United Nations University (UNU)
1. How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the priorities of your organization?
The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the priorities of all UNU Institutes. The United Nations University (UNU) Charter mandates that “the University shall devote its work to research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations and its agencies”. UNU therefore strives to be an agile and responsive institution, able to quickly pivot its research efforts to address emerging issues and urgent concerns. UNU’s ability to quickly modify its research agenda was clearly shown by the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with numerous institutes undertaking new research initiatives that contributed to better understanding and response to the pandemic, and/or adjusted their ongoing projects to incorporate COVID-19 considerations. The pandemic also required changing work methodologies, adjusting project timelines, and coordinating with external partners and donors to comply with local pandemic social-distancing restrictions. Particularly affected were those projects that rely heavily on firsthand information; the projects were assessed to determine just what data is required, and how to collect it. Projects requiring fieldwork quickly developed contingency plans, such as moving planned onsite activities online and reaching out to local stakeholders who could carry out safe, on-the-ground data collection.
2. In 2020/2021, how has your organization endeavored to support Member States to build back better from COVID-19 while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda? Please select up to three high-impact initiatives to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations in those efforts to achieve coherence and synergies?
Governmental and public reaction to the pandemic underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation that is guided and supported by interdisciplinary research and evidence-based, pragmatic advice. This is where UNU excels. Below are some of the examples of UNU institutes’ engagement:
- publishing reports on how COVID-19 has affected progress on subnational localisation of the SDGs
- investigating data marginalisation in COVID-19 data monitoring systems
- conducting new research on egovernment responses and adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath
- in-depth examination of reconceptualising landscape approaches for biodiversity in the context of COVID-19
- exploring the pandemic’s ramifications for the education sector, as well as undertaking research on the impact of COVID-19 on gender inequality
- analysing the impact of COVID-19 on the food and energy sectors, stranded assets, and regional differentiation issues in a range of sectors that are affecting COVID-19 recovery in Africa and other regions of interest. In more detail are the selected high impact initiatives demonstrating UNU’s ability to work with other UN entities and stakeholders.
| Name: | Cascading risks: learnings from COVID-19 (CARICO) |
| Partners: (please list all partners) | United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), BMZ, GIZ, ESPOL, RDRS Bangladesh, BRIN, Red Cross Togo, Jadavpur University |
| Relevant SDGs | SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 , 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative: | Ecuador, Togo, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Germany |
| Description: | The Cascading Risks: Learning from COVID-19 (CARICO) project by the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in collaboration with its partners has increased understanding of systemic and cascading risks associated with COVID-19 and other climatic and natural hazards. This was achieved by creating a conceptual model and exploring novel methodologies for developing cascading risk mapping, which identified prevention and mitigation options. Five case studies were utilised to document specific country-level examples that show how the pandemic and related intervention measures have exacerbated risks in specific contexts and what actions were taken to avert, minimise and address risks. Specific attention was given to impacts on the SDGs, adaptive social protection measures, and effects on gender. Policy recommendations were developed, for use in disaster risk management (DRM) strategies and will be disseminated during the second phase of the project. |
| Website: | https://ehs.unu.edu/research/understanding-systemic-and-cascading-risks-learnings-from-covid-19-carico.html#_ |
| Name: | Gender and Health Hub |
| Partners: (please list all partners) | WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS at UNAIDs, UNFPA, UN Women, University of Western |
| Relevant SDGs | SDGs 3, 5, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative: | Global |
| Description: | Coordinated by UNU international Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH), with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gender and Health Hub is a platform to bring together global experts, practitioners, and thought leaders to advance gender equality in health. The risk of the COVID-19 pandemic eroding the gender equality gains accrued over decades, highlights an urgent need to draw on the evidence base built through practice, success, and failure over time. The Hub is a unique global platform established to address these risks by consolidating the best policy relevant evidence on gender integration in health policies and programmes generated through research and practice, at the global, regional, and country level. Members of the GHH Advisory Committee include heads of UN entities such as the WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS at UNAIDs, UNFPA, and UN Women, as well as leading health experts, academics, practitioners, and representatives of international NGOs. |
| Website: | https://iigh.unu.edu/about/unu-iigh/pillar-two/genderhealth-hub |
| Name: | Beyond Opportunism – The UN Development System’s Response to the Triple Planetary Crisis |
| Partners: (please list all partners) | UN Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) |
| Relevant SDGs | SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative: | Global |
