SDG update - 12 September

A new report from UNESCO flags problems in achieving SDG4, photo: ODI via flickr.com, creative commons licence

REPORTS AND PROPOSALS

• Zenda Ofir, Thomas Schwandt, Stefano D’Errico, Kassem El-​Saddik and Dorothy Lucks: Five considerations for national evaluation agendas informed by the SDGs. This briefing, the third in a collection through a partnership between IIED and EVALSDGs, uses a ‘complex systems’ lens to look at national agenda-setting and strategy for SDG implementation. The paper outlines five aspects of this perspective that have emerged as important lessons for evaluation during the MDG era: 1) think beyond individual policies and projects; 2) examine macro forces influencing success and failure; 3) take into account multiple definitions of ‘success’; 4) recognize the importance of culture; and 5) shift towards evaluative thinking and adaptive management.

• David Satterthwaite and David Dodman (IIED): A new urban agenda? This brief looks at urban development challenges that have carried over since the first UN Conference on Human Settlements held 40 years ago, highlighting work still to be done on the ‘old’ agenda. The authors also point out issues of representing the many local actors, voices, perspectives, and generating necessary local buy-in, which may be difficult to achieve in a global negotiation process. The paper goes on to outline ingredients of a new urban agenda that would result in a transformative new vision that reinforces the SDGs, is measurable, and avoids ‘the wrong agendas’ that lead to inequitable and exclusive urban development.

• Nicholas Ngepah (University of Johannesburg): In search of bad inequalities for growth and appropriate policy choices for their reduction in Africa. This research paper, part of the ODI-led series ‘Starting Strong: the first 1000 days of the SDGs,’ informs SDG implementation strategies for Goals 1, 5, 8 and 10 in Africa. It starts by exploring the progress and limitations pertaining to the relevant Goals in the African context, employing a systems Generalized Methods of Moments (GMM) regression technique to determine the impact of different inequalities on economic growth, then examines the underlying causes of those inequalities that impact economic growth negatively.

• UNESCO: Global Education Monitoring Report 2016: Education for People and Planet: Creating Sustainable Futures for All. This report aims to ‘set off alarm bells’ to trigger a historic scale-up of actions in order to achieve SDG 4. UNESCO emphasizes gaps between where education is and should be, attainment differences between rich and poor, within and between countries, and the implications if these disparities. The report offers a sobering picture of how many countries are on track to meet education targets by 2030, also noting that development aid for education is lower today than it was in 2009. The report offers suggestions for making and monitoring process, also demonstrating the feasibility of improved education outcomes. A release on the report by UN News Centre is available here, a brief IISD summary is here, and additional related coverage is featured in the News & Blogs section below.

• UNIDO: Making It: Industry for Development: Implementing the SDGs (Issue 21). The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) dedicates issue 21 of this quarterly magazine solely to SDG implementation. While UNIDO’s mandate focuses primarily on SDG 9, the magazine also features articles on sustainable consumption, an interview with UN Secretary-General Special Adviser David Nabarro, a country feature on Nepal, and a piece by the CEO of Novozymes, sharing what his company has learned thus far.

RECENT CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

• G20 Leaders’ Summit 2016. This summit was held 4-5 September 2016 in Hangzhou, China. The resulting Communique is available here. Further information, including a compilation of press releases, is available here, on IISD’s website.

• 4^th Green Growth Knowledge Platform Annual Conference. The Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP) Annual Conference took place on the theme “Transforming Development through Inclusive Green Growth” from 6-7 September 2016 on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. The conference was hosted by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and formed a major part of the Global Green Growth Week 2016 (#GGGWeek2016), held 5-9 September 2016.

• IUCN World Conservation Congress 2016. The conference concluded 10 September 2016 in Hawaii. The Forum was held 2-5 September, while the Members’ Assembly ran from the 6^th to 10^th. Further information, including webstreams, the program and speakers list, is available at the above link. Daily coverage by IISD Reporting Services is also available, here.

