Sudan launches its Sustainable Development Goals’ media campaign

The Sudanese Minister of Information launched the National Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) media campaign in Khartoum on Saturday.

The event took place at the Grand Holiday Villa in the presence of the State Minister of Welfare and Social Security, the Secretary General of the national Population Council (NPC), the UN Resident Coordinator, and other representatives of government entities, civil society, and international partners, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) reported in a press statement today.

The Minister of Information, Ahmed Bilal Osman, announced that his ministry will avail all resources and support for the implementation of the National SDGs media campaign.

The Secretary General of the NPC, Dr Limya Abdelghaffar, emphasised the importance of the SDGs in achieving the Sudan We Aim For by 2030. The national SDGs programme is taken up in the 2007-2030 National Quarter Century Plan.

Wisal Hussein, Assistant Secretary of the NPC, lauded the efforts of the Sudanese government and the NCP in the consultations that led to the endorsement of the SDGs. She showcased Sudan’s success in adding article 30 of the Transforming Our World document concerning unilateral economic, financial, or trade measures which are not in accordance with international law and the UN Charter, the press statement reads.

Hussein also highlighted the national efforts in including different stakeholders from the ministerial and state levels, civil society, and private sector partners in the consultations to determine Sudan’s national developmental priorities. She stressed the importance of the media in the upcoming stage of advocating SDGs in Sudan, revealing plans to establish a Journalists for Sustainable Development network.

Abdelghaffar underscored Sudan’s commitment to achieving the SDGs by creating and developing the capacities of entities responsible for monitoring and achieving the SDGs, and by creating the National Mechanism to Oversee the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, chaired by Sudan’s Vice President.

The UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative, Marta Ruedas, stressed the UN commitment to support the Sudanese government in its efforts to realise the SDGs. She highlighted UNDP’s role at the core of these efforts. “In working with national partners on reporting on the MDGs, the UNDP will be able to launch the report on MDGs soon, and that will give us a good bases on planning on the SDGs,” she said.