the allocation of gratuitous subsidies by the state. The current National Plan for Gender Equality aims to develop social conditions for the full realization of the potential of women and men. The National Model of Reproductive Health and Family Planning has been developed and is being implemented in Belarus, which includes the organization of a men’s health service. Belarus is making efforts to combat gender-based violence. There is practically no gender gap in the level of pension provision in the country.
SDG 14 «Conservation of marine ecosystems»
Being landlocked, Belarus contributes to the conservation of marine ecosystems through the protection of transboundary rivers, contributing to the conservation of the Baltic and Black Seas. In Belarus, the principle of basin management of water resources has been developed, which involves the management of river basins and the improvement of the ecological status of surface water bodies. The result of the work should be the assignment in 2025 of the ecological status of «good and above» to 75% of water resources.
SDG 15 «Conservation of terrestrial ecosystems»
Belarus is one of the ten forest states in Europe; forest management without a forest management project is prohibited at the legislative level. The country has a system of specially protected natural areas, including those of a transboundary nature. In connection with the construction of protective barriers by Poland on the Belarusian-Polish border, some of which will affect the territory of the UNESCO World Heritage Site «Belovezhskaya Pushcha», Belarus is concerned about the safety of this relict forest, its biological diversity and the existing ecosystem. Particular attention is paid to the protection and use of peatlands, the achievement of a neutral balance of land degradation. The area of land subject to various types of soil degradation is decreasing every year. Purposeful work is underway to restore agricultural land on the territory affected by the Chernobyl accident: almost 20,000 hectares have been returned to circulation.
SDG 17 «Partnerships for sustainable development»
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is an ambitious task for each state, which is not feasible on its own. Therefore, SDG 17 remains a unifying theme for Belarus. Belarus hopes that the pursuit of this goal will unite all the actors of international relations in the implementation of a positive international agenda.
Belarus intends to continue targeted steps to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, adhering to the principle that they should be out of politics.
More information about the Voluntary National Review can be found at the link: https://sdgs.by/voluntary/.
On July 11, 2022, a thematic discussion «SDG 15 and interlinkages with other SDGs» was held as part of the High-Level Political Forum.
In her speech, Head of the Main Department of Multilateral Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Irina Velichko, noted that in the context of SDG 15, Belarus pays attention to improving the legal framework for the conservation and rational use of biological and landscape diversity, protection of peatlands and rewetting of drained territories.
Irina Velichko also drew attention to the fact that Belarus has made efforts to restore agricultural land in the territories affected by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant: almost 20 thousand hectares have been returned to circulation.
Belarus is proud to be among the top ten countries in Europe, and the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve is the famous big five of European large mammals: bison, bear, wolf and lynx. Exceptional importance for biodiversity not only for Belarus, but also for the ecosystems of all Central and Eastern Europe is the relic forest – Belovezhskaya Pushcha, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The initiative «Social Taxi «AB WAY», which helps people with disabilities to be socially active and mobile, is being implemented in the Zhlobin district.
The initiative «Social Taxi «AB WAY» provides unhindered access for people with disabilities to the infrastructure and services of the city and is an inclusive taxi – a minibus equipped with an electric hydraulic lift for transporting people in wheelchairs.
A person in a wheelchair can enter the car himself using the hydraulic lift control. Such a car can accommodate up to two people in wheelchairs and three attendants. 348 services for the transportation of people with disabilities were provided free of charge in the test mode.
The implementation of the initiative «Social Taxi «AB WAY» will improve transport services for people with limited mobility in the region and will contribute to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of Sustainable Development Goals 9, 10, 11 and other SDGs.
More information about the initiative can be found at the link: https://www.undp.org/ru/belarus/stories/%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B5-%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%B8.
On July 7, 2022, the Republic of Belarus adopted the Concept for the Development of the Bar in Belarus until 2030.
The concept defines the goals and main directions for improving advocacy in the context of the developing political and socio-economic system of the state and predicts the possibility of increasing its social efficiency. In addition, the document provides for the creation of additional (consultative or advisory) bodies.
