In September 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which is aimed at shifting development policies towards the global level. By signing the Agenda, Serbia agreed to align their national development policies with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The project promotes the Sustainable Development Goals among policy and decision makers as well as with advocates for the particular bodies being established; all with the aim of harmonizing Sustainable Development Goals with the sectoral policies and EU accession process. Specific attention has been given towards the building of reliable institutions and good governance structures –both of which serve as instruments crucial to the realization, development and attainment of other Goals.
In December 2015, the Government of the Republic of Serbia established the Interdepartmental Working Group for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The main task of the Working Group has been to monitor the implementation of the UN Agenda and coordinate activities of all relevant ministries on this issue. In addition, the Working Group will propose the process of adopting a National Sustainable Development Strategy with the aim of aligning UN Agenda goals with certain conditions under which the Republic of Serbia is obliged to comply –i.e. its international obligations– in order to successfully conclude the access negotiations with the European Union.
One of the project’s key products is the document “Public Policy Framework for the Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals post-2015 -the Role of the Government of Serbian Ministries and Specific Independent State Bodies”. Furthermore, the document analyzes the compliance –as well as the stability and competency– of the basic framework of Serbian public policies for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals which have been recently proposed for the Agenda of the United Nations, post-2015. This document, launched specifically for this project, is available for viewing on the website: http://www.ciljeviodrzivograzvoja.net/.
The conference “How to Reach Sustainable Development in Serbia: UN Agenda 2030” was held in Belgrade on April 4, 2016 with the aim of increasing awareness about obligations related specifically to the Agenda. This was also an occasion for key actors, from the public, corporate and academic sectors to network and share their knowledge, experiences and insight –all for the purpose of achieving the nation’s goals.