Correspondent

IMPHAL, Feb 4: Representatives from various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from across the Northeast including Arunachal Pradesh attended the North-East SDG Consultation meeting on “Leave No one Behind” held here in the Manipur capital on February 1-2 last to discuss the unique challenges and solutions required to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to which India is a signatory. 
India's UN Resident Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien termed the SDGs as the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. “Sustainable Development Goals which are inter-connected and numbering 17 address the global challenges we face including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environment degradation, peace and justice and it is important that we achieve them all by 2030,” she said.  
Convenor of Wada No Todo Abhiyan Annie Namala and the NITI Aayog's SDG Adviser Sanyukta Samaddar dwelt on the challenges in achieving SDGs for vulnerable communities and India’s Voluntary National Review (VNR) process.
Speaking about the challenges in achieving the SDGs in the region, economist E Vijoykumar from the economics department at Manipur University informed that the Centre has committed itself in every forum to the realization of the SDGs. He said that the north-eastern region is going to get a permanent place in the development policy discourse under the overarching exhortation 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas'
Executive Director of Human Rights Alert, Babloo Laitongbam informed that India is presenting its second VNR on SDGs in the UN High-Level Political Forum 2020 in which NITI Aayog is coordinating its preparation. “With the support from the UN Resident Commissioner’s office (UN RC), NITI Aayog has proposed to integrate civil society organisations' perspective, data and inputs in the “Leave No One Behind” section of the VNR report and for this, the Vada Na Todo Abhiyan is anchoring a series of consultations throughout the country with CSOs working with various groups including children, adolescents, youth, women, elderly, dalits, adivasis, bonded labourers and victims of human trafficking, LGBTQIA+ groups, farmers, migrants, urban and poor people with disabilities, people living with HIV, religious minorities, refugees and Northeast,” he added.

Arunachal Citizens’ Right (ACR) Executive Director Bamang Tago spoke about Education (one of the components of the SDGs). Tago also pointed out that most of the person(s) posted as District Project Coordinators (DPCs) in various districts are not the person(s) who have committed to implement the state/central funded schemes to bring quality of education but they have vested interests. He also moderated the plenary session of eight thematic groups that discussed and identified the obstacles and challenges in achieving SDGs.
During the discussion on food safety issues, Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists' General Secretary Ranju Dodum pointed out the absence of policies across the states which give incentives to farmers for growing agricultural products. “Almost all state governments are willing to give subsidies to farmers to grow cash crops but hardly any benefits are offered for those growing food crops,” he remarked, adding that while facing a food crisis, we need rice and not rubber.     

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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