This is the second article in a multi-part series that sheds light on Eritrea’s participation at the 2024 High-Level Political Forum and the country’s second Voluntary National Review of progress towards Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. It offers an overview of the second section of Eritrea’s report, which lays out the country’s policy and enabling environment, highlights its partnerships, and discusses the unwavering commitment to leaving no one behind.
Policy and enabling environment for progress and development
Eritrea’s policy and enabling environment sets the foundation for progress and development. The country’s broad vision of and general approach towards nation-building and development, which is farsighted, integrated, holistic, and people-centered, while harmonizing focus and objectives across political, economic, social, and environmental dimensions, remains highly consistent with the guiding themes and central principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.
In fact, even prior to the international community’s formal establishment and adoption of the 2030 Agenda nearly a decade ago, Eritrea had already been taking tangible actions toward creating a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable nation, based on the foundational principles of equality, social justice, inclusion, self-reliance, and broad-based participation where all individuals, groups, and communities, irrespective of any particular characteristics or distinction, are able to contribute, thrive, and achieve their full potential.
Over the years, the country has formulated and implemented a comprehensive set of laws, policies, initiatives, strategic frameworks, and sector plans that align closely with the 2030 Agenda and the SDGS, as well as provide a strong platform and conducive setting for transforming Eritrea into a more prosperous, inclusive, and resilient nation. In addition, Eritrea has undertaken a number of steps to foster a favorable national environment for sustainable development that promotes inclusive, whole-of-society approaches, leverages the country’s rich ethnolinguistic and social diversity and wealth of local, indigenous knowledge systems, and catalyzes collective actions and contributions from all regions, communities, and groups.
The importance of partnerships and cooperation
It is widely acknowledged and understood that progress and sustainable development can only be effectively achieved with a strong commitment to collaborative partnerships, close coordination, and mutual cooperation between governments, the private sector, civil society, and a diverse range of other sectors and stakeholders. High-impact and meaningful multistake holder partnerships, cooperation, and engagement at all levels provide critical opportunities for exploiting complementarity and devising robust, innovative solutions to complex developmental challenges and multilayered crises that impact all nations and all the peoples. They additionally remain crucial to leveraging broad interlinkages and synergies, addressing the key drivers of systemic change, collectively scaling up impact, and holistically accelerating progress toward Agenda 2030.
Since its proud emergence as an independent nation, Eritrea has consistently endeavored to cultivate productive partnerships and cooperation across all levels and within multiple spheres in order to establish the suitable conditions and appropriate environment to promote sustainable development. As a fundamental component of its nation-building efforts and development agenda, it has forged cooperative frameworks and close relationships with a wide range of international partners, organizations, and specialized agencies, as well as worked closely with the private sector, an array of community-based organizations and groups, and its vibrant diaspora communities located in countries across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
For Eritrea, meaningful engagement and effective cooperation with partners has been built on the pillars of mutual commitment to common principles and values, openness and transparency, trust and understanding, and complementarity, while being informed by and directly responsive to the country’s prevailing context, locally-defined development priorities, and specific needs. One useful example is how, in late 2021, the Eritrean government and the UN jointly developed and agreed to a Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, which is to cover the period from 2022-2026 and prioritizes human development and well-being, as well as the creating of an inclusive, diversified, and climate-resilient economy, among other cross-cutting themes.
As well, the country has continued to reinforce bilateral cooperation and build stronger ties with a range of partners from across the world. In recent years, Eritrean high-level officials have traveled to or hosted officials from Egypt, Somalia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Italy, China, and Russia, among other nations. The country is unwavering in its dedication to promoting greater collaboration and forging deeper, more effective partnerships locally, regionally, and globally as it resolutely strives to accelerate progress, support capacity building, bridge existing gaps, and further drive forward positive development outcomes, nation-building, and implementation of the SDGs.
Eritrea remains a staunch proponent of international law, the multilateral system, and the UN Charter, which serve to strongly buttress realization of the 2030 Agenda and its concomitant SDGs. Importantly, the country is party to numerous bilateral, regional, and multilateral treaties or agreements and it has also ratified the majority of the core international treaties and conventions, including those specifically pertaining to sustainable development, human rights, and the environment.
In addition, the country continues to be highly involved and actively engaged within an array of bilateral and multilateral fora and bodies, and it staunchly advocates for equality and justice, policy space, and a real voice and genuine participation for developing regions within international frameworks and the global governance architecture. Eritrea’s international participation, various commitments, and general willingness to constructively engage in multilateral, cooperative approaches to common challenges and emerging issues help to reinforce its implementation of the 2030 Agenda and also create a favorable framework for the country’s nation-building efforts.
Eritrea remains committed to social justice and leaving no one behind
In unanimously adopting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, all 193 Member States of the UN agreed that “As we embark on this great collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind. Recognising that the dignity of the human person is fundamental, we wish to see the Goals and targets met for all nations and for all segments of society. And we will endeavour to reach the furthest behind first.”
For Eritrea, the principles of social justice, self-reliance, equality, and leaving no one behind are deeply embedded within its pursuit of nation-building, its longstanding and broad development framework, and its concerted efforts toward improving the wellbeing and living standards of all its citizens. The country continues to take strong action to eliminate poverty and inequality, promote gender equality and empowerment, secure opportunities for all, eradicate all forms of stigma, discrimination, prejudice, and ostracization, create a more inclusive, fair, and just nation, and prioritize reaching those furthest behind first.
In particular, the country’s laws, regulations, and policies, which are underpinned by longstanding socio-cultural values and draw upon its rich history and traditions, establish a robust platform for inclusive socio-political and economic development, while guaranteeing that individuals and groups are able to exercise a wide range of basic and fundamental rights. Discrimination, exclusion, restriction, or preference that is based on the grounds of disability, age race, ethnicity, color, religion or belief, socio-economic status, region, language, opinion, gender, or other similar distinctions are strongly prohibited and punishable by national law. The country is also highly vigilante against all forms of radicalism or extremism, violence, intolerance, bigotry, and hatred, ensuring a sense of peaceful, respectful coexistence and that everyone is treated equally before the law.
What is more, Eritrea has crafted a broad spectrum of policies, adopted a variety of legal instruments, and launched several progressive programs to protect, help address the specific needs of, and catalyze progress for vulnerable, marginalized, underserved, and deprived groups, such as the poor, persons living with disabilities, nomadic populations, those residing in geographically remote or hard-to-reach areas, and migrants or refugees.
These multifaceted interventions play a positive and substantive role in cultivating peace and promoting unity, tolerance, and solidarity within Eritrea’s multi-ethnic, multicultural society. They also aim to mitigate disparities and create a level playing field on which all Eritreans, irrespective of any characteristic or distinction, have a genuine opportunity to excel, and seek to ensure that each and every individual is able to freely and fully participate in, contribute to, and benefit from inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth and development.
It is worth noting that the government has also offered frequent, regular encouragement and extended substantial backing to an array of national unions and civic organizations, including those for women, youth and students, veterans, and workers, which contributes significantly to the country’s nation-building and developmental ambitions, as well as plays a positive role in promoting inclusion, expanding broad-based participation, and leaving no one behind.