Better coordination for attaining SDG Goals-2030

At the Sustainable Development summit in September 2015, the UN member states evolved the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development which includes set of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGS) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate changes by 2030.  The SGDs, otherwise known as the global goals, based on the millennium development goals, eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed achieving by 2015. The MDGs, adopted in 2000 aimed at an array of issues that included reducing poverty, hunger disease, gender inequality visually and comfortably perceivable and also access to clean water and sanitation. Remarkable progress has been made on the MDGs, proving the merit of a unifying activities based agenda. Despite this major success, the dignity of poverty has not been ended for all.
The new global goals and the broader sustainability agenda, so much beyond than the MDGs addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people universally. So SDGs with 17 bold new agenda to end poverty, fight inequality, tackle the adverse effects of climate change and ensure a sustainable future for all.
MDGs and SDGs 
Apart from the single fact that SDGs contain a much larger number of goals covering a broader set of issues compared to MDGs and hence make the agenda covering a broader set of issues compared to MDGs. There are a significant differences between the two, which are: 
(i)     SDGs are for all countries not just for developing countries.
(ii)      A look at some of the goals and targets of SDGs especially those relating to growth, employment, education, health indicate an emphasis on qualitative aspects of development.
(iii)     As for fighting poverty in addition to the income dimension non-income dimension are also emphasized.
(iv)     In a few instances i.e., with respect to economic growth and industrialization, quantitative targets are specified for least developed countries.
It has been noted by development economists and sociologists that the world has witnessed significant progress in achieving some of the MDGs. Statistics have revealed that global extreme poverty has declined by an estimated 130 million. Child mortally rates have fallen from 103 deaths per thousand live births to 88. Life expectancy has also risen from 63 to nearly 65 years. 
Another remarkable achievement has been that an additional 8.0 per cent of the developing world population now has access to clean water. 
There have also been similar gains in the field of sanitation services, 15 percent. Unfortunately such progress has not been uniform to other developing countries has performed remarkable well, especially over the last few years. Analysts agree that we have made major progress in the following; reducing hardcore poverty and the poverty gap ratio, decreasing malnutrition and the number of underweight children under five years of age, attending gender parity in primary and secondary education in both rural and urban areas, increasing the net enrollment ratio at the level of primary schools; lowering infant mortality rates and the maternal mortality ratio, increasing the percentage of one year old children immunized against measles and polio, reducing death from pneumonia and flu.  
It would be worth mentioning that the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in an article in its 15 September issue 2015 has noted the advances made by Bangladesh with regards to health especially women and children.
Bangladesh has to its credit remarkable achievement, especially in the health, population and nutrition sectors – which are considered with high importance in the development program, especially being implemented by the govt. of Bangladesh and its people. As a result health sector, as measured in its various indicators, has made a vast progress. Over 13000 community health clinics have started functioning all over the country under the “Revitalization of the Community Health Care Initiative in Bangladesh” program. 
As improved healthcare has been guaranteed at the grass-root level, the birth and death rate per thousand people have declined to 18.8 and 5.1 respectively. 
The mortality rate of infants and the children under 5 per thousand live births has come down to 29 and 36, respectively. Following the fulfillment of the need of food and nutrition of the people, the average life expectancy gradually elevated to 70.7 years.
Nevertheless economists have correctly pointed out Bangladesh still has to overcome quite a few other challenges especially the health sector such as proportion of births attended by skilled birth attendant, ante natal coverage i.e., universal health coverage.
SDGs – Bangladesh perspective
Bangladesh will have the opportunity to draw strength form her performance of the MDG in taking on SDGs which are stated above.
As of now, the key challenges for Bangladesh for implementing the SDGs are:
(i) Integration in the national planning process.
(ii) Financial and non-financial resources.
(iii) Implementational mechanism for      implementation. 
(iv)  Data after monitoring.
(v) Participation and accountability. 
Attainment of the SDGs would require a strong and effective institution mechanism wing, involving all stake holders including public representatives across the country, government and the bureaucracy, private sector civil society, knowledge community and development partners.
