Slovak Republic country profile - SDGs and the environment

The Slovak Republic`s national SDG priorities include SDGs 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 15 with an environmental dimension.

The Slovak Republic is taking an approach supported by the whole government to implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The country has set up a Council for Sustainable Development and plans to revise its previous National Strategy on Sustainable Development and create new legislation, if necessary, to ensure SDG action (UNECE, 2016). The Council is chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Informatization. It includes representatives of line ministries and government institutions at the national and regional level, civil society, the private sector, academia and other relevant bodies. It is supported by the Working Group for the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and preparation of the National Investment Plan of the Slovak Republic for the years 2018-2030 (Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Investments and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, 2018 ). 

The country is committed to integrating the 2030 Agenda into all public policies, including at the local level. The government promotes voluntary engagement, for instance, by creating a micro-grant scheme to support sustainable development projects for local communities (Deputy Prime Minister’s Office for Investments and Informatization of the Slovak Republic, 2018). The Slovak Republic encourages businesses to engage with sustainable development principles — for example, by creating a new SDG-specific category of the Via Bona Slovakia Award for responsible businesses (UN DESA, 2018).

In 2017, the Slovak Republic adopted a roadmap for SDG action, which serves as the basis for a new NDS and overarching policy framework. The Slovak Republic Government Office, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, has been tasked with developing the concept for the 2030 Agenda and ensuring that its ongoing implementation is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders (Slovak Republic, 2017a).

The Slovak Republic submitted a VNR to the UN in 2018.

Whilst the Slovak Republic Statistical Office is responsible for the production of national sustainable development indicators, which are in line with the global UN and EU SDG indicators (Slovak Republic, 2017a; 2017b), the Government Council of the Slovak Republic for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is responsible for tracking SDG progress (UN DESA, 2018).