The SDGs must be tied to the government’s existing activities, whether at the national, sub-national, or district level. The SDGs are global goals that need to be achieved locally
Breaking down the SDGs into smaller blocks, isolating the goals with local relevance, and sensitizing officials at the state and district levels to how the SDGs map onto their existing priorities and plans is crucial for a sense of institutional ownership at all levels of government. The local governments are better equipped to implement SDGs than anyone else because they reach the last mile which is the key. There is a need for cooperation and collective action among various government departments and it is also essential to develop an implementation framework for the districts and villages to localize the SDGs. There is also a need to streamline the SDGs with existing government priorities.
There is a need for innovation and flexibility, especially to bring in the private sector as a partner in achieving the SDGs which is taken up very actively by the GCNI (Global Compact Network India ) for example. The SDGs are an important framework within which to target and guide the efforts of the corporate social responsibility sector in the country.
Exploring alternative business and funding models must be an ongoing process, and more and deeper partnerships with the private sector are increasingly necessary. Breaking down goals and implementation to sub-national and local levels is the only way to succeed in achieving SDG targets. Localization also allows developing local solutions to local challenges by empowering provincial and local levels of government. Additionally, I am a firm believer in collective action and believe that the private sector plays a critical role in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.
Localization relates both to how the SDGs can provide a framework for local development policy and to how local and regional governments can support the achievement of the SDGs through action from the bottom up and to how the SDGs can provide a framework for local development policy.
SDG localization is the pathway for the success of Agenda 2030 in big countries like India with a population of over 1.3 billion.
“Localising” is the process of taking into account sub-national contexts in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, from the setting of goals and targets to determining the means of implementation and using indicators to measure and monitor progress.
While the SDGs are global, their achievement will depend on our ability to make them a reality in our cities and regions. All of the SDGs have targets directly related to the responsibilities of local and regional governments, particularly to their role in delivering basic services. That’s why local and regional governments must be at the heart of the 2030 Agenda.
Collective action is the key, as rightly emphasized in the slogan by our Hon’ble PMO Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaasfor New India. (Legal & Corporate Affairs Sex Limited, Former Chairman NIPM- Delhi NCR Chapter & Ex. President – Noida Management Association, SDG Global Ambassador. The views expressed are his personal.)
