Joint and complementary contribution to reaching the SDGs, including leaving no one behind

Dear contributors,

Welcome to the discussion on Joint and complementary contribution to reaching the SDGs, including leaving no one behind. 

As we know the SDGs landmark agreement provide a framework for action, the capacity to use them to deliver results at the national level depends on various factors, including political mobilization, the allocation of adequate resources and the implementation of effective policies and programmes. Accelerated and concerted support to achieve the SDG-s is gaining momentum, at the same time, we have witnessed that COVID- 19 pandemic had a major impact on those gains. Countries around the world battle the pandemic and its multi-dimensional impacts, social and health impacts are different for men and women requiring provision of dedicated support.  As the year 2030 is just over a decade away, accelerated actions taken today will pave the way to achieve the SDG-s.

The universal nature of the 2030 Agenda responds to the common and interconnected challenges faced by all countries, while the commitment to leaving no one behind seeks to reach the most disadvantaged by building solidarity between them and those who are better-off. Leaving no one behind is a matter of social justice and critical to creating inclusive societies and sustainable economic trajectories.

UN Development System has been supporting governments to achieve gender responsive implementation of the SDG-s with the focus on furthest left behind.

We would welcome your views and suggestions on joint and complementary contribution to reaching the SDG-s including leaving no one behind.

Dear contributors,

Welcome to week one of this joint global consultation. Looking forward to a lively discussion on how we can best work together for achieving the SDGs and Leave No One Behind (LNOB). The impact of the pandemic and related socio-economic slowdown are likely to set back hard-won development progress. For the first time since it started being calculated in 1990, the Human Development Index will regress. Furthermore, the pandemic is threatening the achievement of the principle of Leave No One Behind. Now more than ever we need to join forces if we are to overcome this shock and achieve the goals and targets that have been set for 2030.

Very much looking forward to your contributions!

Cordial saludo a todos.

Considero que este es un importante espacio para contribuir, desde nuestras miradas, conocimiento y experiencia, a la construcción colectiva del Plan estratégico 2022 – 2015 de las agencias de la Naciones Unidas.

He seleccionado el grupo de Contribución conjunta y complementaria para alcanzar los ODS, incluido no dejar a nadie atrás, para realizar mis aportes, por mi afinidad con temas de planeación, entre otros, y el conocimiento y experiencia con gobiernos locales, organizaciones y programas de cooperación.

En primer lugar, considero que hay relevantes avances en materia de apropiación de los ODS y por parte de las autoridades y gobiernos nacionales y en lograr que éstos se constituyan en un mandato nacional, al cual están obligados todos los gobiernos locales. La agenda 2030 es garante de este compromiso, los planes de desarrollo nacionales así lo reflejan también; esto indica que hay lineamientos definidos y claridad en la obligatoriedad de su cumplimiento, lo cual es un avance significativo como ya lo he referido.

Sin embargo, es importante destacar que el logro de los 17 ODS no puede ser sólo responsabilidad de los gobiernos, tanto nacionales como locales; se requiere un proceso de apropiación y popularización de los ODS, para que se conviertan en un estilo de vida de cada persona. Desde mi experiencia como consultora para diversos instrumentos de planeación, veo que es posible que los ODS se encuentren atrapados en un lenguaje un poco técnico que en ocasiones, no es comprendido y digerido por los mismos funcionarios de las administraciones locales; puede sorprender, pero muchos secretarios de despacho y funcionarios en general de municipios, no tiene claridad y conocimiento de los ODS y menos aún, comprensión de la capacidad de éstos de convertirse en un factor o medio para lograr el bienestar de su población.

Sobre los entes territoriales, vale mencionar que si bien existe una obligatoriedad en adoptar en sus planes de desarrollo territorial (PDT) los ODS, en la mayoría de casos, por lo menos en el departamento en el cual resido, esta obligación parecer se asume cumplida con el hecho de referir o incluir un párrafo en los planes de desarrollo que relaciona los 17 objetivos. No obstante, no se aprecia en el PDT una articulación y alineación juiciosa con los indicadores de los ODS, por ejemplo, situación que permitiría un monitoreo y seguimiento más efectivo, tanto para el DNP; el conocer los indicadores puede llevar por camino más acertado al momento de alinear sus metas e indicadores con los ODS.

