Pan European Union

It gives me a great pleasure to speak in front of you at the topic of synergies between two major development processes in Montenegro – EU accession and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Dear Gordana, thank you for convening such an important conference and opening a space for wider discussion on how two development agendas may be further integrated and tackled in systemic and synergetic manner. Events as such, and whole work all of us do, brings closer together two strong international processes. Both aiming to create a better life for people in Montenegro.

Montenegro is a small country with limited but rich human, economic and natural capacities and potentials. As such, it needs to be smart and fast. To build up internal capacities and leverage on international development streams. This country is to be praised for both – being at the forefront of EU accession and opening 31 out of 35 chapters, but also being one of the first countries that adapted its’ national legal framework to the 2030 Agenda through National Strategy for Sustainable Development.

On one side, Copenhagen criteria calls for improvements of public administration, adoption of EU legal framework, improvements in rule of law and respect of human rights, it calls for protection of the environment and adaptation to the rules of unique EU market. EU accession comes with its’ opening and closing benchmarks under each of the negotiation chapters.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, on the other side, being global and universal in its’ nature, aims to eradicate poverty and hunger in the whole world, tackle climate change and protect the environment, achieve gender equality and quality education, improve health and support innovation. This agenda is developed by leaders of all 193 UN member states, and in consultation with more than 10 million people. In Montenegro only, 2% of population or 12000 people gave their opinions and inputs into this consultation process. As such, 2030 Agenda is agenda of all Governments, leaders, but also Agenda of the people, of civil society, academia and businesses.

2030 Agenda encompasses 17 Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, and comes with 169 targets and more than 240 indicators. And, as said, all of it has been integrated into Montenegrin policy framework.

Together with EU Negotiation Structure and experts of UN Montenegro, we conducted an exercise that quantified linkages between the EU accession and 2030 Agenda i.e. links between EU opening and closing benchmarks and 169 SDG targets. This led us to conclude that some 2/3rds of the 2030 Agenda will be achieved through the EU accession process, leaving one third for close attention of the Government and other development partners.

Key EU chapters for achieving SDGs are 23 and 24 on human rights and judiciary, chapter 19 on social policy and employment and chapter 27 on environment. This being said, we look forward to witnessing Montenegrin irreversible progress in these areas.

No doubt, a lot has been done. But more is still ahead of us. We still face significant environmental issues that harm health and lives of people, Montenegro has a number of long term unemployed that are also in the risk of poverty, people with disabilities and LGBT persons do not fully enjoy benefits of human rights, quality of education is among the lowest in the region as measured by OECD.

These and many more challenges are also pointed in the National Sustainable Development Strategy showing that Government has developed tools to tackle them. Some of these problems are also instrumental in recommendations and reports of many international development partners.

We look forward to building up on the numerous advantages of EU accession process, unprecedent will of the Government to reform and improve situation in the country and also promise tireless efforts of the United Nations systems in order to leave no one behind and achieve all Sustainable Development Goals.

Looking forward to having you all on board for this noble cause.