President invites all to join in achieving SDGs

November 23, 2024

President - Parliament - Prime Minister

President invites all to join in achieving SDGs ^Featured

August 08, 2018

The country would become victorious when Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are achieved, President Maithripala Sirisena said. He invited all, including political leaders, academics, private sector employees, entrepreneurs and schoolchildren to join in attaining these goals.

He was participating in the launching ceremony of the ‘National Sustainability Discourse’ held at the BMICH, on Monday.The first draft of the Vision 2030 document was presented to the President by Expert Committee on Sustainable Development Chairman Prof. Mohan Munasinghe.

The National Sustainability Discourse is in operation efficiently to obtain the ideas of all. This would be implemented in all provinces. Through this process, the public will get an opportunity to identify issues and engage in dialogue.

The objective of this programme is to prepare a plan to determine long-term economic, social and environmental goals over the next 12 years while displaying the capabilities of Sri Lanka. It is targeted to engage young people, academics and professionals in this discourse. The report will be updated according to the feedback.

President Sirisena also launched the website of the National Sustainability Discourse. Those interested can join this dialogue through a mobile App. The website is www.nsd.lk The President presented two proposals to the National Sustainability Discourse. They are on finding a viable solution to the human-elephant conflict and finding solutions to issues arisen due to animals destroying over 32 percent of the country’s food production.

There had been criticism regarding these issues for a long time even though previous governments conducted several programmes to address them. Yet, proper solutions were not provided, said the President.He invited all, including those who criticize, to submit proposals despite party or political differences and added that anyone can present suggestions by meeting him in private.

“Thus, the sustainable development topic should be open to dialogue, criticism, conversation and discussion. Criticism will be gladly accepted, although the need is for practical solutions and suggestions,” said the President.

Meanwhile, referring to the current development programme, the President invited all engineers living abroad to come to the motherland to contribute to the programme to reconstruct 24 reservoirs conducted simultaneously with the Moragahakanda – Kalu Ganga irrigation development programme.

The President, who extended the invitation, asked expatriate engineers to come to Sri Lanka even for a short period to accomplish their duties to the motherland.President Sirisena also presented the draft related to the sustainable development discussion to several schoolchildren on the occasion.

Ministers and MPs, including the Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, former Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne, Sustainable Development Vision of Sri Lanka Chairman Prof. Mohan Munasighe, Secretary to the President Udaya R. Seneviratne, other government officials, diplomats, local and foreign representatives and others were present.