CPD Launches Two Publications on SDGs

The Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) on Thursday unveiled two publications on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a city hotel in the capital.

The reports were launched at dialogue styled ‘Four Years of SDGs in Bangladesh: Non-State Actors as Delivery Partners’ and ‘Four Years of SDGs in Bangladesh: Measuring Progress and Charting the Path Forward’ prepared by The CPD.

CPD organized the dialogue on ‘Delivering SDGs in Bangladesh: Role of Non-State Actors’ in association with The Asia Foundation- Bangladesh, Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

The publications have been brought out as preliminary inputs to the ongoing Voluntary National Review (VNR) process of Bangladesh from part of the non-state actors working in the field of SDGs.

Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Distinguished Fellow, CPD and Dr Fahmida Khatun, Executive Director, CPD, respectively, introduced the two publications at the event.

Abul Kalam Azad, MP, Chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Planning as the chief guest while Dr René Holenstein, Ambassador, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh and Ms Mia Seppo, UN Resident Coordinator and Representative, UNDP Bangladesh;  Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj, Country Representative, The Asia Foundation – Bangladesh and Anisatul Fatema Yousuf, Coordinator, Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh; Dr Zahid Hussain, former World Bank's lead economist and Professor Rehman Sobhan, Chairman of CPD were present there.

Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convenor of Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh and Distinguished Fellow, CPD presided over the function.

Debapriya said there are good recommendations on SDGs in the two publications.

"We’re not doing well to achieve SDGs by 2030 due to climate change, rule of justice and inequality in the country,'' he said, adding that quality education focusing on job fields should be emphasized now.

Fahmida said they discussed the progress of last four years in Bangladesh in the books.

"We also discussed various indexes about Bangladesh's position and included some challenges of the country in future," she said.