Jakarta, 20 January 2022— Thirty-six  participants of the SDG Leadership Program at SDG Academy Indonesia graduated in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday. The graduates came from government, NGOs,  academia and the private sector, and they were the second batch of SDG-Certified Leaders.

The five-month program engages participants in blended learning online courses, on topics such as governance and leadership with a focus on natural resources management and gender equality, key elements of  the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda.

The SDG Leadership is a collaborative platform involving the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Indonesia’s National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), and the Tanoto Foundation.

From August to December 2021, participants were equipped with the latest know-how of the SDGs, including the ability to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges. They were  divided into eight groups and were required  to develop innovative projects –known as Karya SDG – on Natural Resources Management and Violence against Women and Children.

“Sustainable management of natural resources have become crucial for the world and for Indonesia, as climate crisis has forced us to change the way humans and our economic activities relate to the environment,” said Mr. Norimasa Shimomura, Resident Representative, UNDP Indonesia, in opening remarks.

Mr. Shimomura discussed the importance of an all of society approach, highlighting the need to ensure gender equality. “Gender Equality is an essential ingredient for achieving the SDGs in a world where half of the population is women.  As a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, Indonesia has committed to ending violence against women and girls by committing to fight discrimination, as well as by mobilizing women’s potential for sustainable economic and social development,” he added.  

Ms. Vivi Yulaswati, Head of SDGs National Secretariat – Bappenas, appreciated the SDG Academy Indonesia’s role in raising public awareness and knowledge on SDGs.

“Therefore, we hope that SDG Academy Indonesia will remain active. Not only in producing more [SDG] champions, but also make a greater impact on the SDG achievements, ”

During the ceremony, , Mr. Siprianus Bate Soro, Interim Director of SDG Academy Indonesia officially conferred the title of SDG-Certified Leaders to the graduates.

SDG-Certified Leaders are invited to join Indonesia’s SDGs Leaders Association to facilitate increased learning and collaboration among them.

SDG Academy Indonesia will select 45 participants to join the third batch of the SDG Leadership Program scheduled to begin on  February 14. The next batch will focus on Human Resources & Employability and Sustainable Waste Management.

In addition to the Leadership Program, SDG Academy Indonesia provides 13 online courses under SDG Mobile Learning Program.

For more information, visit www.sdgacademyindonesia.id

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MEDIA CONTACTS

UNDP Indonesia Communication Specialist, Tomi Soetjipto, suryo.tomi@undp.org

Communication and Campaign Assistant for SDG Academy Indonesia, Yuliasri Perdani, yuliasri.perdani@undp.org