Sandra Rubene, Communication Director LAPAS (Latvia) 

Mobilization of different stakeholders to act for Sustainable Development Goals implementation has been the leading goal of the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation (LAPAS) throughout all the 2021.  

Covering all five regions of Latvia 30 local SDGs workshops have been implemented. Methodology was based on three steps – awareness raising on the individual involvement in the sustainable development, community problem identification and finding solution to identified problem together with representatives of the local governance. Events reached wide target groups - municipalities, educational institutions, libraries, museums, civil society organizations addressing such topics as lack of responsibility and communication in the context of a pandemic, inclusion and exclusion of different groups, refugee and asylum seekers integration, the addiction on use of phone by students, caring for a sustainability in cities and community and other problems.  

The main event on the campaign was on November 26th - the conference "HERE OUTSIDE: Acting Based on Global Competence", organized by LAPAS in a collaboration with UNESCO Latvia. To draw attention to the public on importance of the global education in Latvia, conference focused on the role of global competences in reducing inequalities, building societal resilience and ensuring climate justice. Opening speeches by the Prime Minister, the Minister of Education and Science and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were delivered. 

In addition to the regional events informative 17 days social media campaign on LAPAS Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts were held. Each day was devoted to one of the 17 SDGs where different stakeholders - LAPAS friends, participated with short videos highlighting the link to the goal and calling for action both  at the individual and organizational level.  

Latvian Multistakeholder SDGs Coalition which was established on 2019, unites wide spectrum of partners – from CSOs, government, private sector, municipalities, academia to politicians, has been significant support for implementing both LAPAS campaign and developing their own initiatives to promote implementing their specific SDGs. Next year LAPAS will devote for involvement in the VNR process and youth in development.