Watch video of presentation of the VNR in the HLPF

Main messages of the Voluntary National Review of DPR Korea

On 25 September 215, the UN Summit on Sustainable Development adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development committing to build a new world by eradicating inequality and poverty at the global level and ensuring human dignity and its potential and healthy lives for not only this generation but also posterity.

The Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPR Korea) expressed its full support to the 2030 Agenda, recognizing that 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda conform to its national development strategy (NDS) for building a powerful socialist country centered on the popular masses.

For the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the Government of the DPR Korea set up the National Task Force for Sustainable Development (NTF) which include representatives from relevant line ministries and agencies, and appointed the Vice-Premier and Chairman of the State Planning Commission (SPC) as the Chair and the Deputy Director-General of the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) as the Vice Chair. The Technical Committee (TC) under the NTF was formed, composing of CBS statisticians.

The NTF is responsible for nationalizing the global SDSs, targets and indicators to establish country-specific 2030 SDSs in conformity with the national development goals and coordinating activities for the implementation of SDSs at all levels, while the TC compiles and evaluates data by indicators through national statistics system and surveys, and reports them to the NTF.

The DPR Korea SDGs include 17 goals, 95 targets and 132 indicators. It is underlined in the national SDGs to consolidate the foundations of the self-supporting economy by placing emphasis on the line f prioritizing science and education and provide people with more affluent and cultured life through giving priority to energy, agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene and environment as well as fully enforcing social welfare policies. 

The DPRK Korea SDGs, the successor of the National Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), have been set based on the indicators of off-tracked MDGs, and successes and lessons learnt during the implementation of the NDS and sectoral plans. Those targets and indicators will be further updated in conformity with the country's context based on the results of necessary national surveys, evaluation of international practices, and the five year (2021-2025) plan. 

The Voluntary National Review (NNR), the first national report of the DPR Korea to be presented at the High-Level Political Forum 2021, describes successes and lessons learnt, challenges and way forward for the implementation of each goal.

Continued sanctions and blockade on the DPR Korea, severe natural disasters that hit the country each year and the protracted global health crisis since 2020 are the main obstacles in the Government's efforts to achieve sustainable development of the country and improve the people's livelihood, causing off-track tendency in several indicators of national SDGs. 

The VNR process offered the Government a valuable opportunity to readjust and decide on future directions and plans for SDG implementation, mainly as follows:

First, the national SDGs should be achieved through optimizing the use of its own resources, technology and internal force under the ideals of "The People are God", self-reliance and single-minded unity while intensifying the emergency anti-epidemic campaign to cope with the protracted worldwide health crisis for the safety of the country and the people. Bringing the advantages of people-centered socialism into full play, the Government will make its every possible effort to achieve the SDGs through the rational use of national resources and nation-wide campaign.

Second, the capacity to collect and analyze the statistical data should be improved and the national system of unified statistics be strengthened. The role of the national statistics will be ensured in such a way as to establish M&E system for tracking progress towards SDGs implementation, regularly review the attainment of each indicator and decide on the right directions to achieve the goals. International standard indicators and methodologies will be widely adopted. 

Third, it is essential to raise awareness on SDGs and promote partnership with other courtiers and international organizations. The review of SDG progress will be disseminated to the ministries, agencies, people's government at all levels, research institutes and civil society to inform them of the current status, challenges and the ways forward and to timely readjust and reinforce relevant plans. In addition, the bilateral and multilateral cooperation will be enhanced to achieve the national SDGs.

The Government of DPR Korea, with its own resources, technologies and the concerted efforts of the masses of people, will overcome all challenges and difficulties and further strengthen collaboration with the international community in the course of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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