ECOSOC Forum on Sustainable Development | 26 Jul 2024

Source: TH

Recently, at the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the United Nations headquarters in New York, indigenous tribal communities from Rajasthan showcased their traditional practices as effective solutions to global challenges.

The forum was held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with the theme, ‘Reinforcing the 2030 agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions’.
- Established by the UN Charter in 1945, ECOSOC is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as implementation of internationally agreed development goals.
- It is the UN's central platform for reflection, debate and innovative thinking on sustainable development.
- It has 54 members, elected by the UN General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms.
Vaagdhara, a voluntary group based in Rajasthan, emphasised the resilience and sustainability of indigenous practices in agriculture and resource management.
The forum recognised initiatives by the tribal communities such as seed preservation, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture, which have mitigated economic and environmental challenges, including the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Bhil, Damor, Damaria, Dhanka, Tadvi, Tetaria, Valvi, Seharia, Sehria, Sahariya, Koli and Turi are some of the scheduled tribes found in Rajasthan.