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Strategic Priorities and Outcomes for South Asia

13 April 2025

Last update:16 April 2025

Bangladesh

Royal Bengal Tiger in mangroves in Sundarbans National Park. © Dr. Raju Kasambe/Wikimedia Commons

Strategic Priorities and Outcomes

Strategic Priority	Outcome Description	Target Year
Strategic Priority 1: Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development	Outcome 1: More people in Bangladesh, particularly the most vulnerable and marginalized from all gender and social groups and those from lagging districts benefit from sustainable livelihood and decent work opportunities resulting from responsible, inclusive, sustainable, green, and equitable economic development.	2026
Strategic Priority 2: Equitable Human Development and Well Being	Outcome 2: More people, in particular, the most vulnerable and marginalized, have improved access to and utilization of quality, inclusive, gender- and shock-responsive, universal, and resilient social protection, social safety-net and basic social services.	2026
Strategic Priority 3: Sustainable, Healthy and Resilient Environment	Outcome 3: Ecosystems are healthier, and all people, in particular the most vulnerable and marginalized in both rural and urban settings, benefit from and contribute in a gender-responsive manner to a cleaner and more resilient environment, an enriched natural resource base, low carbon development, and are prosperous and more resilient to climate change, shocks and disasters.	2026
Strategic Priority 4: Transformative, Participatory and Inclusive Governance	Outcome 4: More people, especially the most vulnerable, benefit from more equitable, non-discriminatory, gender-responsive, participatory, accountable and governance and justice, in a peaceful and tolerant society governed by the rule of law.	2026

Bhutan

Boys in Bhutan national dress (gho) at Punakha valley festival. © Keith Mason/Wikimedia Commons

Strategic Priorities and Outcomes

Strategic Priority	Outcome Description	Target Year
Strategic Priority 1: Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development	Outcome 1: Bhutan has sustainable and diversified economic growth, decent employment and livelihoods and shared prosperity.	2028
Strategic Priority 2: Equitable Human Development and Well Being	Outcome 2: People in Bhutan benefit from strengthened quality, inclusive and lifelong social services and practices.	2028
Strategic Priority 3: Sustainable, Healthy and Resilient Environment	Outcome 3: Bhutan’s environment remains sustainably managed, and its people are more resilient to disaster risks and climate change.	2028
Strategic Priority 4: Transformative, Participatory and Inclusive Governance	Outcome 4: Bhutan has more inclusive, transparent and accountable governance and rule of law	2028

India

A community radio station in India. © UNESCO

Strategic Priorities and Outcomes

Strategic Priority	Outcome Description	Target Year
Strategic Priority 1: Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development	Outcome 3: All children and young people, especially the most vulnerable, have equitable access to quality learning and skills development within safe and inclusive education environments.	Not specified
Strategic Priority 2: Equitable Human Development and Well Being	Outcome 4: People will benefit from and contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth through higher productivity, competitiveness and diversification in economic activities that create decent work, livelihoods and income, particularly for youth and women.	Not specified
Strategic Priority 3: Sustainable, Healthy and Resilient Environment	Outcome 5: The Government of India, state governments, communities, the private sector and other actors take informed actions to address climate change, pollution biodiversity loss and restore ecological integrity through improved knowledge, capacity and mainstreaming of relevant actions across sectoral programmes, policies and plans.	Not specified
Strategic Priority 4: Transformative, Participatory and Inclusive Governance		Not specified

Nepal

Ghorepani village in Nepal. © Gerd Eichmann/Wikimedia Commons

Strategic Priorities and Outcomes

Strategic Priority	Outcome Description	Target Year
Strategic Priority 1: Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development	Outcome 1: More people, especially women, youth, the most marginalized and poor, increasingly benefit from and contribute to inclusive, resilient, and sustainable socio-economic transformation at federal, provincial, and local levels	2027
Strategic Priority 2: Equitable Human Development and Well Being	Outcome 2: More people, especially women, youth, children, and the most marginalized and poor, increasingly participate in and benefit from equitably improved quality social services at federal, provincial, and local levels.	2027
Strategic Priority 3: Sustainable, Healthy and Resilient Environment	Outcome 3: More people, especially women, youth, and the most marginalized and poor, increasingly benefit from and contribute to building an inclusive, sustainable, climate-resilient and green society and reduced impacts of disasters at federal, provincial, and local levels.	2027
Strategic Priority 4: Transformative, Participatory and Inclusive Governance	Outcome 4: More people, especially women, youth and the most marginalized and poor increasingly participate in and benefit from coordinated, inclusive, accessible, participatory, transparent, and gender-responsive governance, access to justice and human rights at federal, provincial, and local levels.	2027

Sri Lanka

Strategic Priorities and Outcomes

Strategic Priority	Outcome Description	Target Year
Strategic Priority 1: Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development	Outcome 1: Strengthened, Resilient & Equitable Social Service Systems and Enhanced Well-Being	Not specified
Strategic Priority 2: Equitable Human Development and Well Being	Outcome 2: Sustainable and Inclusive, Green-Led Growth, People-Centred Economic Recovery, Livelihoods and Productivity	Not specified
Strategic Priority 3: Sustainable, Healthy and Resilient Environment	Outcome 3: Natural Resource Management, Climate Resilience and Environmental Sustainability	Not specified
Strategic Priority 4: Transformative, Participatory and Inclusive Governance Outcome 4: Inclusive Governance, Justice and Rule of Law	Outcome 5: Social Cohesion, Sustaining Peace and Human Rights	Not specified

The Maldives

Strategic Priorities and Outcomes

Strategic Priority	Outcome Description	Target Year
Strategic Priority 1: Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development	Outcome 1: Youth, women and others at risk of being left behind, contribute to and benefit from inclusive, resilient, sustainable economic and human capital development, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and decent work.	2026
Strategic Priority 2: Equitable Human Development and Well Being	Outcome 2: People in the Maldives, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized benefit from increased access to and use of quality, equitable, inclusive and resilient social and protection services, and have enhanced relevant skills and live fulfilled lives with wellbeing and dignity.	Not specified
Strategic Priority 3: Sustainable, Healthy and Resilient Environment	Outcome 3: National and sub-national institutions and communities in Maldives, particularly at-risk populations, are better able to manage natural resources and achieve enhanced resilience to climate change and disaster impacts, natural and human-induced hazards, and environmental degradation, inclusively and in a sustainable manner	Not specified
Strategic Priority 4: Transformative, Participatory and Inclusive Governance	Outcome 4: Maldives has strengthened decentralised and accountable governance under the rule of law where people are empowered, meaningfully participate in transparent and transformative processes for public policy and fully enjoy access to justice, public services, human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment in a tolerant and peaceful society	2026