25 March 2026
On March 25, 2026, Vladislav Tatarinovich, the National Coordinator for Achieving the SDGs, the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Belarus, and the UN Country Team visited the Grodno region to discuss priority areas of sustainable development. The working visit was also attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus, the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, the Country Office of the Rosatom State Corporation in the Republic of Belarus – Rusatom Bel LLC, the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Belarus, the Grodno Regional Executive Committee, the Ostrovets District Executive Committee, enterprises and organizations of the Grodno region, mass media.
The program of the working visit included the round table “Partnership for the Implementation of the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Grodno Region”, as well as visits to objects of social and economic importance in the Ostrovets district, including the Monument to Soviet Soldiers and Partisans, the State Educational Institution “Secondary School No. 3 in Ostrovets”, Ostrovets Central District Clinical Hospital, RUE “Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant”.
The purpose of the round table “Partnership for the Implementation of the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Grodno Region” was to familiarize participants with the potential of the Grodno region and discuss promising areas and projects for further development of the region in the context of the implementation of the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Grodno Region for the period up to 2040 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030).
Opening the round table, Vladislav Tatarinovich, National Coordinator for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Belarus, noted the efforts of the Republic of Belarus to implement the 2030 Agenda and country’s high progress in achieving the SDGs. He briefly informed about the work of the national architecture for achieving the SDGs in Belarus, created in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus.
Vladislav Tatarinovich noted the importance of regional development for the sustainability of the national economy. In this context, he outlined the main tasks, including ensuring an integrated approach to increasing the well–being of the population in the regions, the uniform development of territories, and avoiding a gap between city and village, capital and region. He highlighted the effectiveness of government programs that are directly focused on specific aspects of strengthening regions that affect a huge number of people.
The National Coordinator for Achieving the SDGs highlighted the importance of SDG localization and the relevance of conducting working visits to the regions to ensure the support of the UN Country Team of regional authorities in the field of sustainable development of the country.
One of the key elements of the program of the working visit was a visit to the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelNPP). Denis Moroz, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Belarus, informed about its advantages and impact on the socio-economic development of the country and the Ostrovets district during the round table. He highlighted that the energy sector has a key task – to ensure reliable and affordable energy supply. The Republic of Belarus is one of the countries where 100% of the population has access to electricity. The construction and commissioning of the BelNPP has made a significant contribution to the development of nuclear energy and has become a driver of positive changes in related areas such as the construction of electric power plants, the growth of electric transport, etc.
During 2024-2025, the Grodno Regional Executive Committee, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus, developed the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Grodno Region for the period up to 2040 (RSSD) as part of the international technical assistance project “Support to the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in Nationalization and Localization of SDGs” funded by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Viktor Pranyuk, Deputy Chairperson of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee, Head of the Regional Group for Sustainable Development of the Grodno Region, presented the main directions of development of the Grodno region identified in the RSSD, noting its close alignment with the National Strategy for Sustainable Development until 2040 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The RSSD of the Grodno region includes five priorities:
The United Nations system makes a significant contribution to the development of the Grodno region by supporting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at both the national and regional levels.
Rasul Baghirov, UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Belarus, thanked the National Coordinator for Achieving the SDGs, the leadership of the Grodno Region and Ostrovets district, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus for the high level of organization of the visit.He stressed that the Framework Program of Cooperation between the United Nations and the Republic of Belarus for 2026-2030, developed considering national priorities and program documents, places special emphasis on the localization of the SDGs. At the same time, the priority of the UN’s work remains unchanged – people and their well-being. Strong regions are an important component of the country’s sustainable development, and the UN will continue to support local initiatives and projects in the interests of the state.
Renfei Liu, UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Belarus, expressed gratitude to the National Coordinator for Achieving the SDGs, the leadership of the Grodno region and the Ostrovets district for organizing the working visit and stressed the importance of such visits for direct dialogue with regional partners.She highlighted that the Grodno region’s RSSD is a roadmap developed by the region’s leadership with the support of the UNDP, which shows how global goals turn into concrete actions on the ground. The priorities identified in the RSSD are fully consistent with the UNDP mandate and the UNDP Country Programme for 2026-2030. Over the past five years, the UNDP has provided extensive support to the Grodno Region in such areas as promoting inclusion, supporting local economic development, small and medium-sized businesses, developing eco-tourism, and protecting the environment. Renfei Liu noted the willingness of the UNDP to support joint initiatives through technical assistance, knowledge sharing and partnership development.
