Bainimarama (second right) with Zuraida (right) and Chow (second left) look at The Future of Asian & Pacific Cities book at the APUF7 at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre. — Bernama photo
GEORGE TOWN: The government will hold more engagement sessions with the people to deliver information on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), targeted to be achieved by 2030.
Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the government needed to ensure that everyone understood the concept of SDGs as efforts to achieve sustainable development were currently far from the goals set.
“This is our hope because if we have policies, we need action, so we have to engage with the community as they have to get involved and we have to go to them and do it.
“If we just talk to them they might not do what is required, especially if they do not understand the concept of SDGs and so on,” she told a news conference after the opening of the 7th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-7) by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, here yesterday.
Also present were the Prime Minister of the Fiji Republic, Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama; United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) executive director, Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif; and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) executive secretary, Dr Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.
Zuraida said her ministry had launched the National Community Policy and all states should spread the SDG message to all parties.
According to her, efforts to convey SDG information relevant to the community, especially the B40 group, were currently being carried out at all levels through the local authorities.
Meanwhile, she described the APUF as one of the best platforms to provide understanding of the SDGs and to relay information on it to the public.
“During the three-day forum, there will be about 100 discussion sessions held concurrently on a variety of topics so that the participants can bring these ideas to their respective areas for implementation.
“If this can happen, the world’s hope of achieving the SDGs, agreements, declarations and so on can be seen through the progress in the cities around the world.
“Therefore, we need to catch up with the time as 2030 will come and go, and we will have another goal to achieve,” she said.
The forum has more than 7,000 participants from 60 countries.
It provides, among others, the opportunity to take action in addressing the challenges of critical urban development. — Bernama