Success of SDG dependent on BRICS countries: Mahajan

Jaipur: Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Saturday called upon the BRICS countries to present a united front for successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, saying their success will be heavily dependent on the outcome in these nations.
Delivering the inaugural speech at the meeting of BRICS Women Parliamentarians' Forum here, she said India's development agenda is mirrored in the SDG and the country has chosen the path of removing poverty by empowering the poor.
"We have chosen the path of removing poverty by empowering the poor. Initiatives have been launched by India for promoting inclusion and social advancement," Mahajan said.
"The BRICS countries together comprise 43 per cent of the world population, contributing 37 per cent of the world GDP. The success of the SDGs will be heavily dependent on their successful implementation in the BRICS countries. So with agreement reached on the 'what' we have to get on with the 'how'," she said.
The speaker also laid stress on strengthening cooperative mechanism among the member countries. "The implementation of the SDGs will be successful only when we present a united front. In order to leverage our position with regard to issues of global concern, especially the SDGs, the BRICS countries need to strengthen cooperative mechanisms and to innovate new institutional means for meeting the needs of the member countries," the speaker said.
Mahajan said the setting up of the New Development Bank (NDB) by the BRICS countries can be instrumental in filling the massive gap in investment in infrastructure and sustainable development resources in emerging and developing economies.
Acknowledging the role of women parliamentarians from the BRICS countries in achieving the SDGs, she called upon them to ensure the implementations of the goals. She said despite being a relatively young group, BRICS has taken impressive strides beginning from a forum for consultation on economic issues of mutual interest to evolving into a group which now has various topical global issues on its agenda. "The agenda for cooperation in addressing global and multilateral issues of mutual interest has been carried forward in the last seven summits and several ministerial meetings," she said.
The speaker laid stress on concentrating on the most fundamental and core issues of development. Highlighting the role and importance of women, she said, "It is she who holds the world together". "Women are the fountainhead of life, natural caregivers and are the first providers, first educators, the first resource allocators in the family and society. "As women parliamentarians from the BRICS Parliaments, we are here to make a forceful statement that we have a pivotal role to play in ensuring that all these happen in our respective countries," she said.