KATHMANDU, JANUARY 16
A two-day Sustainable Development Goals localisation training for representatives and employees of two local governments recently has concluded.
Province Training Academy based in Banke of Nepalgunj district, also serving as the Provincial Centre for Good Governance, imparted the training to representatives and staffers of Siyari Rural Municipality of Rupandehi district and Ramgram Municipality of Nawalparasi (Susta West) in their respective halls from January 10 to 13.
Programme Director of National Planning Commission Yadunath Acharya facilitated the training sessions.
The academy's Executive Director Guru Prasad Sharma said the training was organised to prod local governments to achieve baselines, targets and financing strategies for each sustainable development goal as per the SDGs Localisation Guidelines for effective Implementation of SDG (2016-2030).
As many as 70 participants from two local governments, including municipality chiefs/chairs, deputy chiefs/chairs, ward chairpersons, Chief Administrative Officers, members of municipal executive committees, representation from women and marginalised communities, people with disabilities, among others, participated in the first lot of the training.
In the training conducted with the assistance of the Province and Local Government Support Programme, Chairperson of Siyari Rural Municipality Ayodhya Tharu lauded the role of the Academy in strengthening the capacity of local levels in the evolving federal context. "Such type of training, however, has to be delivered from the beginning of the formation of the local government so that we can be more engaging," he added.
The academy's curriculum development expert Bishnu Neupane shared that the two-day trainings covered eight important sessions in line with the overarching national aspiration of the 15th Development Plan (2019/20- 2023/24), SDGs and Medium Term Expenditure Framework. Also, on the occasion, municipal executive member of Siyari Rural Municipality Devaki Kharel said the training had facilitated the process of localising the SDGs and expanded their understanding of mainstream those who had been left behind in the development process.
Likewise, municipal executive member of Ramgram Municipality Sunita Kumari Shrestha said the training had created positive energy for capturing the essence of the SDGs in their plans at the local level. She further added that it would be an immense opportunity in terms of localising the SDGs and serving the local level in future as well.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 17, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
