The Minister in Charge of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, Mary Karooro Okurut, has submitted to the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, a voluntary review on the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Uganda.
Ms Okurut, who is the Cabinet’s focal person on SDGs, said government continues to register progress in the implementation of the SDGs, thanks to efficient oversight from Parliament.
“You [Parliament] have been a strong advocate for the implementation of the SDGs including hosting Members of Parliament from 49 countries in Sub Saharan Africa for an international seminar under the auspices of the Inter Parliamentary Union,” she said.
Ms Okurut called for more support in Parliament, especially in “the promotion and adoption of people-centered policies and legislation to ensure that no one is left behind.”
Speaker Kadaga said Parliament will continue to support efforts intended to deepen the implementation of the SDGs.
“Our mandate Parliament is to ensure that government implements the 2030 global agenda for inclusive and sustainable development for all Ugandans,” she said.
She added: “Parliament has committed to carry out effective oversight of the SDGs, promote knowledge and ownership of the agenda through engaging the respective constituencies as well as allocation of resources to enable MPs’ participation.”
Ms Rosa Malango, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uganda, heaped praises on Uganda for progresses made in the implementation of the SDGs.
“…Uganda ranks 18th out of 52 African countries based on 97 indicators across all SDGs; the country has an overall score of 54.8 percent which is higher than the regional average of 52.7 percent,” she said.
The review is part of a follow-up mechanism under the Agenda 2030, which encourages countries to conduct self-assessment to identify challenges and map strategic interventions for progress of the goals.
The review will be presented by government to the United Nations at a high level political summit in July.
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