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Bangladesh
Voluntary National Review 2020

Bangladesh has adopted a people-centred development approach under the visionary and dynamic leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Since assuming office in 2009 with a landslide popular mandate, the Government has invested heavily to build a humancentred inclusive modern democracy as envisioned by the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Bangladesh has achieved the highest cumulative GDP growth globally in the last ten years and maintained strong macroeconomic stability, resulting in impressive socio-economic development, increased per capita income, and reduced poverty. Bangladesh fulfilled all three criteria for graduation to a developing country in March 2018.

The government adopted a comprehensive response plan embracing health and socioeconomic recovery measures to control and contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Hon’ble Prime Minister announced stimulus packages of around US$ 11.6 billion (3.3% of GDP) to be implemented in three phases- immediate, short and medium, until FY 2023-24.

The VNR process of Bangladesh is led by the “SDGs Implementation and Review Committee”. Our Whole-of-Society approach in implementing the SDGs has integrated the views of relevant stakeholders from central to the local levels.

The initiatives taken by the Government after VNR 2017 are as follows: (i) Preparing SDGs Action Plan with new projects and programmes, (ii) Launching SDGs Tracker to monitor implementation in terms of indicator-wise data updating, (iii) Finalizing SDGs Financing Strategy which included updating of the financing needs with an estimated additional amount of US$ 928.5 billion being required for the FY 2017 to FY 2030, (iv) Convening the 1st National Conference on SDGs Implementation Review participated by representatives from the government, NGOs, CSOs, private sector, and DPs, (v) Forming National Data Coordination Committee to harmonize data generation, (vi) Developing a framework of collaboration between the Government and the UN agencies in Bangladesh, (vii) Approving 40 priority indicators for localizing SDGs; 39 of them will reinforce the implementation of the other indicators. The additional (+1) local indicator is to reflect the “Leaving no one behind”, the vulnerable issue where each District and Sub-District is lagging behind.

Under-five mortality and neonatal mortality have reached the target set for 2020. Prevalence of current tobacco use, family planning needs and reduction rates of poverty and hunger are on-track. The Government’s commitment to social protection is evident in the enhanced budgetary allocation and extensive coverage. Gender parity in primary and secondary education has been achieved. The annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person and manufacturing value-added as a proportion of GDP has crossed the target set for 2020. Access to electricity is 96% on track with the commitment to provide electricity to every household by 2021. Numerous initiatives have been taken to ensure the safety, well-being, and security of vulnerable sections of the society including women and children.

However, the VNR 2020 has identified some challenges. Sustained GDP growth has not resulted in reducing income inequality. Although the health sector has shown notable success, attaining Universal Health Coverage remains a challenge. Same is true for ensuring quality education at multilevel educational streams. Ensuring sustainable urbanization remains a challenge. The climate vulnerability will continue to be a threat to our economy. More target-oriented efforts are needed to facilitate domestic resource mobilization at the desired level.

The VNR of Bangladesh incorporates several good, innovative and collaborative practices that other countries can benefit from. We are also interested to learn from the experiences of others to address our challenges.

We attach much importance to meaningful international cooperation for attaining the SDGs. The global partnership is required in the form of finance and technology to implement National Social Security Strategy, Health Financing Strategy, and Introduction of the national voluntary pension scheme, integrated water resources management, innovative domestic resources mobilization, and introduction of modern and commercial agriculture focusing on smallholder farmers. We also need to allocate resources for human capital development and institution building. While enormous efforts are being made to transform Bangladesh digitally to ensure good governance, enhance efficiency, reduce wastage, we need greater cooperation in technology transfer to seize the opportunities created by the 4IR phenomenon.

Our efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda complement our endeavours to achieve our national aspiration of becoming an upper middle income country by 2031 and a developed country by 2041.

