On September 3, representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan and the State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan took part in an event to prepare the Voluntary National Reviews (VNR) for 2025 for the countries of North and Central Asia.

The event was organized by the Subregional Office of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and was held in Almaty. This side event was held within the framework of the Ninth North and Central Asia Multi-Stakeholder Forum on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The forum also brought together representatives and government officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation. Representatives of civil society organizations, the private sector, experts from think tanks and academia, and representatives of international organizations were also present.

The Head of the Department of Strategic and Sustainable Development of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan Seidnur Japbarov made a report on the process of preparing the VNR in Turkmenistan. In particular, it was noted that the Agenda 2030 is currently the main strategy for the socio-economic development of Turkmenistan. This confirms the high level of commitment of Turkmenistan to the implementation of the SDGs.

During the presentation, it was noted that Turkmenistan has already presented the VNR on the implementation of the SDGs twice - in 2019 and 2023 - at the High-Level Political Forum in New York. Turkmenistan plans to present the next VNR in 2027.

Turkmenistan's commitment to achieving the SDGs has contributed to the creation of a holistic model of sustainable development focused on people and improving the well-being of each citizen. Currently, about 75% of the State Budget funds are allocated to the development of the social sphere: healthcare, education, improvement of housing and communal conditions and social protection.

An integrated assessment of state programs confirmed that 85% of SDG targets are included in national and state programs of Turkmenistan.

The event provided a good platform for sharing best practices in implementing the SDGs, information on subregional efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda, and to support Member States in reviewing their progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure that “no one is left behind”.

The North and Central Asia Sustainable Development Goals Forum will run until September 5.