Mauritania Presents Achievements in Sustainable Development Field at New York Forum
On 12 July, in New York, Mauritania presented its second voluntary national review report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held in New York from 8 to 18 July 2024 under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, under the theme “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”.
Mr. Abdessalam Ould Mohamed Saleh, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, highlighted in his presentation of the content of this report the progress made by our country in the area of the SDGs thanks to the ambitious programs implemented by the government in recent years, particularly in terms of social protection and access to basic services such as education, health, drinking water, and electricity.
In this regard, the minister stressed that social protection spending quadrupled during the term of President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, reflecting the priority given to improving the living conditions of vulnerable social groups.
On the other hand, he recalled the efforts made to combat climate change, which affects our country significantly through droughts, desertification, and the degradation of fragile environmental environments, emphasizing our attachment to our commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 11% by 2030.
To this end, the share of renewable energies in final energy consumption has already been increased to 42% in 2021, with a target of 60% in 2030. However, he added that there are still significant challenges to face and obstacles to overcome, particularly in the area of human capital, infrastructure, and governance, noting that our country has great potential in the area of the green economy which can be optimally exploited to ensure sustained levels of growth capable of making a qualitative leap toward achieving sustainable development objectives and improving the living conditions of citizens.
Mr. Mohamed Saleh concluded that the development of the country’s potential in the field of the green economy requires the active participation of the private sector and the mobilization of significant financial resources, emphasizing in this context that our country fully supports the financing agenda proposed by the UN Secretary General.
The Minister’s presentation was followed by an in-depth discussion that focused on detailed issues related to the vision, strategies, and programs that the government intends to implement to overcome the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of accelerating the pace of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It also discussed the implications of the influx of refugees on the country’s social services and natural resources in refugee-hosting areas and on the social cohesion of host communities, as well as the country’s needs to respond to the demand for services resulting from this situation.