MALAYSIA has set targets and finalised nine accelerator initiatives to achieve its sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said national SDG indicators and initiatives would be translated into the Phase 2 SDGs Roadmap, to be published next month.

He said this was among matters finalised at the National SDG Council meeting, which he chaired today, to ensure more effective implementation towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is only about seven years away.

The National SDG Council also decided the National SDG Centre, under the Economy Ministry, would be tasked with increasing coordination, improving national achievements and increasing awareness in SDG implementation and adoption of environmental, social and corporate governance principles.

Anwar said all programmes organised by ministries and agencies need to be aligned with the SDGs.

He said one of the country’s achievements was reducing the number of citizens below the poverty line from 8.4% in 2020 to 6.2% in 2022, which is SDG1 (no poverty).

Through SDG8 (decent work and economic growth), the rate of unemployment has dropped from 4.6% in 2021 to 3.4% in August this year.

As for SDG17 (partnerships for the goals), individual access to the internet increased from 81.2% in 2018 to 97.4% in 2022. – Bernama, November 7, 2023.