JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Media OutReach - 25 March 2021 - The SDG Academy Indonesia, a collaborative platform between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), and the Tanoto Foundation, today launched its digital SDG Mobile Learning Programme and the SDG Leadership Certification Programme.

About 30 participants from around Indonesia have been selected for the first cohort of the SDG Leadership Certification Programme. The programme is designed to empower local leaders across multiple sectors with the latest know-how on SDGs. Individuals and institutions participating in the programme will be equipped with complex problem-solving skills, using innovative case models and hands-on experience.

The SDG Mobile Learning Programme breaks down distance barriers by providing greater online access to learning resources to everyone across this vast archipelagic country.

The SDG Academy Indonesia was launched in 2019 with a mission to boost the capacity of State and non-State stakeholders at local level to speed up SDGs achievement.

"The SDG Academy Indonesia is a platform to strengthen the involvement of many stakeholders to learn, collaborate and contribute to the SDGs achievement. It is carried out through concrete and innovative examples to answer various development challenges. SDG Academy Indonesia is also expected to help strengthen the capacity of local government officials in formulating SDGs regional action plans and overseeing their implementation, which urgently requires leadership and technical capacity," said Vivi Yulaswati," the Head of SDG Secretariat and Expert Staff on Poverty Reduction and Social Welfare at the Bappenas.

"The work on the 2030 Agenda is accelerating – guided by the pledge of leaving no one behind. The SDGs demand a transformation of economies, societies and human behaviour. This will not happen unless people are aware of the goals, see their own concerns in the Goals, and know what they can do to implement the Goals. Therefore, the educational component of the SDGs is critical, and I believe the role of the SDG Academy Indonesia's program is important in this endeavour," said the UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia, Ms. Valerie Julliand.

UNDP Indonesia Resident Representative, Mr. Norimasa Shimomura said, "With UNDP's global networks, the SDG Academy Indonesia will also benefit from insights and experiences from around the world that will help us develop innovative solutions that are tailored to Indonesia's development context".

He added that women's participation is a cornerstone to the inclusive philosophy of SDG Academy Indonesia.

"Women's tremendous potentials to promote good governance, economy, science and technology are largely untapped. This is why the SDG Academy Indonesia's learning programmes are designed to consciously promote women's leadership and gender equality," Mr. Shimomura said adding that the Academy is committed to having an equal representation of women among its course participants.

Mr. J. Satrijo Tanudjojo, Global CEO Tanoto Foundation noted its commitment to sustainable development. "The Tanoto Foundation is committed to take part in the efforts of achieving the SDGs in Indonesia. Our partnership with the Ministry of National Development Planning and the UNDP Indonesia in establishing the SDG Academy Indonesia is an example of a good practice on how State and non-State actors could work together in accelerating the SDGs achievement," he said. Tanoto Foundation is an independent family philanthropy organisation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto in 1981.

The SDG Academy Indonesia has three main programmes: SDG Mobile Learning, SDG Leadership Certification, and SDG Study Abroad, covering four essential dimensions of capacity building: knowledge, character, skill, and values.

For more information visit www.sdgacademyindonesia.id