Sergei Diorditsa, WHO Representative/Head of the WHO Country Office in Belarus, noted in his speech that WHO continues its long-term cooperation with the Grodno region, promoting initiatives to strengthen public health, prevent noncommunicable diseases and support the achievement of the SDGs.The main health threats are related to behavioral factors – smoking, alcohol, unhealthy diet and low physical activity – and require the creation of an environment where healthy choices are the most convenient and affordable. Local initiatives, including the “Healthy City”, as well as simple measures such as limiting alcohol sales and developing cycling infrastructure, can have a significant effect on public health, which can be implemented in the region. To support and within the framework of the SDG project, WHO is actively promoting modern public health approaches and digital resources, including the development of the “Electronic Patient Atlas”. It was also noted that the use of clean energy sources, including nuclear power, is an important factor in reducing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, especially in rural areas where high levels of solid fuel use remain.
Daniil Kharitonov, Third Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Belarus, noted the main areas of cooperation between the Russian side and the Grodno region, including the preservation of historical memory, and also stressed the effective cooperation between Belarus and Russia on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.Daniil Kharitonov expressed support for the activities within the framework of the international technical assistance project “Support to the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in Nationalization and Localization of SDGs”, funded by the Russian Federation, and other international projects through donations from the Russian side. And he stressed the importance of sharing the experience gained. He also confirmed the readiness of the Russian Federation to continue cooperation with the Republic of Belarus and the UN Country Team on sustainable development.
Stanislav Levitsky, Director of the Rosatom State Corporation Country office in the Republic of Belarus – Rusatom Bel LLC, noted that following the SDGs and the basic principles of sustainable development (responsible attitude to the environment, high social standards, effective corporate governance) is in the basis of Rosatom’s strategy. This is laid down in strategic planning documents and is the basis for the organization’s activities.According to him, from the point of view of nuclear energy, the BelNPP project is a practical embodiment of these principles.
The topic of a favorable environment is very relevant for the Grodno region. In the context of achieving the SDG 15, the project “Ecotourism Development to Promote Green Transition to Inclusive and Sustainable Growth” is being implemented in the Grodno region with the support of the UNDP and the Russian Federation. One of the successful sites of this project is the Republican landscape Reserve Ozery (Lakes). Dmitry Morozik, Director of the Republican Landscape Reserve Ozery (Lakes), presented the results of the development of ecological tourism in this specially protected natural area.
Dmitry Morozik noted that ecological (sustainable) tourism is an important element of preserving biological and landscape diversity in general and the Republican Landscape Reserve Ozery (Lakes) in particular. Thanks to the support provided within the framework of this project, the logistical base of the reserve was improved, eco-routes were modernized, a personal brand and promotional materials were developed, which led to an increase in the recognition of the reserve, an increase in the flow of tourists by 833% and an increase in income by 2688% compared to 2021.
Inclusion plays an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Grodno region pays great attention to this issue. In 2025, with the support of the UNDP, 21 SDG pilot initiatives were implemented in all regions of Belarus as part of the international technical assistance project “Support to the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in Nationalization and Localization of SDGs”, funded by the Russian Federation.
Inessa Larionova, head of the Center for Support of Families raising Children with Disabilities, coordinator of the “Inclusive Animation” project, shared her experience and presented the results of the pilot initiative on the SDG “Inclusive Animation”. She informed that as part of the SDG pilot initiative, with the support of the UNDP and the Russian Federation, an inclusive animation workshop for the socialization of people with disabilities has been created, equipment has been purchased, adapted training programs have been developed, 16 young people with disabilities have been trained and 20 animated videos have been created.
Anton Yurkoyt, member of the Council of Working Youth at the Ostrovets District Executive Committee, informed about the implementation of the youth policy of the Republic of Belarus in the context of the 2030 Agenda at the local level. He stressed that more than 5,000 young people live in Ostrovets, it is the youngest city in the republic with an average age of 35 years. He also noted that the involvement of young people in sustainable development at the local level is realized through social partnership, which includes three specific vectors: “energy of competence, environmental responsibility and energy of attraction (society)”.
At the end of the event, a solemn ceremony was held to present the documents of gratitude of the National Coordinator for the SDGs for significant contribution to the achievement of the SDGs.
It is expected that the proposals and comments received during the working visit to the Grodno region will contribute to the implementation of the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Grodno Region until 2040 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by the Republic of Belarus.
The round table “Partnership for the Implementation of the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Grodno region” was organized by the Grodno Regional Executive Committee with the support of the UNDP within the framework of the international technical assistance project “Support to the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in Nationalization and Localization of SDGs”, funded by the Government of the Russian Federation.
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