Nations have to use own resources for development goals: Muhith

Developing countries will have to use its own resources to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, instead of depending on foreign aid, says Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

Bangladesh has been lauded by the global community over its achievements in the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs, which has been possible thanks to the country’s strong determination, Muhith said on Tuesday at a meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation or GPEDC.

"Developing nations will have to use its own resources for SDGs," he told the meeting of GPEDC steering committee at a Dhaka hotel.

Describing the process of getting foreign assistance as 'quite complex', Muhith said: "That's why several countries are working with their own resources and doing well. Some of them have achieved beyond the targets."

The SDGs are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

Officially known as 'Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development', it is a set of 17 "Global Goals" with 169 targets between them.

These targets build on the successes of the MDGs, while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace and justice.