The agreed SDGs adopted during the 70th UNGA will succeed the MDGs with effect from 1 January 2016 Bangladesh, according to planning commission professor Shamsul Alam will be one of the early starter for achieving SDGs since we have incorporated most of the prepared 17 goals of the SDGs in different section of our 7th Five year plan. 
It may by here that Bangladesh in its post 2016 Development agenda has included 11 goals. 58 targets, These includes improving human resources, potential technical education and vocational training, eradicating poverty and removing inequality, ensuring sustainable food security and nutrition for all, particularly the marginalized communities. In addition, there will also be emphasis a universal access to health and family planning services and environmental sustainability through the creation of climate change resilient infrastructure.
The economic growth has always remained inclusive. Everybody is getting a share of this growth. The rapid pace of poverty alleviation proves the quality of growth in Bangladesh. Agriculture, garments and remittance sectors are acting as driving forces behind this. During all the years since independence, poverty has declined by 50 per cent (45 years of independence), and the average life expectancy has risen 30 years. 
This kind of success has not been achieved in even hundred years in many countries. The rate of hard-core poverty has now come down to almost 12per cent. Large segments of our population are aged, disabled or widows, who are not involved in any productive work. 
The govt. is extending allowances to them under the social safety net program. If this trend continues, the percentage of hardcore poor would come down to a single digit. The 7th five year plan has set a target of bringing down this rate to 7 per cent, while the target for 2030 is zero per cent. 
According to noted economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, given the notable successes achieved in relation to the MDGs and also in the context of various other national issues (economic growth, environmental and climate change management, food grain production, education policy formation, ICT, infrastructural development including electricity generation, RMG exports, and so on) in recent times, Bangladesh is poised for take-off on to a sustainable development pathway encompassing economic, social, and environmental-climate change aspects in an integrated fashion, keeping in focus the version of progress of every citizen of the country without exception towards the overarching goal of human dignity. Thus we would be able to achieve if there remains political stability, commitment and transparency and accountability in every sphere of national life.  

The writer is Journal Editor, Stethoscope, The Independent and winner of 20th Global Media Award 1999, Population Institute, Washington

Better coordination for attaining SDG Goals-2030

At the Sustainable Development summit in September 2015, the UN member states evolved the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development which includes set of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGS) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate changes by 2030. The SGDs, otherwise known as the global goals, based on the millennium development goals, eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed achieving by 2015. The MDGs, adopted in 2000 aimed at an array of issues that included reducing poverty, hunger disease, gender inequality visually and comfortably perceivable and also access to clean water and sanitation. Remarkable progress has been made on the MDGs, proving the merit of a unifying activities based agenda. Despite this major success, the dignity of poverty has not been ended for all. The new global goals and the broader sustainability agenda, so much beyond than the MDGs addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people universally. So SDGs with 17 bold new agenda to end poverty, fight inequality, tackle the adverse effects of climate change and ensure a sustainable future for all. MDGs and SDGs Apart from the single fact that SDGs contain a much larger number of goals covering a broader set of issues compared to MDGs and hence make the agenda covering a broader set of issues compared to MDGs. There are a significant differences between the two, which are: (i) SDGs are for all countries not just for developing countries. (ii) A look at some of the goals and targets of SDGs especially those relating to growth, employment, education, health indicate an emphasis on qualitative aspects of development. (iii) As for fighting poverty in addition to the income dimension non-income dimension are also emphasized. (iv) In a few instances i.e., with respect to economic growth and industrialization, quantitative targets are specified for least developed countries. It has been noted by development economists and sociologists that the world has witnessed significant progress in achieving some of the MDGs. Statistics have revealed that global extreme poverty has declined by an estimated 130 million. Child mortally rates have fallen from 103 deaths per thousand live births to 88. Life expectancy has also risen from 63 to nearly 65 years. Another remarkable achievement has been that an additional 8.0 per cent of the developing world population now has access to clean water. There have also been similar gains in the field of sanitation services, 15 percent. Unfortunately such progress has not been uniform to other developing countries has performed remarkable