On Wednesday, April 13, the “SDGs for All” Platform took part in the Initial meeting of the Stockholm+50 National Consultations in Serbia. The National Consultations process is Serbia’s preparation for the upcoming international summit ” Stockholm+50: a healthy planet for the prosperity of all – our responsibility, our opportunity”, to be held on June 2 and 3, 2022, hosted by the Government of Sweden and with the support of the Government of Kenya and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). The summit and related events will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first United Nations Conference on environment, which was held in Stockholm in 1972.

The goal of these consultations is to intensify discussion and improve strategic planning in the field of environmental protection, through multisectoral cooperation and incorporation of environmental aspects across all strategic and policy frameworks.

Irena Vujović, Minister of Environmental Protection, H.E. Anika Ben David, Ambassador of Sweden to Serbia; Francine Pickup, Permanent Representative of the United Nations Development Program; and Slavica Đukić Dejanović, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia in charge of the SDGs delivered key notes during the meeting’s opening session.

Three dialogues were held as part of the national consultations: reflection on the urgent need for action to achieve a healthy planet and prosperity for all, achievement of sustainable and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and global security crisis, and acceleration of the implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development in the context of the Decade of Action. Sonja Licht, President of the Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society, and Nina Cvetanović, Project Coordinator of the Belgrade Open School, presented the Platform during the Dialogue 3 session.

As Sonja Licht pointed out, today we must choose between growth and environment. A comprehensive development strategy is required, as well as a thorough social consensus. Nina Cvetanović emphasized the importance of the institutional framework for the 2030 Agenda implementation, as well as the lack of clear responsibility for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda on the municipal level. She also pointed out the importance of localizing SDGs and bolstering the competences of municipalities.