National Strategy for Sustainable Development: The Challenges and Opportunities

The international community adopted “sustainable development,” as a solution and process, with the three mutually reinforcing pillars of economic development, social development and environmental protection in order to meet the contemporary challenges of the human being, such as uncontrolled economic growth, inequalities, poverty and hunger, environmental degradation, etc. In this line and while enjoying the contributions of the civil societies, all States formulated and adopted “Millennium Development Goals” as well as “Sustainable Development Goals” through some tough multilateral negotiations. In such circumstances, it is incumbent upon all Governments to formulate and adopt “National Sustainable Development Strategies” in order to preserve their national interests and values and to cooperate with the international community in achieving sustainable development worldwide. It is clear that in this complicated long process, the States will face many challenges and simultaneously opportunities which require the partnership of people in decision-making processes and implementation as well as full cooperation at national, regional and international levels. In order to overcome the various economic, social and environmental crises at present and in the future, the Government of the I. R. of Iran is herewith advised to develop and implement, along with many other states, its own comprehensive national strategy for sustainable development, based on its own national interests and values.