| Description: | UNU Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR), and UNU Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), partnered with the UN Development Coordination Office to support an in-depth exchange amongst UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) and their UN peers on the existential threat from the interlinked effects of climate change, biodiversity loss & pollution – the Triple Planetary Crisis. RCs have been at the forefront of the UN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, rallying UN capacity to support government response and recovery. The Triple Planetary Crisis presents an even greater challenge for humanity, requiring radical change to approaches to development, well-being, and growth. RCs perform a crucial role in the international multilateral system’s response to this crisis, helping to bolster national-level actions that can coalesce into meaningful changes at the global level. This research identifies common obstacles facing RCs as they work to meet this challenge, as well as good practices and models that could help them become even more effective actors around the world. |
| Website: | https://i.unu.edu/media/cpr.unu.edu/attachment/4977/UNUTriplePlanetaryC… |
3. Has your organization published or is it planning to publish any analytical work or guidance note or toolkits to guide and support recovery efforts from COVID-19 while advancing SDG implementation at national, regional and global levels? Please select up to three high-impact resources to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs.
As the UN’s academic arm and think-tank, UNU generates policy-relevant knowledge which spans the full breadth of the 17 SDGs. As the pandemic unfolded, UNU institutes were able to pivot to include new research initiatives and projects that contribute to a better understanding and response to the pandemic. Outputs which support such recovery efforts include publications, analyses, toolkits, and guides a sample of which can be found on UNU’s dedicated web page to its response to COVID-19: https://unu.edu/covid-19
| Name: | UNU Evidence, Policy, and Interventions for COVID-19 (EPIC) Tracker |
| Publishing entity: | UNU-IIGH |
| Relevant SDGs | SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 |
| Target audience: | UN entities, policy makers, researchers, organisations engaged in post-COVID-19 relief activities. |
| Resource description: | The UNU Evidence, Policy, and Interventions for COVID19 Tracker (UNU EPIC Tracker) is an inventory of the public health, economic, social and community measures taken to address COVID-19 across all countries. These measures include government policies and public sector interventions whose impacts are felt across all levels of society. A living platform, the EPIC Tracker is regularly updated to include new policies, reflect country responses, and integrate other sources of data. The collected data is also used for implementing SGD initiatives at key locations. |
| Website: | https://epictracker.org/#featured |
| Language: | English |
| Name: | The Impact of COVID-19 on Humanitarian Access |
| Publishing entity: | UNU-CPR |
| Relevant SDGs | SDGs 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 16, 17 |
| Target audience: | Governments, donors, the UN, and local, nongovernmental organisations |
| Resource description: | UNU-CPR examined the pandemic’s impact on humanitarian access and operations. The analysis is based on developments in Colombia, Myanmar, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen and offers ten recommendations on both improving access and prioritizing during a crisis. This led to a number of important briefings, including with Member States in May, organized by the UK Mission, and for a Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) event exploring the challenges and lessons learned from the transformation of humanitarian aid provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also led to an invitation by the Global Information Management, Assessment and Analysis Cell (GIMAC) on COVID-19 to present key findings of the report. GIMAC is a humanitarian multistakeholder initiative co-led by OCHA, the World Health Organization, UN Refugees, and IOM. The cell provides support to several humanitarian operations on information management, assessment, and analysis activities. |
| Website: | https://cpr.unu.edu/research/projects/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-humanit… |
| Language: | English |
| Name: | COVID-19 and Progress on Subnational Localisation of the SDGs |
| Publishing entity: | UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), United Cities and Local Governments AsiaPacific (UCLG ASPAC) |
| Relevant SDGs | SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 |
| Target audience: | Local and regional governments, entities engaged in COVID-19 relief operations |
| Resource description: | The COVID-19 and Progress on Subnational Localisation of the SDGs report on explores how local and regional governments can overcome the deep impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver a resilient and sustainable recovery. The report examines how COVID-19 has affected subnational progress on the SDGs as well as its broader socioeconomic impacts. It analyses the responses of subnational governments to the pandemic and their priorities for action in the short, medium, and long term. The findings are based on survey research engaging 52 regional and local governments in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, conducted in February 2021. |
| Website: | https://i.unu.edu/media/ias.unu.edu-en/attachment/21058/COVID-19-Progre… |
| Language: | English |
4. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups to support SDG implementation and COVID-19 recovery at national, regional and global levels? Please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned. If your organization has established multi-stakeholder partnerships in this regard, please describe them (objectives, partners involved, relevant SDGs, Member States benefiting from the partnership) and provide links to relevant websites, if applicable.
