Delivering the Guest Lecture on “𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬 (𝐒𝐃𝐆𝐬): 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚’𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧” in the Economic Security Module of the Degree Programme in 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 (𝐍𝐒&𝐒𝐒) 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞, DevPro’s Executive Director Chamindry Saparamadu highlighted that:
• The world is currently off track in achieving the SDGs, with many countries facing significant challenges in meeting the 2030 targets.
• Sri Lanka has made notable progress across several SDG areas, particularly in social development indicators; however, achieving a number of goals will require accelerated efforts, stronger implementation, and enhanced coordination.
• Sri Lanka has established several supportive policies, strategies, and financing frameworks to advance sustainable development. Nevertheless, policy inconsistency, a fragmented institutional landscape, data and capacity gaps, and limited financing continue to hinder effective implementation.
• A business-as-usual development pathway will leave many SDGs beyond reach by 2030 and potentially even by 2050, highlighting the need for transformative action.
• More ambitious and sustainable development pathways demonstrate that decisive policy action, investment, and innovation can generate significant gains across multiple SDGs by 2030.
• The Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2023 authored by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the UN Secretary-General proposes six key entry points for transformation: human well-being and capabilities; sustainable and just economies; sustainable food systems and healthy nutrition patterns; energy decarbonization with universal access; urban and peri-urban development; and the global environmental commons.
• The Report further emphasizes several critical “levers” of transformation that can drive progress across these entry points, including governance, economy and finance, science and technology, individual and collective action, and capacity-building.
The lecture was followed by an interactive discussion during which participants explored the relevance of the SDG framework within the current geopolitical landscape, the effectiveness of the multilateral system in ensuring accountability and implementation of commitments, national-level priority setting and policy continuity, financing challenges, and the importance of community engagement in advancing sustainable development.
The session was attended by senior officers in the rank of Brigadier and equivalent from the Sri Lanka Armed Forces, Senior Superintendents of Sri Lanka Police, and senior military officers from Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Oman, and Saudi Arabia.