Voluntary National Review 2017
A New Transformation Path

Bangladesh, as part of her commitment to implement the SDGs, decided to take part in the Voluntary National Review at the UN High Level Political Forum. Bangladesh has an inspiring story to tell. We have earned many international accolades for our achievements in MDGs. While embarking on the journey to implement the SDGs, we drew inspiration from the ideals of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who envisaged a prosperous Bangladesh with equal opportunities for all. The Government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina envisioned transforming Bangladesh into a middle income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041. Bangladesh has already become a low middle income country. We have already translated this vision, pronounced at the highest political level, into an actionable agenda by formulating Perspective Plan (2010-2021) and two Five Year Plans (FYPs) associated with this. Bangladesh integrated the 2030 Agenda in its 7th FYP (2016-2020). This offered a tremendous opportunity to implement the 2030 Agenda, while reflecting the priorities of the SDGs in the national plan. The Government has adopted “Whole of Society” approach to ensure wider participation of NGOs, development partners, private sector, media and CSOs in the process of formulation of the Action Plan and implementation of the SDGs. To spearhead the process, ‘SDGs Implementation and Monitoring Committee’ has been formed at the Prime Minister’s Office to facilitate and implementation of SDGs Action Plan.

Means of Implementation

  • Mapping of Ministries: Bangladesh has clearly identified the responsibilities of the ministries and agencies to achieve the SDGs. Bangladesh has mapped out lead, co-lead and associate ministries against each target of the SDGs. This mapping exercise is expected to reduce duplication of efforts, enhance synergy and help formulate action plans.
  • Data gap analysis: Bangladesh Planning Commission conducted a review of various means of data generation in the country. It reveals that Bangladesh has data for 70 indicators and partially available data for 108 indicators but need to devise new mechanism for data mining for the remaining 63 indicators.
  • National Monitoring & Evaluation Framework: We are in the process of finalizing a Monitoring & Evaluation Framework for SDGs implementation. This framework will have a macro level web based data repository system to facilitate data collection, analysis, progress tracking and reporting.
  • Action Plan to achieve SDGs: The Government is preparing an action plan for implementation of the SDGs in alignment with the 7th FYP. Respective ministries are working towards translating the particular targets into actionable projects/programmes/activities in this regard. The Action Plan for SDGs will be finalized by June 2017.
  • Needs Assessment and Financing Strategy: We are at the final stage of determining the financing needs for SDGs implementation with a view to mobilizing internal and external resources.
  • Assimilation of SDGs targets in Performance Agreement: Bangladesh has introduced Annual Performance Agreement (APA), a results-based performance management system, across the whole spectrum of public sector assessing individual and ministries/agencies performance.

Challenges Ahead

  • Resource Mobilization: SDGs are all encompassing requiring huge resources for implementation. Traditional sources of funding are not going to be sufficient to implement the SDGs. We need to find innovative ways of financing from both the public and the private sectors, development partners and ensure effective and efficient ways for utilization.
  • Stakeholders’ Engagement: SDGs implementation requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving private sector, NGOs, CSOs, Media and Major Group of Other Stakeholders. Bangladesh has been working out how to enhance participation of all the stakeholders in its efforts to implement the SDGs.
  • Data Availability and Management: There are enormous challenges in collection, analysis, disaggregation, and dissemination of data. The country needs to build collaboration at bilateral, regional and global levels for capacity building and sharing of best practices.
  • Localization of SDGs: Localization of SDGs targets and indicators for contextualizing the 2030 Agenda appropriately with local development plans and strategies is of utmost importance and emphasized.

Conclusion

SDGs demand concerted and collective efforts with strong political commitment at all levels. The 2030 Agenda comes at a time when Bangladesh has already kicked off its journey towards an upper middle income country by 2030 and a developed country by 2041. Bangladesh has incorporated priorities of SDGs in all her development policies. The Government has adopted an inclusive approach to development so that the poorest and the most vulnerable section of the country can be integrated into its national development efforts. As the country moves ahead, challenges in several areas, including in resource mobilization and data management, will have to be addressed. Bangladesh is confident to set the example of a leading SDGs achiever.
Focal point
Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations
820, 2nd Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY-10017
Phone-212-867-3434
Fax- 2129724038
Email: Bangladesh@un.int, bdpmny@gmail.com
Documents & Reports

National Reports
Report Topics covered Process
National Report - Bangladesh Rio+20;

Partnerships & Commitments
The below is a listing of all partnership initiatives and voluntary commitments where Bangladesh is listed as a partner or lead entity in the Partnerships for SDGs online platform
Bangladesh to double the percentage of births attended by a skilled health worker

Bangladesh commits to: doubling the percentage of births attended by a skilled health worker by 2015 (from the current level of 24.4%) through training an additional 3000 midwives, staffing all 427 sub-district health centres to provide round-the-clock midwifery services, and upgrading all 59 district hospitals and 70 Mother and Child Welfare Centres as centres of excellence for emergency obstetric care services. Bangladesh will also reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancies through social mobilization, implementation of the minimum legal age for marriage, and upgrading one third of MNCH centr...[more]

Partners
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
BORDERLESS SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES FORUM

We always work for uplifting the image of our digitalized trade and industries up to world standard. Leveraging Digital Innovation, Ensuring Social Transformation, Capacity buildup and decent work to ensure SDG Achievement.

