Azerbaijan, UN discuss Sustainable Development Goals implementation in country

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan and the UN have discussed the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the country, Azernews reports, citing the Economy Ministry.

The discussion occurred during a meeting between Azerbaijan’s Economy Ministry Mikayil Jabbarov and UN Office at Geneva Director-General Tatiana Valovaya.

During the meeting, they exchanged views on the fruitful cooperation established between the organization and the country, the promotion of multilateralism, and the projects carried out in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.

The parties noted that the UN and Azerbaijan’s government signed a framework document on cooperation for sustainable development for 2021-2025 and are now successfully implementing it.

Jabbarov emphasized the importance of green energy and digitalization, which are on the agenda in the economic sphere, adding that these issues are reflected in the national priorities of socio-economic development of Azerbaijan.

In turn, Tatiana Valovaya expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for its solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, and for the activities and cooperation carried out to achieve SDGs. She noted that the UN Office in Geneva has extensive experience in the field of foreign direct investment, stating that the organization is ready to support the Economy Ministry in this area.

Earlier the UN and Azerbaijan's Economy Ministry signed the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2021-2025. The Cooperation Framework, fully compliant with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is based on the principles of human rights, gender equality, sustainable development, resilience, and responsibility, including socio-economic development priorities, and will cover entire Azerbaijan.

The UNSDCF is the fifth UN-Azerbaijan cooperation framework and is based on an analysis of Azerbaijan’s progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The implementation of the cooperation framework puts the UN development system reform into practice, emphasizing transparency, accountability, and joint action in the delivery of all development results.