Views were exchanged at the 3rd Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Dialogue held in Baku on the results of the Global SDGs Summit 2023 and the role of supreme financial control bodies in the implementation of the SDGs.
The 3rd SDG Dialogue was held in Baku under the joint initiative of the National Coordination Council for Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Economy and the UN.
Ali Ahmadov, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the National Coordination Council for Sustainable Development, informed about the work done in the direction of achieving the SDGs in our country at the event titled "Results of the Global SDGs Summit 2023 and the Role of Supreme Financial Control Bodies in the Implementation of the SDGs". It was brought to attention that the National Priorities of Azerbaijan until 2030 and the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2022‒2026 are closely aligned with the SDGs. The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out the existing relations between our country and the UN, and mentioned that the discussions held within the framework of international cooperation platforms increase the possibilities of an adequate response to global challenges. It was stated that comprehensive measures are being successfully implemented in Azerbaijan for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and raising the standard of living of the population of our country to a new level of development.
Vladanka Andreeva, UN resident coordinator in the Republic of Azerbaijan, stated that the UN will continue to work with all stakeholders to achieve inclusive sustainable development, based on the commitments of the SDG summit held in September this year. It was noted that the UN welcomes Azerbaijan's plans to present the Fourth Voluntary National Review on the implementation of the SDGs in 2024 and is ready to support this important activity.
The Chairman of the Audit Chamber, Vugar Gulmammadov, noted that the number of efficiency audits on SDGs has been increased, that 6 SDGs are used as criteria in the selected audit topics in 2021-2022, an increase in the indicators covered by audits has been observed, and a more progress evaluation approach is preferred in audits.
Deputy Minister of Economy Sahib Mammadov congratulated the employees of the organization on the occasion of October 24 - United Nations (UN) Day, noted Azerbaijan's close cooperation with various specialized organizations of the UN, and wished the organization success in its activities. The deputy minister said that the implementation of the SDG has formed effective mechanisms for the socio-economic development of our country. It was stated that our country was the first in the region to submit three Voluntary National Reviews to the UN High-Level Political Forum regarding the implementation of SDGs, and the next report is planned to be submitted in 2024. The purposeful use of funds in the implementation of the SDG, as well as the role of higher audit bodies in ensuring transparency and accountability, was emphasized. It was stated that global development priorities are being taken into account in the direction of the restoration of territories liberated from occupation, but the threat of landmines is the main obstacle to the rapid reintegration of these territories. It was brought to attention that Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, initiated the initiative of adding demining as the 2030 Agenda for 18th Sustainable Development Goals by the UN, and a draft of the relevant SDG was prepared and presented to the local and international community.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yalchin Rafiyev pointed out that in addition to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic facing humanity, climate change, the food security crisis, as well as many geopolitical tensions in different parts of the world are slowing down progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It was reported that Azerbaijan cooperates with the UN, the European Union and the World Bank for the Joint Recovery Needs Assessment, which organizes joint efforts to determine priority areas for rehabilitation and development measures, in order to restore our territories liberated from occupation.
Valton Alencar Rodrigues, Vice-Chairman of the Brazilian Supreme Audit Institutions, who chairs the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, emphasized that the dialogue was a successful platform for studying the international experience of the role of the Supreme Audit Institutions in the implementation of the SDGs.
High-level dialogue continued its work with panel sessions “Results of the Global SDGs Summit 2023: Priority Actions for SDG Acceleration and SDG Financing” and “The role of higher audit institutions in the quality assurance of the effectiveness of state financing of SDGs, the experience of different countries”.
