Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Josip Brkić, who heads the BiH delegation at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York, presented the second Voluntary National Review of Bosnia and Herzegovina on implementation of the UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development.
On this occasion, Brkić pointed out that since the first Voluntary National Review in July 2019, BiH has continued to be committed to the transformation and modernization of the entire society in accordance with the 2030 Agenda.
He then referred to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, which, along with the war in Ukraine, contributed to slower progress in the process of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.
He emphasized that the Council of Ministers adopted the Framework for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in accordance with the new circumstances and realities, and established the Interdepartmental Working Group to monitor the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Council).
He assessed that great efforts are being made to improve vertical cooperation between different levels of government, as well as a better exchange of experiences and lessons, especially among local communities.
He reported that progress has been achieved in BiH in certain areas such as digitization, energy transition and efficiency, areas with opportunities for new employment and improvement of environmental protection, and that our country attaches great importance to the inclusion of the private sector in fulfilling the 2030 Agenda.
He also pointed out that Bosnia and Herzegovina has been very active in promoting regional cooperation in the exchange of best practices and lessons learned.
During the presentation of the second Voluntary National Review, Brkić also spoke about the problems that BiH has been facing lately, above all when it comes to people leaving the country and brain drain, especially in the health sector.
When it comes to the challenges facing BiH on the demanding path to achieving the SDG goals, he warned that additional efforts are needed to integrate the concept of sustainability into all parts of society. He then reported on the green transition process and the potential for renewable energy sources in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He added that investing in these sources would reduce emissions, improve air quality and create new jobs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Finally, he warned that we must be fully aware of the challenges we might face during the second half of the SDG implementation period.
