Background
Date and time: 30 January, 8:15 - 9:30 New York time (16:15 – 17:30 Nairobi time)
Virtual Event
Background:
As we approach 2030, swift action is imperative to produce the change that we need to achieve sustainable development. In this context, SDG Localization and multilevel governance emerge as essential processes for achieving our goals, as they represent the pathway to ensure vertical coherence across policy levels and domains, horizontal integration across sectors and societal actors, and temporal continuity of development action beyond single-term mandates and short-term political agendas. Effective, sustainable, resilient, and innovative solutions to achieve the Global Goals need hence to be anchored on multilevel governance approaches.
Coherence of policies across governance levels and decentralization of finance for sustainable development emerge as fundamental processes to work towards these goals. However, significant gaps exist and are jeopardizing our efforts to achieve such.
Currently, the annual SDG funding gap in developing countries exceeds $4 trillion, and approximately $3.6 trillion is lost globally each year due to corruption and the leakage of public funds—essentially equating to the amount required to fill the annual funding gap. Also, despite a significant overlap between sectors, and the trade-offs and opportunities that exist between them, progress in developing ways to align these with each other has been limited. However, some countries worldwide are increasingly working in such alignment. For instance, Italy recognizes policy coherence for sustainable development as a fundamental tool for achieving the principles of integration and transversality of the SDGs and since 2018, decided to include in the implementation and revision process of the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) a strengthened and constructive dialogue on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development.
Policy coherence aligns governmental strategies, while finance serves as the lifeblood of SDG implementation, requiring targeted resources for sustained impact. Together, they provide the necessary frameworks, resources, and coordination mechanisms to navigate the intricate landscape of sustainable development and transform aspirations into tangible, positive outcomes.
This event aims to deep dive into the multilevel governance approach for SDG Localization, specifically looking into the elements of financing and policy coherence for the effective delivery of the SDGs. The discussion will be fed through the presentation of concrete practices and examples from around the globe.
Notably, this session marks the international launch of UN-Habitat’s MLG4SDGs initiative. This initiative aims to bring multilevel governance at the forefront of discussions and practical efforts aimed at advancing SDG implementation at all levels, everywhere. It specifically builds on UN-Habitat-led research on multilevel governance for SDG Localization and current support to national and local governments throughout the world. Ultimately the initiative wants also to help UNRCOs, UNCTs and the broader development community to better align development support at the national and local levels.
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