Main highlights and lessons learned:
UNU’s unique identity as both a research institution and a knowledge partner within the UN system enables it to facilitate collaboration between diverse constituencies as well as serving as a bridge between the UN system, academic communities, and international policymaking communities. UNU institutes have established multistakeholder partnerships at local, national, regional and global levels. As part of its Accelerating the implementation of water-related SDGs project, the UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNUINWEH) developed the Sustainable Development Goal 6 Policy Support System (SDG-PSS), a tool to address the challenges of producing critical evidence on the enabling environment for SDG 6 to inform policy and decision-makers and support systematic actions on the achievement of water-related SDGs. The tool is currently available online in English, French, and Spanish languages. Conducting regional workshops to engage more countries and strengthen collaboration with project partner countries the project aims to roll out SDG-PSS in at least 50 countries from Africa and the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. One of the current objectives is to transform SDG-PSS beyond SDG 6 - to address emerging challenges such as COVID-19 to build a tool, COVID-SDG-PSS, to facilitate health and water professionals to collaborate and work jointly to ensure no or minimal impact on water-related development in the pandemic emergency response situations. https://inweh.unu.edu/projects/accelerating-theimplementation-of-water-… The UNU Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR)’s Delta 8.7 project, funded by the Modern Slavery Innovation Find (UK Home Office), is a global knowledge platform exploring what works to eradicate forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour, an aim set out in Target 8.7 of the SDGs. In 2021, the project undertook country-level policy workshops with officials in India, Malaysia, Brazil, Ghana, and Uganda alongside a range of local civil society organization partners. Delta 8.7 also presented findings from their Policy Guides to a range of regional forums in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific. SDG 8 as well as 1, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17. https://www.delta87.org/
Multi-Stakeholder partnerships established
Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS) is a collaborative programme and scientific alliance between the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and Eurac Research with partners including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (UN OCHA); UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit; Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO); The University of the West Indies, Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC), St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago; Montserrat Volcano Observatory, Flemings, Montserrat. The project aims to contribute to the development of resilient mountain communities towards natural and man-made hazards and disaster risks and to protect the wealth of biological and cultural diversity. In April 2021, the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, displaced thousands of people, resulting in a heavy disruption of livelihoods and economic activities, the destruction of critical infrastructure, and volcanic ash deposits that impacted the entire island of St. Vincent and the neighboring island country of Barbados. The region was still recovering from the 2020 hurricane season and grappling with the health and financial impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic when the explosive eruption occurred. The scientific team from UNU-EHS’ GLOMOS programme remotely supported the international response by facilitating communication and information exchange between the field team deployed to St. Vincent and a larger group of scientific institutions, and creating a dashboard information management system to collect, update, process, and present information relevant to the disaster response and recovery. The project contributes to SDGs 2,3,4,5,6, 10, 14, 15, 17.https://ehs.unu.edu/news/news/glomosprogramme-supports-international-hu…
Following the adoption of the 2019 SDG Summit declaration (GA resolution 74/4), where Member States outlined ten priority areas for accelerated action in SDG implementation, please highlight any major integrated and innovative policies or initiatives that your organization may have adopted in the following areas:
5.1 leaving no one behind;
UNU-EHS’ Adaptive Social Protection initiative (ASP) supports the Indonesian government in developing a strategy to increase the resilience of the most vulnerable to various livelihood shocks induced by natural hazards and climate change. It aims to link institutions, programmes, data and information, and financing of social protection, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation efforts in the country to seize coherence benefits and thereby effectively build resilience. The co-development of this ASP strategy is based on a comprehensive stocktaking and gap analysis that were used to derive specific actions and outcomes, including responsibilities and timelines to guide the implementation of ASP.