• Global Preparatory Seminar for the UN World Data Forum. This seminar, jointly organized by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), was held 7-9 September 2016 in Guilin, China. The seminar engaged with public and private measurements experts, statistical producers, information system specialists, and users as well as all other key stakeholders to discuss data for sustainable development in January 2017.

NEWS AND BLOGS

• Anshul Bhamra and Syed A. A. Farhan (Development Alternative) on the IRF’s blog. “Are citizens being left behind by India’s approach to the SDGs?”

• Jomo Kwame Sundaram (former UN) on IPS News. “Poverty Cut by Growth Despite Policy Failure.”

• Action for Sustainable Development. “13-26 September 2016– Calendar of events at the opening of the UN General Assembly.”

• IISD Reporting Services. “Policy Update #32: Monthly Forecast: September 2016.”

• UN News Centre. “Calling for G20 support, Ban stresses importance of funding for 2030 Goals and climate action.”

• Jesse Griffiths (European Network on Debt and Development (Eurodad)) on Devex. “8 principles for transparent reporting of international public finance flows.”

• Christopher P. Skroupa interviews Paloma Duran (SDG Fund) in Forbes. “Future Investments: 2030 Agenda For Sustainable Development.”

• Amit Bouri (Global Impact Investing Network) on Institutional Investor’s ‘Unconventional Wisdom’ column. “The UN’s SDGs delivery a capital call to the world.”

• Susanna Rust on IPE (Investments & Pension’s Europe). “Major European pension investors commit to UN development goals.”

• Jackie Allender (ACCSR) on Pro Bono Australia. “SDGs: Getting Beyond Alignment.”

• Bhaskar Chakravorti (Tufts University) on the World Economic Forum’s blog. “Why data is key to business action on the SDGs.”

• Lucas Ajanaku in The Nation (Nigeria). “Ericsson: ICT tool vital to SDGs attainment.”

• IISD News. “UNIDO Warns Low Manufacturing Growth Threatens SDG 9 Achievement.”

• Lamin M. Manneh (One UN Rwanda) in the New Times (Rwanda). “Assessing the SDGs one year down the road (Part 1).”

• Alexander Müller (Töpfer, Müller, Gassner GmbH Think-tank for Sustainability); Jes Weigelt and Ivonne Lobos Alva (Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS)) with a guest article on IISD. “Piloting Global Thematic Reviews of the SDGs: The Case of Natural Resources.”

• Lahja Nashuuta in the Southern Times (South Africa). “SADC Protocol on Gender and Development aligned to SDGs but binding timeframes.”

• Kate Hodal and Josh Holder in the Guardian. “Poorest countries hit hardest as world lags behind on global education goals.”

• Emma Batha on Thomson Reuters. “World will miss education-for-all target by 50 years: U.N..”

• Vikas Pota (Varkey Foundation) in the Telegraph. “Sustainable development goals are failing because we don’t care enough about education.”

• UN News Centre. “On eve of Literacy Day, UN Secretary-General highlights literacy's role in 2030 Agenda.”

• Kristina Gaddy on the International Youth Federation’s blog. “We Can’t Reach These 4 SDGs without Livelihoods for Youth.”

• Ziad Abdel Samad (Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND)) on Social Watch. “Lebanon National Report: Structural challenges and obstacles to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.”

• Soana Tortora, Jason Nardi, Tommaso Rondinella (Social Watch Italy) on Social Watch. “Italy National Report: Change of direction needed to implement the 2030 Agenda.”

This Update is compiled by WRI, a member of IRF — a collaboration of 10 international research institutions providing critical thinking, integrated analysis and raising awareness around the 2030 Agenda. Submissions for this digest are welcome. Please e-mail Adam Fishman (afishman@wri.org) with any suggestions, questions or comments. To subscribe to this weekly digest, along with other WRI newsletters, please visit this sign-up page on WRI’s website.