well, especially over the last few years. Analysts agree that we have made major progress in the following; reducing hardcore poverty and the poverty gap ratio, decreasing malnutrition and the number of underweight children under five years of age, attending gender parity in primary and secondary education in both rural and urban areas, increasing the net enrollment ratio at the level of primary schools; lowering infant mortality rates and the maternal mortality ratio, increasing the percentage of one year old children immunized against measles and polio, reducing death from pneumonia and flu. It would be worth mentioning that the British Medical Journal (BMJ) in an article in its 15 September issue 2015 has noted the advances made by Bangladesh with regards to health especially women and children. Bangladesh has to its credit remarkable achievement, especially in the health, population and nutrition sectors which are considered with high importance in the development program, especially being implemented by the govt. of Bangladesh and its people. As a result health sector, as measured in its various indicators, has made a vast progress. Over 13000 community health clinics have started functioning all over the country under the Revitalization of the Community Health Care Initiative in Bangladesh program. As improved healthcare has been guaranteed at the grass-root level, the birth and death rate per thousand people have declined to 18.8 and 5.1 respectively. The mortality rate of infants and the children under 5 per thousand live births has come down to 29 and 36, respectively. Following the fulfillment of the need of food and nutrition of the people, the average life expectancy gradually elevated to 70.7 years. Nevertheless economists have correctly pointed out Bangladesh still has to overcome quite a few other challenges especially the health sector such as proportion of births attended by skilled birth attendant, ante natal coverage i.e., universal health coverage. SDGs Bangladesh perspective Bangladesh will have the opportunity to draw strength form her performance of the MDG in taking on SDGs which are stated above. As of now, the key challenges for Bangladesh for implementing the SDGs are: (i) Integration in the national planning process. (ii) Financial and non-financial resources. (iii) Implementational mechanism for implementation. (iv) Data after monitoring. (v) Participation and accountability. Attainment of the SDGs would require a strong and effective institution mechanism wing, involving all stake holders including public representatives across the country, government and the bureaucracy, private sector civil society, knowledge community and development partners. The agreed SDGs adopted during the 70th UNGA will succeed the MDGs with effect from 1 January 2016 Bangladesh, according to planning commission professor Shamsul Alam will be one of the early starter for achieving SDGs since we have incorporated most of the prepared 17 goals of the SDGs in different section of our 7th Five year plan. It may by here that Bangladesh in its post 2016 Development agenda has included 11 goals. 58 targets, These includes improving human resources, potential technical education and vocational training, eradicating poverty and removing inequality, ensuring sustainable food security and nutrition for all, particularly the marginalized communities. In addition, there will also be emphasis a universal access to health and family planning services and environmental sustainability through the creation of climate change resilient infrastructure. The economic growth has always remained inclusive. Everybody is getting a share of this growth. The rapid pace of poverty alleviation proves the quality of growth in Bangladesh. Agriculture, garments and remittance sectors are acting as driving forces behind this. During all the years since independence, poverty has declined by 50 per cent (45 years of independence), and the average life expectancy has risen 30 years. This kind of success has not been achieved in even hundred years in many countries. The rate of hard-core poverty has now come down to almost 12per cent. Large segments of our population are aged, disabled or widows, who are not involved in any productive work. The govt. is extending allowances to them under the social safety net program. If this trend continues, the percentage of hardcore poor would come down to a single digit. The 7th five year plan has set a target of bringing down this rate to 7 per cent, while the target for 2030 is zero per cent. According to noted economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, given the notable successes achieved in relation to the MDGs and also in the context of various other national issues (economic growth, environmental and climate change management, food grain production, education policy formation, ICT, infrastructural development including electricity generation, RMG exports, and so on) in recent times, Bangladesh is poised for take-off on to a sustainable development pathway encompassing economic, social, and environmental-climate change aspects in an integrated fashion, keeping in focus the version of progress of every citizen of the country without exception towards the overarching goal of human dignity. Thus we would be able to achieve if there remains political stability, commitment and transparency and accountability in every sphere of national life. The writer is Journal Editor, Stethoscope, The Independent and winner of 20th Global Media Award 1999, Population Institute, Washington