The government, with the help of the United Nations (UN), should scale up actions toward achieving the country’s targets under the Sustainable Development Goals, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.

Speaking at a UN Day Forum, NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the strategic priorities under the recently signed United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework align with the pillars of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.

"NEDA, guided by the contributions from other agencies, reviewed the Philippine Development Plan's strategies to see which areas we could scale up with the UN's assistance. We see these efforts reflected in what are now the Framework's three strategic priorities," Balisacan said.

For instance, the framework’s first strategic priority mirrors the PDP pillar on "Developing and Protecting Capabilities of Individuals and Families," which aims to enhance agriculture programs to improve the efficiency of marketing and distribution of nutritious foods.

"Given its expertise and extensive network, the UN can support this through research and technical advice that could enhance the country's efforts in achieving food and nutrition security," Balisacan said.

The second strategic priority mirrors the PDP pillar of "Transforming Production Sectors to Generate More Quality Jobs and Competitive Products," which prioritizes the improvement of skills architecture, enabling a smooth school-to-work transition, and bridging the skills gap in the labor force.

Meanwhile, the third strategic priority prioritizes the mobilization of global and regional climate and biodiversity finance and public and private investments, including green investments. It reflects the PDP pillar of "Enabling Environment," particularly accelerating climate action and strengthening disaster resilience.

"Again, the UN can contribute to the actions in these areas by leveraging international expertise, providing capacity-building support, and mobilizing the network for investments,” the NEDA chief said.

“Expanding its partnership, the UN can engage with more local government units (LGUs) in local resiliency planning and investment programming," he added.

Balisacan also noted that the UN can support government-related programs by providing policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity building for multi-stakeholder partnerships that intend to improve the country's knowledge in numeracy and literacy.

He also said that the framework complements the government's efforts to bolster progress in development, and signifies a renewed commitment to the country's partnership with the UN.

"Our end goal remains clear: to focus our concerted efforts on directing resources and plans toward the lagging SDGs, utilizing the UNSDCF to enhance our capacity for coherent and effective development practices," he said.