The Roles of NGOs Based in Bangkok in Promoting the Target Number 11.2 of the Goal Eleventh in the SDGs

Abstract

In September 2015, United Nations member states adopted the 2030 agenda for promoting peace and sustainable development, which is known as the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. The goal eleventh in the SDGs is "sustainable cities and communities." Inside the goal eleventh of the SDGs has ten targets. The target number 11.2 of the goal eleventh in the SDGs aims at affordable and sustainable transportation. How have the NGOs based in Bangkok promoted the target number 11.2 of the goal eleventh in the SDGs during 2016 - 2020, the research found that there are ten NGOs based in Bangkok involved in road safety promotion and sustainable transport building, which promoted the target number 11.2 of the goal eleventh of the SDGs in change agent perspective. NGOs advocate the SDGs and assist the public sector in developing a sustainable public transport system and using the SDGs as a tool to create the liability of their projects. There are three prominent roles of NGOs in promoting the SDGs comprise (1) collaborating with the public sector, (2) implementing projects, and (3) raising public awareness. Even though the roles of NGOs are broader at the general level, but the weaknesses of NGOs based in Bangkok are related to the low influence of NGOs in the policy-making process. Some NGOs receive funds from government agencies or private companies, this limits their ability to provide unbiased inputs in some sensitive issues that relevant to their funders. Moreover, NGOs have limited implementation capacity and resources, making it harder to corporate with the public sector. Significantly, influencing the public sector in developing affordable and sustainable transport systems is a troublesome issue for NGOs because most public transportation projects are related to the conflict of interests and authoritarians. They may have the ability only in public advocacy and knowledge sharing about the importance of sustainable transport systems at the public level.