Brunei (Commonwealth Union)_ The United Nations (UN) has expressed its willingness to provide assistance to Brunei in achieving its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). During the Pre-2023 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) workshop, Karima El Korri, UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, delivered a keynote address on the global progress of the SDGs, which is influenced by the current state of the world.
The upcoming 2023 HLPF and the SDGs Summit in September 2023 are anticipated to establish new priorities within the 2030 Agenda, emphasizing the need for stronger political commitment and global cooperation. Organized by the Special National Coordination Committee on the SDGs for Brunei under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the two-day HLPF workshop took place at the Banquet Hall at the PMO. The workshop commenced with a speech from Pengiran Hajah Siti Nirmala Pengiran Haji Mohammad, the Chairperson of the Special National Coordination Committee on SDGs and the Permanent Secretary (Wawasan) at the PMO.
During her address, she expressed gratitude for the support and dedication of stakeholders in Brunei’s pursuit of the SDGs. She urged stakeholders to collaborate and explore opportunities to improve the development of SDGs in Brunei, emphasizing the importance of innovative solutions for a better future. The workshop witnessed the attendance of members and the secretariat of the Special National Coordination Committee on the SDGs and representatives from the government, UN agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, youth, and financial institutions, and facilitated discussions on various topics. Among these discussions were the preliminary results from the Second Voluntary National Review (VNR) Report for Brunei Darussalam, which will be presented at the 2023 HLPF in July.
Further, participants also discussed the way forward to accelerate the SDGs through post-VNR actions, including efforts to strengthen the SDGs ecosystem, ensure data availability, and implement integrated actions for sustainable development goals. The Pre-2023 HLPF workshop ended with a presentation of the key outcomes, followed by the distribution of certificates of appreciation. The workshop yielded proposed priority actions, with a particular focus on enhancing data monitoring and evaluation, improving the SDGs ecosystem, and promoting comprehensive national actions to foster sustainable behaviors and mindsets.
