Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Committee inaugurated in Kirkuk

Kirkuk, 02 July 2019 - The acting Governor of Kirkuk, Mr. Rakan Al-Jubouri, inaugurated on Tuesday the first provincial level Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)-Committee.

Mr. Al-Jubouri thanked all development partners from the Government, Civil Society, NGOs and the United Nations for working together to achieve the 230 targets and 169 indicators related to the 17 SDGs before the deadline of 2030.

The Committee will be responsible for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Kirkuk and consists of all the relevant Directorate-Generals and Civil Society actors. Also established were a Steering Group, a Technical Group and a Data Collection Group, which report to the National SDG Committee at the Ministry of Planning in Baghdad.

During the inauguration meeting, UNAMI’s Development Coordination Office (DCO) gave a presentation on the SDGs, Agenda2030 and the Voluntary National Review. “Interest for Sustainable Development Goals in Kirkuk is enormous”, said Martijn Dalhuijsen, DCO Liaison Officer: “We are asked to present to a different group every day. In addition to power point presentations, we also use sport as a tool to raise awareness for the SDGs. Our K-1UN Team stands ready to play soccer or volleyball using a colourful SDG-themed ball!”

The acting Governor of Kirkuk fully backed the new SDG-Committee and requested for the collection of base-line data, so that the full progress for implementation of the 17 Goals can be measured during the entire 2020–2030 time-frame.

Photos: UNAMI PIO/Harith Al-Obeidi