SDG Localization: Insights from the Ground
Global Context As we reach the halfway mark of the Agenda 2030, which introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, only 15% of the targets are on track. Alarmingly, according to the UN Secretary-General, many indicators are regressing. The Asia-Pacific region is no exception. The 2023 SDG Progress Report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) states that the region has achieved only 14% of its SDG targets. At the current pace, it would take another 42 years to achieve the goals. (https://www.undp.org/bangladesh/news/toward-2030-strategies-sdg-success-bangladesh) In this context, SDG localization is critical for Bangladesh to meet the 2030 targets. Localization empowers underserved communities to address their own challenges, allocate resources effectively, and identify key stakeholders and vulnerable groups. Despite widespread discussions on localization, there remains a lack of evidence-based use cases to understand and sc...