The implementation of the Concept for the Development of the Bar in Belarus until 2030 will provide affordable and high-quality legal assistance to the citizens of Belarus and will contribute to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of Sustainable Development Goals 10, 16 and other SDGs.
More information about the Concept can be found at the link: https://www.belta.by/society/view/kontseptsija-razvitija-advokatury-do-2030-goda-prinjata-v-belarusi-512424-2022/.
On July 6, 2022, an expanded meeting of the regional working group on sustainable development was held in the Mogilev Regional Executive Committee.
During the event, the participants discussed the implementation of the provisions of the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Mogilev Region for the period up to 2035, assessed its implementation in terms of the degree of achievement of indicators, considered proposals for making changes and additions to the SDS implementation plan for 2022.
More detailed information about the meeting of the regional working group on sustainable development can be found at the link: https://mogilevnews.by/news/06-07-2022-15-02/83353.
The first course «Fundamentals of the Circular Economy» launched in the Republic of Belarus. The course developed on the educational platform for sustainable development IBB Educational Platform. The course is open to everyone in the format of self-study on an online platform and contains information on how to move to a circular economy and what opportunities there are for this in Belarus.
Registration for the online course is available at the link.
Conducting the course «Fundamentals of the Circular Economy» will contribute to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of Sustainable Development Goals 4, 12 and other SDGs.
More information about the online course can be found at the link: https://ibb-edu.org/?redirect=0.
On July 1, 2022, the mobile application «My City» (Android, iOS) became available for Zhodino.
Almost all organizations structured by type of activity are already represented on the platform «My City»: city administration, business, education, health and sports, recreation and tourism. The application contains the most necessary information about most companies: their contacts and working hours, up-to-date information about goods and services, promotions and discounts, latest news and offers. The application is already working in Polotsk, Glubokoe, Pinsk, Baranovichi, Orsha, Braslav and Lepel.
The implementation of the concept «Smart City» makes a significant contribution to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 8, 9, 10, 11 and other SDGs.
More information about the application «My City» in Zhodino can be found at the link: https://www.belta.by/regions/view/mobilnoe-prilozhenie-moj-gorod-nachalo-rabotat-v-zhodino-511839-2022/.
On June 29 and 30, 2022, the Youth Ambassadors of SDGs 14, 16 and 17 took part in the ECO-marathon organized by the Republican Center for Ecology and Local History and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) in the Republic of Belarus.
SDG Youth Ambassadors helped schoolchildren develop environmental projects, talked about the Sustainable Development Goals, answered the most pressing social and environmental issues.
At the end of the ECO-marathon, more than 10 environmental projects were prepared and received funding.
The ECO-marathon contributes to the formation of environmentally friendly behavior, the development of an entrepreneurial mindset, as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
On June 29, 2022, the Global Compact Network in Belarus, together with the United Nations Population Fund in Belarus, held a business breakfast «Business and UNFPA: horizons for partnership» for socially responsible companies.
During the event, the participants of the UN Global Compact got acquainted with the activities of the UN Population Fund in Belarus and discussed potential areas for partnership projects.
Currently, the United Nations Population Fund in Belarus is implementing partnership projects with high social impact in such sectors as demographic resilience, active and dignified longevity, promotion of effective reproductive health programs, gender equality and prevention of domestic violence, social inclusion of people with disability.
Current partners: A1 Belarus, Mamapro.by, Grid of gas stations A-100, EPAM Belarus, SoftTeco, Vizor Games, IBA Group, Sequoia: Men’s Sexual Wellness, Flo Period Tracker App, Pepsi Belarus, Oyper, BDO in Belarus.
Partnership with socially responsible business makes a significant contribution to the solution of social problems, as well as to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, together with the Council of Young Scientists, organizes the project «100 Innovations of Young Scientists», aimed at highlighting the best achievements of young scientists.
Students, undergraduates, graduate students and researchers not older than 35 are invited to participate in the project. The application for registration for the competition of innovative projects of young scientists 2022 must be filled out before July 10, 2022.
The project «100 innovations of young scientists» will contribute to the achievement by the Republic of Belarus of Sustainable Development Goal 9 and other SDGs.
More information about the project can be found at the link: https://nasb.gov.by/rus/news/12071/.
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