Partners
Mohammad Ariful Islam, BSIF, HALLO BANGLADESH, Narail Volunteers, e-Nations dot IT, and Navodhara Cultural Social Organization
Sustainable Development Goals
Capacity development of SAS member countries for the preparaion of specific policies to implement goal 14

South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) is an inter-governmental Organization, established in 1982 by Governments of the eight South Asian countries to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of the environment in the region. Countries, namely; Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have ratified the articles of Association of SACEP. It is also registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations as Multilateral Organization in accordance with under the Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations. SACEP has its hea...[more]

Partners
South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme - SACEP (IGO), Ministry of environment, Ministry of Shipping, Coast Guard, Navy, Disaster Management Ministry, Ministry of Fisheries of each member countries.
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

The best opportunity to slow the rate of near-term warming globally and in sensitive regions such as the Arctic is by cutting emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – most notably methane, black carbon and some hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Widespread reductions, which complement the need for aggressive global action on carbon dioxide, contribute significantly to the goal of limiting warming to less than two degrees. Reducing SLCPs can also advance national priorities such as protecting air quality and public health, promoting food security, enhancing energy efficiency, and allevi...[more]

Partners
111 Partners, 50 State and REIO, 16 IGO and 45 NGO partners (as of April 2016). Full list: http://ccacoalition.org/en/partners
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Conservation and sustainability of fish and other marine species

As a measure to protect, conserve and enhance the ecological sustainability of the fish and other marine species, the Government of Bangladesh has already taken legislative measures and committed resources to continue 65 days fishing ban for all kinds of fishes and 8 months fishing ban of juvenile fish of less than 23 cm concerning Hilsha species every year in the coastal waters and EEZ of Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal, and totally ban destructive fishing practices in marine areas and effectively regulate measures to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Partners
Lead entity- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other entities- Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Development of the strategic road corridors will be planned in coordination with the development of the railway and inland waterway networks to ensure that the most appropriate mode is used for the movement of people and goods

To achieve integration between transportation and land use development, the Government intends to created a unified authority responsible for land use and transportation systems The formulation of the most efficient plan and the creation of a new authority will not be enough, what is most essential is the political will and determination of the Government supported by the people’s commitment. The Government will create systems such that the climate will be amendable to encourage the public to participate in the policy drafting and ...[more]

Partners
Ministry of Communications Bangladesh
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC)

The Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation is a multi-stakeholder platform to advance the effectiveness of development efforts by all actors, to deliver results that are long-lasting and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The work of the Global Partnership is based on four principles of effective development co-operation including country ownership, a focus on results, inclusive partnerships, and transparency and mutual accountability. These principles were agreed in 2011 by more than 160 countries and 50+ organisations in the Busan...[more]

Partners
The Busan Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, giving birth to the Global Partnership, was endorsed by 161 countries and heads of multilateral and bilateral institutions, and representatives of public, civil society, private, parliamentary, local and regional stakeholders. From 2017-2018, the Global Partnership is led by 3 ministerial-level co-chairs from the Finance Ministry of Ba...[more]
Sustainable Development Goals
IHO Hydrography Capacity Building Programme for Coastal States

The IHO capacity building programme seeks to assess and advise on how countries can best meet their international obligations and serve their own best interests by providing appropriate hydrographic and nautical charting services. Such services directly support safety of navigation, safety of life at sea, efficient sea transportation and the wider use of the seas and oceans in a sustainable way, including the protection of the marine environment, coastal zone management, fishing, marine resource exploration and exploitation, maritime boundary delimitation, maritime defence and security, and o...[more]

Partners
International Hydrographic Organization (IGO); 87 IHO Member States (Governments); International Maritime Organization (UN); World Meteorological Organization (UN); International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (NGO)
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry Program

The Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry (MACH) program was initiated in 1998 to reverse the trends of wetlands degradation and a concentration of income among a handful of leaseholders in Bangladesh. Source: World Resources Institute (2011) A Compilation of Green Economy Policies, Programs, and Initiatives from Around the World. The Green Economy in Practice: Interactive Workshop 1, February 11th, 2011 The Management of Aquatic Ecosystems through Community Husbandry (MACH) program was initiated in 1998 to reverse the trends of wetlands degradation and a concentratio...[more]

