The City of Mogilev hosted an information seminar on the Sustainable Development Goals Pilot Initiatives Competition. This event marked the first in a series of seminars that will take place in all regional centers of Belarus.

During the event, the team from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus introduced the Contest Regulations and detailed the criteria for pilot initiatives addressing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, they showcased how to submit applications using the dedicated platform, SDGIdea.by. The platform will be open for submissions from May 1st to May 31st, 2024. 

One of the key conditions for the competition is to ensure equal opportunities and fair access to resources and expertise for all applicants, regardless of their social status or cultural background.

In addition, together with representatives from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) UNDP shared their experiences in localizing SDGs in Belarus. They also highlighted potential areas for future pilot initiatives within the four SDG accelerators in the Republic of Belarus: 

1) green transition to inclusive and sustainable growth; 

2) orientation on future generations: adolescents and youth;

3) gender equality in society; 

4) digital transformation and social innovation.

Furthermore, a representative from the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus provided detailed information on the country's legislation regarding international technical assistance. Following online interviews, 27 participants confirmed their organizations' intention to apply for the competition.

The seminar was attended by over 90 participants, including representatives from local government bodies, educational and healthcare institutions, cultural organizations, public entities, and the private sector.

The event was organized by UNDP in collaboration with the Mogilev Regional Executive Committee within the international technical assistance project "Support to the Efforts of the Republic of Belarus in Nationalization and Localization of SDGs." The project is funded by the Russian Federation.