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IMPLEMENTING THE 2030 AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA: MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIP CONFERENCE 15-16 NOVEMBER 2016
WELCOMING REMARKS BY
MR. JAKOB SIMONSEN UNITED NATIONS RESIDENT COORDINATOR AD INTERIM, MALAYSIA UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE AD INTERIM FOR MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE & BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
15 NOVEMBER 2016 9.25 – 9.35 am
LE MERIDIEN HOTEL PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA
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Yang Berbahagia Datuk Seri Dr. Rahamat Bivi Yusoff, Director General, Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department, My colleagues from the UN system, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Good morning.
On behalf of the United Nations Country Team in Malaysia, let me warmly welcome you to this Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Conference, focused on the Implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in Malaysia. It is good to see so many development actors and stakeholders here today - from Government, civil society, private sector, academia, and the youth.
It was our common aim to make this conference both inclusive and participatory in line with the spirit of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, which as you know, emerged from a most extensive consultation process over a span of two years, across continents, regions, states and localities, including here in Malaysia, in an effort to hear the voices of all peoples from all walks of life on the world we want. The 193 countries who adopted this 2030 Agenda at the UN General Assembly a year ago, agreed that all countries and stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan that will lead our collective journey for global transformation. This is why we are here today. 2
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Hence, please allow me to take this opportunity to thank and commend the Economic Planning Unit under the leadership of its Director General, Datuk Seri Dr. Rahamant Bivi Yusoff, for recognising and for accentuating the importance of collaborative partnership for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, by hosting this Multi-Stakeholder Partnership Conference, the second of its kind here in Malaysia. The first was the SDG Symposium held in February this year. I would also like to acknowledge Government’s openness to seeking constructive inputs and feedback from multiple stakeholders, both public and private, experts as well as young people, to help shape the national roadmap for implementation of the Agenda, and by doing so ensuring a collaborative approach, from the onset, on Malaysia’s journey to 2030.
The SDGs that comprise 17 goals, 169 targets and 230 indicators, as we know, is far more comprehensive and ambitious than its predecessor, the Millennium Development Goals, on which the country performed remarkably well, as evidenced by Malaysia’s final Millennium Development Goals Report launched in February, which was jointly developed by EPU and the UNCT, in consultation with various Ministries on their achievements, challenges and views on the MDG journey in the past 15 years. While the SDGs build on the development priorities of the MDGs, it also sets out integrated and indivisible economic, social and environmental objectives; and the promise of peaceful, inclusive and just societies that are based on effective rule of law and good governance, and transparent, 3
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effective and accountable institutions. It also, very importantly, provides greater clarity on the means of implementation.
The Goals and targets of this new Agenda, are universal in nature, applying to developed and developing nations, and they are characterised by their deep interconnections and cross-cutting elements. One of the sessions today has therefore, been dedicated to discussing the intricacies of this, because the understanding of the interactions, trade-offs and synergies between the Goals and targets are crucial to the efficient and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
For instance, UN Member States have acknowledged that progress made on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, will inevitably contribute to all of the Goals and targets of the SDGs, and thus, systematic mainstreaming of a gender perspective in the implementation of this rights based Agenda is imperative. Hence, as countries move into the implementation, localisation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting on these new Goals and targets, it will be worth investing time, effort and resources, to explore how best to leverage the positive interactions between the Goals and targets to yield multiple dividends both on the Agenda 2030 as well as on national development plans and priorities, which is the vehicle through which a number of countries are implementing the Agenda. And how, given the interlinkages across the Goals and targets, we would need to change the way we do things to ensure greater integration and coherence both vertically and horizontally, at federal, state and local levels. 4
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One year into the adoption of this transformative and ambitious Agenda, we see governments, businesses and civil society across the globe, in different stages of mainstreaming and implementation. Malaysia can be counted amongst at least 50 countries worldwide, who have taken early action to mainstream the Goals into their national development plans, and who are taking steps to put in place structures and frameworks to ensure effective implementation at national and subnational levels - as you will no doubt be learning from EPU directly this morning.
Malaysia has also demonstrated its strong commitment to the Agenda 2030 by volunteering to conduct a National Review and report to the High Level Political Forum under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, in July 2017. This year, there were 22 countries who reported their progress at the annual High Level Political Forum, and next year there will be 30 countries, Malaysia included. This inter-governmental Forum will review and analyse SDG achievements, lessonslearned, gaps and challenges of both developing and developed countries.
In terms of challenges, we know that ensuring the data requirement for the planning, support, and measurement of progress on the Goals as prescribed by the extensive SDG indicator framework, is a daunting task not just for developing countries but also for the developed nations. Data has to be accessible, reliable and disaggregated across a number of characteristics. Governments, in adopting the 2030 Agenda, committed to reach those furthest behind, the vulnerable groups that are clearly reflected in the transformative Agenda. High-quality disaggregated 5
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data, will enable federal, state and local governments measure the progress made on reaching those groups, and address remaining gaps.
The UN Country Team, comprising 17 resident- as well as non-resident-agencies, stands ready to support Malaysia in the implementation, follow-up and review processes of the 2030 Agenda, and to help foster multi-stakeholder support and partnerships, build awareness, promote ownership and partnerships as required. This is an agenda for all and its successful implementation requires us all to do our part. It cannot be accomplished by governments alone. The challenges of sustainability require also the application of creativity and innovation, science and technology.
We are privileged to have with us, over this next one-and-a-half-days, speakers and moderators from government, academia, think tanks, civil society, the private sector and also from UNDP headquarters in New York, from UNICEF and UNDP regional offices in Bangkok as well as from the UN system here in Malaysia – who will take us deeper into the different elements that I’ve mentioned and more, which are essential and constitute the building blocks for the effective and efficient implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
And I therefore, urge all of you to participate actively in the discussions today and tomorrow, and to provide constructive feedback and innovative ideas to help shape Malaysia’s approach and strategy to implementation and achievement of the 6
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transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets by 2030, and contribution to the global partnership for development, to help put the world on a path that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable and resilient, and where the benefits of progress, peace and prosperity will be felt and enjoyed by all, with no one left behind.
I also hope the discourse will inspire us, as individuals and organisations, to contribute meaningfully to improving the lives of people and sustainability of our planet.
With that I thank you and wish you a productive Conference.
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