Campaign on Sustainable Development Goals

The last eleven months (January-November) of 2015 have provided a tremendous political opportunity for shaping a World that is just, stable, and equitable. The coincidence of the commitment to agree to new goals on sustainable development among the UN’s 193 member states, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations reaching a critical point in September and December 2015 respectively, mean there is a chance to embed the ideas of sustainable development into official thinking at national and global levels. But this will not happen unless there is a coherent, smart, well planned, and collaboratively executed effort to put forward ideas and mobilize the public to effectively influence decision making at all political levels or structures. Efforts to take bold yet practical and meaningful action within and outside the UN processes will be key.

From the Action/2015 activities which the National Civil Society Taskforce on MDGs and SDGs in Malawi has been implementing since January 2015, it is clear that there is need to engage various development stakeholders at national level in order to shape a developmental Malawi. The Taskforce has been inspiring and mobilizing the public to share their views with duty bearers. Further, it has been engaging Government leaders at department and Ministry levels to ensure policy demands are acted upon. It has also been interacting with the Private sector, Development Partners and Local Councils to generate positions that speak to various points of view as far as national development is concerned.

Malawi 3

Among other things; the Taskforce:

  • Generated two position papers and one policy paper to Office of President and Cabinet
  • Implemented three media advocacy events targeting national and global events in relation to SDGs.
  • Hosted a National Stakeholders conference on SDGs
  • Organised three popular mobilization events with over 100,000 participants
  • Organised three advocacy / interface meetings with Government leaders from Ministry of Finance, Economic and Development where the position and policy papers were discussed

These activities have resulted in improved collaboration among CSOs, Government, Private sector, UN Agencies, Development Partners and general public on effective localization of the global goals.

The goals are coming at a time when Malawi failed to achieve four of the eight Millennium Development Goals, which were adopted in 2000. As the goals base on local resource mobilization, it is envisaged that Government of Malawi will ensure that it generates adequate resources for implementing the goals, which will be implemented between January 2016 and December 2030.

CONGOMA is the Secretariat of the National Civil Society Taskforce on MDGs / SDGs in Malawi. The Taskforce was formed in February 2006 and has been implementing assorted activities since then. For more information about the Taskforce, please contact the Secretariat.

 

Related Posts