Should integrate UNDP goals with state’s planning — Rio

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Nov. 13 (EMN): Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday said that effective integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) into the state’s development plans and policies with support from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) could open many avenues for overall development and progress of the state.

Speaking at the inaugural function of the two-day workshop on ‘building capacities for taking forward SDGs in Nagaland’ at Hotel Vivor in Kohima, the chief minister expressed confidence that with adequate support from UNDP, SDGs can be integrated into the state’s development plans and policies; and lay the foundations for ensuring that Nagaland can follow and contribute in the global movement for sustainable development goals as appended at the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was later adopted by all United Nations member-states in 2015.

Rio remarked that agriculture being a bankable strength for the people of Nagaland, the state should focus on organic farming and thereby help the farmers move up the value chain. He said that adoption of cash crops like coffee was helping improve agricultural incomes and further added that integrating allied activities with farming like piggery, fishery and poultry also has the potential of enhancing farm incomes.

Rio also stated that conducive integration of SDG in the state plans and policies will help in increasing rural incomes, and thus, reduce the dependency on government jobs and the resultant migration of people from rural to urban areas.

He added that with the creation and availability of jobs in the rural and grassroots level, the state will witness a positive change in the abnormal pattern of migration of the population to urban areas like Kohima and Dimapur, searching for jobs and livelihoods, which are already suffering with myriad problems like traffic congestion and shortage of basic human  amenities like water and power supply due to overpopulation.

Sepaking on the bond the Nagas share with nature, he said that traditionally Nagas have lived in harmony with nature and preserved the habitat and therefore the traditional knowledge can be leveraged to conserve natural resources and create community wealth through partnership with the communities.

Rio also said that the environment and topography of the state was fragile and prone to natural disasters and hence specialised programmes are needed to suit the geography and the needs of the region. He also added that with technology, mobilisation of resources, and community participation approach through support from UNDP, the state will go a long way in building capacities and to take necessary action to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

He also shared optimism that the two-day workshop will be productive to help devise strategies and action plan for achieving SDGs not only for Nagaland but for the entire northeastern region as a whole.

Delivering the welcome speech, principal secretary & development commissioner, planning & coordination department, Sentiyanger Imchen, shared optimism that with the help and guidance of the assembled resource persons, the state can move forward in devising a workable framework for achieving the goals of sustainable development.

Imchen mentioned that the United Nations General Assembly adopted the agenda on Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 and set 17 specific goals with the timeframe of achieving it by 2030. He also added that India is also committed to the goals of sustainable development and has already put in place the mechanism to achieve it.

He informed that Nagaland has also come out with the Vision 2030 document in 2016 which had laid out various goals in line with the goals contained in the United Nations resolution.

He said that so far 23 departments have been identified by the state government who would play the major role in achieving the goal of SDG. Nodal officers on SDG have also been appointed by those departments, he added.

Imchen informed that there was a need to develop specific strategies with timelines and measurable indicators in respect of each department to achieve the 17 goals of sustainable development.

He also shared his opinion to put in place a system where different departments can work in synergy for convergence; and necessity of putting in place a structure for implementing the strategies which will be inclusive of the elected representatives and the common man through the participations of village councils and VDBs who can be co-opted into the structure for successful implementation.

The Regional Head of NRE UNDP, John Borgoyary spoke on the topic ‘SHGs in context of NRE’ and delivered a PowerPoint presentation during the programme.

It may be mentioned that the workshop is organised by the planning & coordination department in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The workshop is to support the state’s departments in the process of understanding the SDGs and integrating their work, understanding available data, plan for monitoring system towards SHD implementation and development strategies.

The capacity building exercise is for all nodal officers of the state to enhance their understanding on SDG and start a process of designing strategies plans and action for departments to achieve the 17 goals in the holistic manner.