UNU World Institute for Development Knowledge Research (UNU-WIDER) researchers and partner entities used tax-benefit microsimulation modelling to assess how government policies in five Sub-Saharan African countries, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, in the areas of taxation and social protection, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that existing tax benefit systems were ineffective in preventing an increase in poverty and inequality in the face of the pandemic. The findings demonstrate the limits of African tax-benefit systems, as they existed at the onset of the crisis, and the weak contribution of additional measures taken in response to the crisis. The study provided valuable insight for governments in the developing world to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis.
5.2 mobilizing adequate and well-directed financing;
UNU-CPR hosted a side event under the auspices of the 2021 HLPF on Sustainable Development, ‘Recovering from COVID-19: The Role of Sustainable Finance to End Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking’. The event explored the key role of the financial sector in addressing modern slavery and human trafficking, with a particular focus on building back better from COVID19. The event highlighted the important role that sustainable and inclusive financing has to foster effective action by businesses to identify and mitigate modern slavery risks in their value chains and to ensure business actions during the pandemic are not exacerbating such risks. It concluded with an acknowledgement that partnerships with the financial sector will be crucial in addressing modern slavery and human trafficking risks at scale.
UNU-IAS launched a new executive course, Principles of Sustainable Finance, ESG Investing, and SDG Business Management (IC-ESG), in 2021, focused on the challenges and opportunities that arise through integration of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) factors. It was developed in collaboration with the business communities in Japan and other countries, in recognition of the central role played by the finance and investment sectors in fostering sustainable development.
5.3 enhancing national implementation;
UNU-IAS’ Governance for Sustainable Development project contributes to discussions on implementation and follow-up of the SDGs. It proposes policies and frameworks for a long-term transformation towards sustainable societies, with a strategic focus on developing multi-stakeholder partnerships to mobilise knowledge, technology, and financial resources for achieving the SDGs. The project analyses national goal-/target-setting and implementation processes and explores the role and design of (sub-)national and regional science-policy interfaces and their local and global interlinkages.
UNU-IAS has published a Policy Brief on Accelerating 2030 Agenda Integration: Aligning National Development Plans with the Sustainable Development Goals (UNU-IAS Policy Brief No. 25, September 2021) which presents findings and recommendations on aligning national development plans with the SDGs. It identifies how the SDGs can be harnessed in national planning to mainstream sustainable development principles and accelerate localisation of the 2030 Agenda. The brief draws on analysis of national planning in six countries in Asia and the Pacific, East Africa, and the Middle East.
5.4 strengthening institutions for more integrated solutions;
UNU-INRA’s Covid-19, food, farms, and energy efficiency in Africa (COFFEE) project, funded by the German Environment Agency, studies the impact of COVID-19 on the food and energy sectors in Cote d’Ivore and Senegal, and examines the level and scale of adoption of green and sustainable technologies in these sectors. Further, government’s COVID-19 recovery plans and policies will be reviewed to determine the specific provisions governments have made to support the adoption of green and sustainable technologies through entrepreneurship in the food and energy sectors.
5.5 bolstering local action;
UNU-INRA’s Green Pathways project has received recognition throughout the African region and rose the bar for regional and local cooperation. This project, funded by BMZ, explores Africa’s development priorities, in the context of the new cycle of Africa Europe partnership, and outlines ways in which the European Green Deal could be beneficial for both the EU and Africa. The project makes use of a knowledge consortium including the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the African Union Commission (AUC), United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Adelphi, African Development Bank (AfDB), GIZ and others. Several knowledge products will be produced including a briefing note, policy briefs, and op-eds.
UNU-EHS has collaborated on the HI-PATH project, to map the outcomes of livelihood innovations for climate adaptation and co-create climate-resilient development pathways for upscaling of these innovations, with a focus on influencing relevant long-term adaptation planning and policy processes. HI-PATH builds on the HI-AWARE project, which introduced the livelihood innovations for climate adaptation.
