KUCHING: The Sarawak CSO-SDG Alliance launched a workshop over the weekend with 25 participants to strengthen evidence-based advocacy and build momentum for its Sarawak SDG Plan 2025.
The session, held last Sunday, brought together representatives from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), and Registered Youth Organisations (ROYs).
This initiative aims to strengthen their capacity in Impact Measurement and align their efforts with the 5 Ps of the SDGs which are People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership.
It also highlighted that advocacy must go beyond activities and be supported by measurable outcomes that show real benefits to communities and systems.
Together with facilitators from the Malaysia CSO-SDG Alliance Kennedy Michael, Omna Sereni Ong, and Datuk Indrani, the participants were introduced to practical methods for breaking down the SDG framework into steps that are easier to implement.
This collaboration also ensures that Sarawak’s efforts remain aligned with the national SDG agenda.
The need for impact-driven action has become increasingly urgent, especially as Unicef’s 2023 report revealed that one in five children suffers from stunting, serving as a stark reminder of the challenges of malnutrition and hidden hunger.
In the statement, it said that this issue has also been highlighted by the Ministry of Economy, which is working to address the problem as part of efforts to build healthier and more resilient communities in Sarawak and across the country.
Sarawak CSO-SDG Alliance co-chair Gabriel Hii said that being smart as individuals can only take people so far.
“Real breakthroughs happen when we work together. To all participants, you are already champions in your own right,” he said in a press statement issued by Sarawak CSO-SDG Alliance yesterday.
Elaborating on the future direction, he said the Sarawak CSO-SDG Alliance will advance several key initiatives under the Sarawak SDG Plan 2025.
The key initiatives include SDG mapping to identify gaps and opportunities for targeted interventions, elevating Sarawak’s 5 Pillar Core Team to the national level, building citizen data capacity to strengthen grassroots data collection and evidence-based advocacy, enhancing impact measurement by engaging SDG stakeholders across Sarawak to deepen measurement skills, adopting open standards methodologies for projects to ensure consistency and transparency in design and reporting, and expanding private sector engagement to foster collaboration for SDG-aligned growth.
Additionally, the Beyond GDP Forum in Kuala Lumpur this November will also serve as an important platform for Sarawak to contribute its perspectives to the national discourse on inclusive and sustainable development.
“Together, we can turn smart ideas into brilliant breakthroughs for a sustainable future for Sarawak.
“If any organization wants to explore how to run projects sustainably and measure real impact, do drop us a message,” he said.