Partners
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Nansen Initiative

It aims to set in place back-stopping measures that address the needs of people and communities who are displaced from the impacts of natural hazards and the adverse effects of climate change within, and across borders.To reach this goal technical assistance and capacity building can provide the basis to increase the required awareness from the community to the political level and complement and strengthen national adaptation policy. In the event that displacement occurs, government will have institutionalised safe-guard measures that protect people who are displaced and the receiving communit...[more]

Partners
The Nansen Initiative: The Steering Group is composed of national governments who initiates, hosts, oversees and steers the Nansen Initiative process and is co-chaired by the Governments of Norway and Switzerland. Member states to the group include Australia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, and the Philippines in addition to the co-chair countries, Norway and Switzerland. ...[more]
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Reduction of use of plastic bags

The Government of Bangladesh has already adopted legislative measures and will commit resources to prevent production and significantly reduce the use of plastic shopping bags by 2025.

Partners
Ministry of Environment (Government), Ministry of Industry (Government)
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Renewable Energy Policy of Bangladesh

In Bangladesh efficient utilization of renewable energy resources is yet to assume commercial dimensions and hence rational policy dissemination on renewable energy usage is essential. The renewable energy includes solar, wind, biomass, hydro, geothermal, tidal wave etc. Source: The objectives of the Renewable Energy Policy of Bangladesh include: to harness the potential of renewable energy resources and dissemination of renewable energy technologies in rural, peri-urban and urban areas; to enable, encourage and facilitate both public and private sector investment in renewable energy projects...[more]

Partners
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Strengthening Women’s Ability for Productive New Opportunities (SWAPNO) in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, women are often employed at the lower end of the productivity scale. Labor force participation of rural women in Bangladesh is only 36.4% against 83.3% of men. Creating employment and income generating opportunities for women and enhancing women’s access to social protection will help to reduce gender inequality and women’s poverty and vulnerability. The SDG Fund JP is being implemented in the regions of focus in the Kurigram district in the Northwest and Satkhira district in the coastal belt, regions strongly affected by seasonal hunger and high incidences of extreme pover...[more]

Partners
UN Lead Agency: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) UN Participating Organizations: International Labour Organization (ILO) Local Partners: Local Government Division, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative, Government of Bangladesh; District Administration, Sub-District Councils, Union Parishads (lowest administrative tier of local government), Partner NGO-Eco-So...[more]
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainability of mangrove forest and coastal afforestation

The Government of Bangladesh has already approved measures and will commit resources to protect, preserve, and enhance the ecological sustainability of the existing mangroves forest and increase afforestation in the coastal belt allowing more breeding and spawning ground for various species and to mitigate impacts of climate change.

Partners
Lead entity- Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Others- Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Planning
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development at Grass-roots

The partnership between Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSPI) and the Government of Bangladesh represented by the Governance Innovation Unit (GIU) has been formalized by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in August 2015. GIU monitors the performances of the other ministries through Annual Progress Agreement (APA) which is working on incorporating SDG indicators along with the existing key performance indicators. CUSPI in this partnership is aiming at providing technical support to GIU, providing training and education to the government officials from different mini...[more]

Partners
Governance Innovation Unit (GIU), Prime Minister Office of Bangladesh, Ministry of Public Administration, Bangladesh Rural Development Board and Cutrin University Sustainability Policy Institute of Australia
Sustainable Development Goals
Waste Concern: Public/Private partnership and community based composting in Dhaka, Bangladesh

A city plagued by high population growth and poor waste management capacity, the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh has seen a major improvement of waste management practices through a public/private partnership with local NGO Waste Concern. Since roughly 80 percent of Dhaka's municipal solid waste was organic in nature, Waste Concern worked with local governments, the private sector and international organizations to implement a highly successful community-based composting system and has replicated the system across several cities in Bangladesh. Source: Shanghai Manual: A Guide for Sustainable Urb...[more]

Partners
Action Network
Sustainable Development Goals
Statements
18 Jul 2017
17 Jul 2017
7 Jun 2017
22 Jun 2012
20 Apr 2005
12 Apr 2005
12 Apr 2005
29 Apr 2004
United Nations