Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges and Recommendations
04 Oct 2019
On October 4, a seminar titled “Summing up the High Level Forum on Sustainable Development Goals in New York in July of 2019 and forthcoming tasks” with the support of the International Labor Organization (ILO) was held in Shirvan.
Opening the seminar, Secretary of the ATUC – Head of Apparatus
Hasan Jafarov informed the participants about the goals and objectives of the
seminar.
Hasan Jafarov informed the participants that creating an
opportunity for inclusive and sustainable economic development and the
principle of “no one is left behind” is a priority for Azerbaijan, and our
country has taken decisive steps towards moving towards sustainable development
and adapting our national development strategy to DIMs. The National
Coordination Council for Sustainable Development, established in the Republic,
has met with all stakeholders in the preparation of the National Volunteer
Report, and a number of guidelines have been developed by the Council's working
groups. The Government of Azerbaijan has approved strategic roadmaps for
short-term (until 2020), medium-term (until 2025) and long-term (after 2025)
social and economic development of key sectors in order to create a sustainable
development model. Azerbaijan is the first country in the region to approve
roadmaps for this purpose. That is why Azerbaijan ranks 25th among the top 10
countries in the World Bank's Trade Facility Report for 2018, with 190
investment countries. Active labor market policies and social protection play
an important role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The
Government has set up a "Sustainable and Operational Social Protection
Agency", which provides equal access to social and social services.
R. Garayeva, specialist of
the International Relations Department of the ATUC, addressed the
workshop participants on the second national voluntary report of the Government
of Azerbaijan on the main challenges at the UN High Level Forum on Sustainable
Development Goals (DIM). He said that in 2015, the United Nations set the
Sustainable Development Goals to identify key areas of international system
development. The new daily is universal and combines 17 goals and 169 goals.
The main challenge facing the
Sustainable Development Goals is to achieve the solution of existing problems
at the national level. The focus of this agenda, especially, is on people, with
greater emphasis on social development, which also promotes environmental and
economic development. The daily demands equality not only for today, but also
for future generations, so that they have the same economic, environmental and
social equality that we or our previous generations have.
The Second National Volunteer
National Report of the Republic of Azerbaijan was successfully presented at the
High Level Sustainable Policy Forum at the headquarters of the United Nations
(UN) on July 15 this year and was positively evaluated by the participating
countries.
Speaking about the progress made
in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, N. Huseynov, the
head of the ATUC, noted that the trends and challenges in the globalized world
are not similar to Azerbaijan. Appropriate work is being done in the country.
In these circumstances, it is important to pay attention to trends and
challenges, to look at the work done by the world community and governments, to
express the position of trade unions on the problem, to make the right
decisions and to act effectively.
Many of the Sustainable
Development Goals are reflected in various documents in Azerbaijan, and efforts
are being made to achieve them. However, as the goals are comprehensive and the
work being done requires continuity, all countries need to coordinate these activities.
Huseynov said that about 2
million new jobs were created in the country in 2003-2018. Poverty and
unemployment fell by 5%. In January-July 2019 only syringe factory in Baku,
branch of OJSC "Azerkhalcha" in Gobustan region, "SOCAR
carbamide" plant in Sumgait, Polyethylene factory, 140-bed preschool
educational institution and 200-bed hospital in Nakhchivan, Nakhchivan There
are 2 secondary schools for 1,170 students, 200 pre-school educational
institutions, 2 out-patient clinics and other social facilities.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Head of the
Organizational Affairs and Information Department of the ATUC, Ali Jafarov,
informed the participants about the main tasks facing trade union leaders and
activists in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. He said that
as a trade union we have an obligation to inform every employee in the
workforce that we have worked with in recent years on the social issues related
to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Social packages
adopted by the President of the country earlier this year are of particular
importance for improving the welfare of workers, pensioners, disabled people
and other categories of people.
At the same time, the drafting
of collective agreements is also important in the implementation of the
Sustainable Development Goals. The propagation of these issues should be of
great importance to us.
Discussions were held on the
issues discussed at the event.
The workshop was attended by
trade union activists from Shirvan and surrounding regions.
