Once the period when development policies on the global level were guided by the millennium development goals expired, the UN developed a new global development agenda founded on three main pillars: eradicate poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. The new development agenda comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/). Unlike the prior millennium development goals which were defined by experts, sustainable development goals are based on wide-ranging consultations involving citizens of many countries who had the opportunity to communicate their own development priorities. Serbia was one of the countries where two rounds of consultations were held. In the first phase of consultations, SeConS, in partnership with the United Nations team in Serbia, organized a consultation process with 28 000 citizens of Serbia voicing their opinion on development priorities, through social media, standard questionnaires, online surveys and face to face consultations. In the course of these consultations, citizens pointed out the significance of cultural aspects of development, as they underlined the need to advance the culture of respecting the law, tolerance and responsibility in Serbia. In view of these findings, in the second round of global consultations, Serbia was in the group of countries where special consultations on the connection between culture and development were held. The first Internet website in Serbian language providing information on new global development agenda and sustainable development goals was prepared by SeConS, with the support of the Open Society Foundation (http://www.ciljeviodrzivograzvoja.net/) SeConS is a member of the Global Compact Working Group for promoting sustainable development goals.
SeConS – SeConS Development Initiative Group