ANALYSIS OF THE UNITED TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES STRATEGIES IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

Abstract

The concept of sustainable development has been considered as the main ideological paradigm of human existence. It is oriented not only on economic but also on social and environmental development. Its main ideas are grouped into Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which found their implementation at the national level of different countries, including Ukraine. They are also documented in such important political documents, as programs and strategies of the socio-economic development of the regions and the united territorial communities that have been formed due to the decentralization reform. The research paper analyses the number of SDGs which are adapted to the national (Ukraine) and regional (Sumy) levels. During the study, the aggregated ratings of SDGs according to their significance have been proposed. The study results reveal the priority directions of sustainable development of the whole country and its regional development vector. At the country level, the main trends have been highlighted: firstly economic, which involves the development of industry and infrastructure, increase in innovations, energy efficiency and secondly social, which includes improvement of healthcare, a justice system, and education. As for regional development, the main vectors have also been determined as economic growth, which is primarily due to the betterment in the labor market, the development of industry and infrastructure and social improvement, which is related to poverty reduction and improvements in quality of education, cooperation, and partnership. At the local level, the nine Strategies of united territorial communities of Sumy region were analyzed for using the methodology of sustainable development. Their main priorities have been appealed as followings: the openness, security, vitality and environmental sustainability of cities and towns; the strengthening of the global partnership for sustainable development; the establishment of sustainable infrastructure, the promotion of comprehensive and sustainable industrialization and innovation.