5.6 reducing disaster risk and building resilience;
UNU-EHS, through its Global Mountain Safeguard Research (GLOMOS) programme is engaged in a project, Increasing resilience of the most vulnerable climate-affected communities in Kotayk, Armenia’ with international organisations, ACTED and IMPACT. Armenia is ranked 45 out of 191 by the 2021 lnform Risk lndex and is classified as being at high risk of disasters due to 1) significant exposure to hazards including earthquake, floods, and drought, 2) a lack of institutional capacity to manage disaster risks, and 3) uprooted vulnerable groups, exacerbated by the COVID19 pandemic and the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. A multi-stakeholder workshop on Safeguarding Mountain Communities in Kotayk/Syunik (Armenia) will foster multi-stakeholder dialogue, build partnerships, enhance awareness, and provide insight into the latest global developments around disaster risk reduction including ecosystem based DRR, climate change adaptation and emergency response preparedness in mountain regions.
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute (UNU-MERIT) is involved in a multi-year project with the WFP to assess the outcomes of WFP's humanitarian and development aid for refugees and vulnerable populations affected by natural and human caused disasters in Kenya from 2019 to 2023. These interventions are implemented through one of the strategic outcomes of WFP's five-year Country Strategic Plan. This component seeks to ensure that targeted groups have access to food and can meet their food and nutrition needs throughout the year. Interventions include an electronic voucher, unconditional cash transfers delivered via bank accounts, vocational youth training, training and technical support to local retailers, school feeding, malnutrition prevention and treatment and relief activities. The project also assesses the user experience, efficiency, and the contributions to financial inclusion of the technological innovations that is used to deliver social transfers e.g., mobile phones and mobile money systems and electronic bank cards.
UNU-EHS’ Flagship report, Interconnected Disaster Risks, analysed 10 different disasters from 2020/2021 and found some level of interconnectedness despite occurring in vastly different locations and not appearing initially to have much in common. By analysing past events through the lens of interconnectivity, both the disasters that are happening right now and those that will happen in the future can be better understood. The report showcases solutions at both the societal and individual level and explains how one action, such as cutting our greenhouse gas emissions, can affect many different types of disasters: it can prevent a further increase in the frequency and severity of hazards and protect biodiversity and ecosystems.
5.7 solving challenges through international cooperation and enhancing the global partnership;
UNU-EHS brings perspectives from non-state actors to inform climate actions through the People’s pathways to climate action - Climate Academy project. The project, whilst covering a wide range of SDGs, refers specifically to SDG 13. In this context, science-based participatory approaches are much needed to provide hope and direction. The climate academy programme aspires to address these challenges through a series of dedicated events. The “People’s Pathways to Climate Action – Climate Academy” 2021 is being jointly organized by United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) and Munich Re Foundation (MRF) in collaboration with the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC).
UNU-INWEH collaborates with UNESCO, the International Organization on Migration (IOM), FAO, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other agencies and institutions to help better understand the complex causes and consequences of water-related displacement specifically on women and girls and distill lessons from key water-related migration processes and crises internationally.
UNU Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and Resources (UNUFLORES)’ project, Framework for Organizational Decision-Making Process in Water Reuse for Smart Cities (SMART-WaterDomain) is an international project – with 11 partners from research institutes in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Japan, funded under the EIG-Concert Japan, with the German partners being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aims to develop a systematic framework to initiate the intelligent reuse of wastewater resources, and additionally will serve as an assessment mechanism for companies and industry. This project actively supports the interface between public and private stakeholders, and the crosssectoral synergies have the potential to facilitate the effective connection of water and complementary sectors, such as energy and waste, as well as advocating water reuse as a major facet of environmental management.
5.8 harnessing science, technology and innovation with a greater focus on digital transformation for sustainable development;
In April 2021, UNU Macau co-convened the Stanford BASES (Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students) Global Summit, “Reimagining Entrepreneurship & Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” to spark global dialogue on how to can better use innovative technologies to support the SDGs.
