Gordana Comic, member of the National Assembly’s Focus Group for the Development of Control Mechanisms for the Process of Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, spoke about the Sustainable Development Goals, 17 global ones and 169 targets, and the role of national parliaments in their achievement. She said that these goals, adopted by the UN General Assembly, were a continuation of the 2000’s millennium goals which have been achieved to some extent, and their extension to 2030. The chief task of the UN member states is to recognize the priorities among the goals, define them as national goals and dedicate themselves to achieving them.

The Sustainable Development Goals are as follows: end poverty in all its forms everywhere; end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages; ensure inclusive and quality education and promote lifelong learning; achieve gender equality and empower women and girls; ensure access to water and sanitation for all; ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all; build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and innovation; reduce inequality within and among countries; make cities incisive, safe, resilient and sustainable; ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; conserve and sustainably use the oceans seas and marine resources; sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss; promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

The role of the parliament in achieving the sustainable development goals is manifold and each national parliament follows its own working model. The National Assembly has set up a Focus Group which has so far completed a self-assessment and drafter an action plan which, among other things, covers informing the National Assembly’s working bodies about the sustainable development goals, said Comic.
In the ensuing discussion the Committee members selected a number of goals the Committee will focus on in the coming period.

The Committee went on to discuss setting up seven working groups and decided to submit membership proposals to its Support Service. The Committee is to form the following working groups: Working Group on the foundations of the education system in the segment inclusive education; Working Group to monitor the implementation of the Law on Foundations of Education System in the part concerning the protection of children from domestic abuse; Working Group to monitor the implementation of the Law on Social Protection in the part concerning the development of community services; Working Group to monitor the implementation of the Law on Financial Support to Families with Children in the part concerning how child allowance is awarded; Working Group to monitor the implementation of the Law on Juvenile Criminal Offenders in and Criminal Protection of Juveniles in the part concerning the participation of juveniles in court proceedings; Working Group to monitor the and advance the status and rights of children working and living in the streets and a Working Group for initiatives, petitions and proposals.

The Committee members also decided to prepare a draft plan of activities, especially in the field, for the coming period, to debate and adopt at the next sitting and formulated a press statement concerning the media coverage of domestic violence and child abuse.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Deputy Chairperson Nada Lazic and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Jasmina Karanac, Milanka Jevtovic Vukojicic, Gordana Comic, Tatjana Macura, Dubravka Filipovski, Milena Corilic, Elvira Kovacs, Danijela Stojanovic, Djordje Milicevic, Dr Sanda Raskovic Ivic and Jelena Mijatovic.