GATINEAU, QC, Feb. 8, 2023 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a 15-year action plan adopted by all United Nations member countries. At the heart of this agenda are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aimed at addressing the world's most pressing challenges by 2030, including poverty, inequality and climate change.
Today, at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Communities Conference, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, announced that Canada will present its second SDG Voluntary National Review (VNR) this summer.
In her role as Federal lead on the Government of Canada's domestic implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Minister Gould announced the launch of a public consultation to seek input from Canadians to highlight notable projects, challenges and opportunities related to the SDGs. The online questionnaire will be open for 30 days – and is a first step in the engagement process for Canada's presentation of the VNR. Additional engagement activities will also include targeted outreach to engage various stakeholder groups, including Government of Canada departments, provinces and territories, municipalities, members of Parliament, Indigenous peoples, youth and key SDG stakeholders.
The consultations will help inform Canada's VNR. Through this review, Canada will share lessons learned and collaborate with other UN countries to discuss milestones and progress in achieving the 2030 Agenda. The VNR will be presented during the UN's High Level Political Forum. It is a significant opportunity for Canada to showcase its commitment to sustainable development and to demonstrate leadership, transparency and accountability on this important global agenda.
Canada will report on whole-of-society and whole-of-government contributions on the SDGs including ongoing international collaboration to help achieve a better future for all. It will reflect contributions in Canada and in developing countries since Canada's last VNR presentation in 2018.
The 17 SDGs have always been an integral part of Government of Canada programs and policies, and every Canadian has a role to play. At the halfway mark toward the 2030 Agenda, Canada remains committed to the work which began in 2015, to build stronger, safer, more inclusive communities that leave no one behind.
Quotes
"The SDGs are ambitious and aspirational, however, Canada has a long history of helping people in the most vulnerable circumstances. The Voluntary National Review is an important opportunity for Canada to share our progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. I look forward to engaging with and hearing from Canadians, who are integral to the ongoing implementation of the 2030 Agenda."
– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
"I believe that the world can be a better place for all of us if we work together. The 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs remain a collective roadmap to an inclusive and resilient recovery and to the creation of a more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world that benefits all people, while protecting our planet. This is why the work we do together is more important than ever."
– Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency, Harjit S. Sajjan
Quick Facts
- The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a 15-year global framework adopted by Canada and all other 192 United Nations Member States in 2015. The 2030 agenda consists of 17 goals and 169 targets.
- A Voluntary National Review, or VNR, is a report that a country submits to the United Nations to show its progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose of a VNR is for a country to explain what it has done to achieve these goals, share its successes and challenges, and engage in a discussion with others about how to continue improving.
- A total of 55 countries communicated their interest in presenting a Voluntary National Review at the 2023 High-Level Political Forum. Canada was among 41 countries selected this year.
- The High-Level Political Forum will take place in July 2023 and is the main United Nations platform on Sustainable Development, playing a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda at the global level.
- Canada's Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is co-chair of the UN SDG Advocates group, comprised of 17 influential leaders raising global awareness of the SDGs. Joined by the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister is working to advance gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, combat climate change and protect the planet, enable access to quality education for all, and to foster diverse and inclusive partnerships for sustainable development.
Associated Links
- 2023 Voluntary National Review Consultation
- Canada takes action on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals
- 2018 Voluntary National Review
- Taking Action Together: Canada's 2021 Annual Report on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals
- Moving Forward Together: Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy
- Canada's Federal Implementation Plan for the 2030 Agenda
- Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program
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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
For media enquiries, please contact: Mohammad Hussain, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]; Haley Hodgson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of International Development, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Global Affairs Canada, [email protected]
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