Journalists ready to accelerate and track progress of Sustainable development goals

22 April 2023, 4:50 pm

By Laila Ndagire <ndagire.laila@gmail.com>

Sixteen Journalists from different regions of the country were equipped with skills and knowledge on reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs at Hotel Africana this week.

The two day training organized by the SDG Secretariat under the Office of the Prime Minister and coordinated by the Uganda National NGO Forum, highlighted the important role of the media in creating awareness on SDGs among the general public through the different programing and spaces but also playing the watchdog role by engaging different stakeholders and holding them accountable to ensure that there is progress on achieving the goals by 2030.

Sophie Kange, the lead facilitator unpacked the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the progress of Uganda in implementing the goals. Efforts through social protection programmes such as social assistance grants for empowerment, providing startup capital for vulnerable persons such as Emyooga among other efforts in response to the goals have been undertaken by the government.

She urged journalists to familiarize themselves with the goals.

Richard Kayiira, Bukedde TV, one of the SDG Champions says there is a need to double our efforts as a country in order to achieve the target.

Some of the journalists shared their experience from the training and how they are ready to accelerate the message of SDGs to the public.

Racheal Ddamba, Senior Programme Associate, NGO Forum says that they feel Ugandans are not aware of SDGs, thus the need to bring media on board to increase on the awareness.

Uganda is one of the 193 countries that adopted and started the journey to implement the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development in 2016. Seven years since the adoption of the Agenda, Uganda has made considerable milestones with an improved Global ranking of 136 out of 163 countries from 143 in 2021. This has been achieved through the SDG localization efforts of various Ministries Departments and Agencies, MDAs, the Office of the Prime Minister and Civil Society Organizations.

The Sustainable Development Goals aim to end poverty, protect the planet, ensure human prosperity and peace, and strengthen partnerships with the three underlying core dimensions of growth, inclusiveness and environmental sustainability