The Republic of Moldova prepares to present its first Voluntary National Review of the 2030 Agenda

December 18, 2019

The Republic of Moldova has committed to present its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in July 2020, during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development which takes place under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The United Nations in Moldova and its agencies support the VNR preparation process. "The Republic of Moldova’s voluntary commitment to report on Sustainable Development Goals implementation is testament of its national commitment to the implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The Voluntary National Review is an opportunity to strengthen policies and institutions of government and mobilize partners’ support for the implementation of the SDG," said Simon Springett, United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Moldova.

O 17 December, the National Bureau of Statistics in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Women organized a workshop to present the results of the revision of the nationalized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators. The participants discussed the role of data for SDGs reporting, the available versus missing statistical indicators, existing data gaps and ways to address those, including through use of administrative and alternative sources of data.

"The Sustainable Development Agenda aims to improving peoples’ lives with impact on social, economic and political aspects, and building synergies between these areas. The UN in Moldova has supported the Republic of Moldova in 2017 on the pathway to nationalization of the Agenda, as well as revision of the sustainable development indicators to ensure the compliance with the global methodologies for international comparability, and we are grateful for this continuous partnership," said Aurelia Spataru, Deputy General Director of the National Bureau of Statistics.

On 18 December, a national workshop on the preparation of Voluntary National Review was conducted by the State Chancellery in partnership with UNDP. The event brought together all relevant stakeholders, to discuss the progress achieved by the country in implementing the nationalized Sustainable Development Goals. The participants brainstormed on the future outline of the VNR Report and decided on the plan of action for the development of the VNR Report.

"We committed ourselves to this ambitious exercise to participate next year in the Voluntary National Review and to develop the national country report, based on a complex study. Since 2016, the State Chancellery assumes the role of coordinating this process but will not be able to engage in this exercise alone, as this is an inter-sectoral project, in which we are all concerned, both public authorities and development partners, the private sector and civil society,” said Adrian Ermurachi, Deputy Secretary General of the Government.

“UNDP stands ready to provide support to the Government of the Republic of Moldova in the process of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The upcoming VNR is a unique opportunity to position Republic of Moldova through highlighting the key areas of progress, and equally to engage with the partners in discussing and finding innovative solutions to the challenges ahead,” said Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative for the Republic of Moldova.

Both workshops were organized in cooperation with the Steering Committee Group for the VNR, which includes representatives of the Government, civil society, and the private sector.

The United Nations in Moldova is supporting the Government’s efforts in implementation of the 2030 Agenda through nationalization of the Sustainable Development Goals and integrating the 2030 Agenda into country’s national development framework.

In September 2015, along with the other 192 member states of the United Nations, Moldova endorsed the new Sustainable Development Agenda – the 2030 Agenda, with 17 goals and 169 targets.