BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 28.
Azerbaijan plans to submit its fifth voluntary national review on
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2027, Deputy Minister
of Economy of Azerbaijan, Samad Bashirli, said during the 9th
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Dialogue held in Baku on
Wednesday, Trend’s
correspondent reports from the event.
He noted that Azerbaijan and the United Nations (UN) have had
partnership relations for more than 30 years. During this period,
joint efforts have been undertaken to ensure sustainable
development in the country and to strengthen the relevant
institutional capacity.
According to the deputy minister, the SDG Dialogues are
organized with the participation of representatives from the
government, the UN system, international financial institutions,
and the private sector. These platforms are of great importance for
discussing priorities in the field of sustainable development and
strengthening partnerships.
Bashirli remarked that Azerbaijan’s state programs and strategic
documents have been aligned with the SDGs. Currently, alongside the
implementation of the socio-economic development strategy for
2022–2026, work is underway to develop a new strategy covering the
period from 2027 to 2030.
He emphasized that Azerbaijan has submitted four voluntary
national reviews on the SDGs to date, making it one of the top five
countries globally in terms of the number of such reports
submitted.
"We are currently working on our fifth voluntary national
review, which is scheduled for submission in 2027," the deputy
minister explained.
Moreover, Bashirli highlighted that the localization of the SDGs
at the regional level marks a new phase in Azerbaijan’s sustainable
development agenda. According to him, Shusha and Nakhchivan have
been selected for this initiative, and events have been organized
in these regions to facilitate the implementation of relevant
activities.
He pointed out that visits to these regions took place in March
and April of this year, during which events dedicated to the
localization of the SDGs were held at Garabagh University and
Nakhchivan State University. The universities are actively
participating in this process, and a corresponding roadmap has been
developed.
The deputy minister also mentioned that a high-level strategic
dialogue titled "Sustainable Development Goals Moment", focused on
discussing the future partnership between Azerbaijan and the UN,
was held in Khankendi a few days ago.
He further emphasized that combating climate change holds a
prominent place on the international agenda. According to Bashirli,
the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
and the decarbonization of the energy sector have gained particular
urgency in the lead-up to COP31.
The deputy minister expressed confidence that Azerbaijan’s
cooperation with the UN would continue to contribute to the
achievement of the SDGs, the expansion of regional initiatives, and
the strengthening of international partnerships.
