Latvia is committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), endorsed by the UN Member States in 2015, in its development policy, thus demonstrating a balanced approach to economic growth, environmental protection and social well-being, while sharing its experience and best practices to support other countries towards a more sustainable future.
The State Chancellery's report "Latvia's Model and Methods for Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" provides a detailed insight into Latvia's approach to integrating the UN SDGs at national and municipal level, highlighting the coherence of their implementation with the National Development Plan (NDP) and other national and municipal development planning documents. The report underlines the role of public and individual participation, while emphasising the effectiveness of the existing unified approach to ensuring consistency across all UN SDGs-related processes and contributing to goal achievement.
Active work is currently underway on mapping UN goal-related Latvian policy results, which allows tracking both Latvia's preferred course of action and progress towards the goals. By October this year, information on Latvia's approach to implementing the UN SDGs will be included in the State Chancellery's Policy Development Handbook, and by the end of this year, a special training course on the implementation of the UN SDGs will be launched at the School of Public Administration.
Latvia's efforts in the field of sustainable development have been internationally recognized. The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) 2024 report ranks Latvia 13th among 167 countries with a Sustainable Development Index score of 80.99. This demonstrates the country's and society's continued commitment and investment in sustainable development.
In addition, the State Chancellery calls on all citizens, public institutions, organisations and other interested parties to propose their events within the framework of the European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) to be held from 18 September to 8 October. Last year, 27 events were organised in Latvia during this annual initiative to share good practices and discuss different aspects of sustainability.
Consistent implementation of the UN SDGs is essential for the overall sustainable development of Latvia and the world. Ensuring a coherent approach in Latvia and involving society in this process strengthens our country and contributes to the well-being of future generations.
