Thailand Sustainable Development Forum 2023
The 2030 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may seem distant from local communities, but upon closer examination, you will find that the SDGs represent the aspirations of ordinary people worldwide, aiming to sustainably improve the quality of life for all walks of life.
Driving the 2030 Development Agenda to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals cannot be accomplished solely at the global or national level. If the intention of the SDGs is to ensure that every human lives with dignity while maintaining an environment conducive to long life, then national actions may not necessarily align with the needs of local populations.
In April 2023, SDG Move, in collaboration with IHPP, as host organizations of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Thailand (SDSN Thailand) organized a workshop titled “SDG Localization Learning Area #1 with the participation of representatives from all six regions across the country. In the workshop, a participatory knowledge communication for policy-making is being implemented with a sustainable development approach at the local level in Thailand.
This activity is part of the project “Creating a Learning Cycle for Sustainable Development in Thailand” and it will continue with field visits to learn and extract lessons with communities over the next six months. The results will be presented at an inter-sectoral learning exchange forum “For Sustainable Development of Thailand” in December 2023.
SDG Localization refers to the process of integrating the SDGs as a framework and goals for local development, with active participation from all community groups.
The term “framework for development” means using the 17 SDG goals, along with their sub-targets, as tools to assess the development level of an area, identifying which issues within the 17 goals are being addressed effectively, which remain problematic, and which are urgent crises. Additionally, it can serve as an analytical framework to understand how various crises are interconnected; for example, unsustainable monoculture farming may lead to health and environmental crises.
The phrase “goals for local development” implies that localities can prioritize critical issues as focal points, which may not necessarily align with national priorities. They can set targets that align with the SDGs but are appropriate for their local context, considering the impacts on other SDGs and finding solutions that harmonize all goals.
The aforementioned actions must involve participation from all sectors, rather than being imposed from above. When everyone is engaged in the process that utilizes the SDGs as an analytical framework, it creates an opportunity for collective learning in defining local objectives. If all parties participate, they can fully express their needs and concerns, leading to policies that leave no one behind and ensure sustainability.
‘Local’ can refer to any level, but in the context of Thai governance, it often emphasizes the provincial level. However, municipal, district, sub-district, and village levels should also be thoroughly taken into consideration. Actions should lead to data collection at these levels to enhance understanding of local contexts for collaborative learning and future planning.
In practice, many local communities have already developed their own community plans and engaged through various community mechanisms. Therefore, implementing SDG Localization should not create additional burdens or duplicative efforts; instead, existing community mechanisms should consider the SDGs framework to better understand community situations and develop community plans.
The advantage of this approach is that it informs all sectors that local communities are not acting solely for their own benefit but are also contributing to global goals. This opens up opportunities for local communities to collaborate with various levels of government and international organizations more easily.
The SDGs can also serve as a basis for contesting unsustainable state or private projects in the area, allowing arguments to be grounded in universal principles rather than personal grievances or interests, highlighting their negative impacts on society, the economy, and the environment, and how they may leave vulnerable groups behind or violate human rights.
Some community organizations may already be undertaking sustainable actions that benefit local communities. They can analyze their work through the lens of the SDGs and explore ways to enhance sustainability in areas that may be lacking. If they form networks, they can facilitate processes for sharing lessons learned, applying those insights in other areas to collectively promote sustainability.
When applied at the local level, the SDGs become a development framework that helps all localities share a common perspective on issues relevant to their contexts, leading to participatory goal-setting that reflects local needs rather than merely following global directives.
The SDGs also provide a language and development standard that local communities can use to advocate for their sustainable development agendas. By adopting the SDGs language, communities gain a competitive advantage. Importantly, the valuable lessons learned from their initiatives will not only benefit communities in their provinces or Thailand but can also serve as good practices for the world, contributing to the global pursuit of sustainable development goals.
