ASEAN-China-UNDP Symposium held in Thailand

Bangkok (NNT/VNA) - The ASEAN-China-UNDP Symposium on Financing the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in ASEAN was held on August 21 – 22 in Chiang Rai, Thailand.

The ASEAN-China-UNDP Symposium on Financing the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in ASEAN brought together senior representatives from governmental agencies of ASEAN Member States and China, ASEAN sectoral bodies, prominent think tanks and representatives of civil society, the ASEAN Secretariat, UNDP, the private sector and the media.

All participants visited Doi Tung Development Project and joined Doi Tung Conversation Project which was a direct interface between participants and local villagers, migrant workers, community/village leaders, local authorities, local business/chambers etc. in Chiang Rai. The Doi Tung Conversation focuses on four topics, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ASEAN Community, Financing and Investment for Sustainable Development and Sustainability.

This Symposium provided a venue for ASEAN, China and UNDP to work together and support ASEAN Member States in effort to obtain more Integrated National Financing Frameworks for leveraging and managing finance of sustainable development as a priority task toward the Third Financing for Development.

Building on the success and momentum of the ‘Leave No One Behind’ Symposium in 2016 will reinforce, sustain, and enhance the localisation of the SDGs. It will contribute to raising awareness, support and buy-in of the people of ASEAN in realising the SDGs and building the ASEAN Community which is a people-centred and people-oriented. Through direct interaction with the local communities, the Symposium will also provide the opportunity for participants to hear and benefit from local villagers on what sustainability means to them and integrate these views into effective policies aimed at financing and popularising the SDGs.-VNA