UNU Operating Unit on Policy Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) and UN DESA have collaborated on the production of the biannual UN e-Government Survey. The Survey is the only global report that assesses the e-Government development status of all the UN Member States. Two instruments, the e-Government Development Index (EGDI) evolution, which assesses e-Government development at national level, and the Local Online Service Index (LOSI), which assesses e-Government development at the local (municipality) level, have become indispensable benchmarking, ranking, mapping, and measuring development tools for ministers, policymakers and analysts delving into comparative analysis and contemporary research on eGovernment.
5.9 investing in data and statistics for the SDGs; and
UNU-EHS – is part of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Living Deltas Research Hub, which works with delta-dwellers and policymakers to develop solutions that can help better realise the SDGs in delta specific contexts. The institute leads the WP5 group to work with stakeholders in the Mekong and Red River Deltas in Viet Nam and in the Ganges Brahmaputra Meghna Delta in Bangladesh and India to develop improved delta-level SDG monitoring and a new indicator-based assessment framework focusing on delta-specific SDGs. The Hub is innovative as it emphasizes transdisciplinary integration of the earth and life sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts, to address these common challenges. It operates on a model of ‘equitable partnership’, involving delta dwellers and the research community in developing knowledge and policy for better delta futures. The Hub strives for lasting impact through improved livelihoods and more resilient communities, sustainable management and conservation, improved monitoring of SDG indicators and better policies for sustainable development.
The “Leave no one behind” principle of the SDGs is hampered by the marginalization of individuals and populations groups in data systems. A UNU Macau project has investigated forms of data marginalization in social indicators monitoring, including in COVID-19 data systems. Insights from this project have informed digital inclusion strategies and interventions and have been cited in Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data Inclusive Data Charter knowledge products.
5.10 strengthening the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
6. In the lead up to the 2023 HLPF to be held under the auspices of the General Assembly (or 2023 SDG Summit), please provide your organization’s recommendations on how to overcome challenges to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs, taking into account the thematic reviews and voluntary national reviews conducted to date.
Achieving the SDGs and the transformation required by the 2030 Agenda hinges on effective national policies, and national development plans play a critical role as they are at the centre of the policymaking process. To accelerate localisation of the SDGs national planning must be aligned with the SDGs through improving the policymaking process, removing systemic barriers, and engaging diverse stakeholders to innovate and sustain change. Recommendations to overcome some of the challenges in implementing the 2030 Agenda include:
- Harnessing the SDGs as an opportunity to promote national goal-setting processes and influence domestic policymaking.
- Using the SDGs as a platform to mainstream sustainable development principles in national policymaking.
- Strengthening national development planning by promoting approaches relevant to the SDGs.
- Positioning human, social, environmental, economic, and institutional objectives at the same level.
- Ensuring inclusive participation and effective stakeholder engagement in implementing the 2030 Agenda and national development plans. Local and regional governments are key players in implementing the SDGs. Being closest to their citizens, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted challenges facing these subnational governments including social, economic, environmental, as well as institutional concerns.
Below are recommendations to overcome challenges at the level of local and regional governments based on the UNU-IAS and UCLGASPAC survey results
1. Ensuring coherent policy and governance to build back better:
- Strengthen or reorient multi-level and cross-sector governance and coordination to manage pandemic and post-pandemic impact while accelerating SDGs implementation;
- Actively support and pursue horizontal cooperation among subnational governments and with non-state actors to promote a coherent response recovery approach;
- Deliver national recovery strategies with explicit context-specific and place-based considerations to manage the differentiated impact of COVID-19;
- Increase national to subnational support for key policy sectors to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Pursuing resilient, inclusive, and green subnational finance:
- Explore and introduce financial management measures and fiscal tools to lessen subnational financial imbalance and restore fiscal stability.
- Improve expenditure and revenue effectiveness by increasing transparency and strengthening accountability
- Establish a funding mechanism to promote multi-year green recovery and ensure finance for SDGs implementation
3. Accelerating SDGs localisation to achieve inclusive, sustainable, resilient recovery:
- Align the short-term emergency responses with long-term economic, social, and environmental objectives by internalising SDGs and other international frameworks (e.g., Paris Agreement, New Urban Agenda)
- Adopt SDG-related approaches to support subnational governments’ strategies to locally build back better and ensure financial inclusion
- Upscale the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to accelerate the digitalisation of services and address digital divides.