En este mismo sentido, las comunidades, organizaciones locales y población en general, tienen un débil conocimiento y claridad de los ODS, en algunos casos puede ser casi nulo. En otros casos, reconocen haber escuchado mencionarlos; y otros reconocen la importancia de referirlos para participar en algunas convocatorias de proyectos. Sobre este aspecto, considero importante reconocer que el logro de los ODS no debe ser responsabilidad única y exclusiva de los gobiernos, nacional y locales; esta apuesta debe ser un compromiso de todos, ya que es la única manera de obtener logros importantes y de garantizar un aporte importante para cada objetivo y cada indicador; además, porque los ODS pueden estar están relacionados con actividades de la vida diaria de las personas, de las empresas, de las organizaciones. Es menester reconocer también, que algunas iniciativas de carácter privado pueden contribuir en alguna manera al logro de los ODS, y éstas pueden no necesariamente estar incluidas como prioridad en los Planes de desarrollo; es importante entonces definir rutas y mecanismos para reconocerlas como contribuciones al logro de los ODS.

Mis comentarios de la realidad local, sólo tiene un fin: poner en descubierto la necesidad de realizar un análisis actual del estado de los ODS a nivel local y a partir de ahí, definir las estrategias de divulgación, apropiación, medición y monitoreo durante la década restante, para detectar aquellas brechas en las cuales se requiera mayores esfuerzos y hacerlos a tiempo para procurar los mejores resultados en el 2030. Considero de gran importancia el seguimiento a nivel territorial, ya las metas nacionales a final son la suma de las de sus entes territoriales; esta también es una forma de garantizar que nadie se queda atrás, ya que entre entes territoriales es posible que se vean las diferencias y las brechas o rezagos.

Es importante también referir, que la pandemia de la Covid 19 va a tener un impacto negativo en el logro de los ODS, y en todas las metas de los gobiernos en general, y un cambio inesperado en las prioridades de los gobiernos. La pobreza a nivel mundial, luego de la pandemia, es posible que presente un comportamiento negativo; las acciones en materia de salud seguramente se van a enfocar también en temas de gestión del riesgo, ya que ninguna nación estaba preparada para un problema de salud de esta magnitud; en fin, los cambios serán notorios. Pero no por ello todo es negativo, por ejemplo, si la lectura y percepción es de incremento en las cifras de pobreza, puede ser una oportunidad para desde ya generar espacios con los gobiernos de cada país, a fin de revisar y rediseñar las estrategias de combate contra la pobreza y recuperar de forma rápida el rumbo; el uso de las tecnologías de las información y las comunicaciones debe ser un elemento clave en este rediseño, a nivel de asistencia técnica digital con pequeños productores rurales, por ejemplo.

En el actual momento hay que tratar de convertir el problema de salud de la pandemia, en una oportunidad valiosa para rediseñar las estrategias de pobreza y lograr, retomar el rumbo en corto tiempo y de forma rápida. Es indiscutible que algunos ODS pueden rezagarse, y para ello es necesario el monitoreo permanente, con el propósito de determinar en donde se debe realizar mayores esfuerzos; pero también es cierto que la pandemia ha generado y generará acciones en materia de salud y TICs, por ejemplo, no consideradas antes, situación que podemos considerar como una oportunidad, en la pospandemia. 

Cordialmente,

Geovani Rosas Sandoval

COVID-19 is a threat to achieving SDGs and UN needs to be risk informed and plan accordingly. Unless we take such risks into consideration in our planning and be better prepared we will not progress in achieving the 2030 agenda. 

It is very clear that in order to reach the SDGs, we need more joint work and collaboration among the four agencies, but also beyond. We must enhance our collective efforts building on each our comparative advantage, in order to make the idea of a ‘one UN’ that is behind the UNSDCFs truly work on the ground. In protracted crises in particular, there is a need to intensify efforts to bridge humanitarian, development and peace work – within our agencies and among UN agencies and wider stakeholders. Preparedness, conflict sensitivity and prevention, resilience strengthening, addressing root causes with a focus on local ownership and capacities and support of peace-building are key words in the nexus approach that should guide our work in these contexts. The OECD DAC Recommendation on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus to which the majority of our donors are adherents as well as UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA among others, provides helpful principles for carrying out the nexus approach, which should be the guiding framework for the development of our strategic plans. Donors should be made key partners in facilitating a strengthened nexus approach, not least supporting collective outcomes on the ground. On our part, as adherent agencies, UNDP, UNICEF and UNFPA must showcase that we are strengthening our collaboration on the ground to reduce needs and vulnerabilities and building back better.

Civil Society Organisations and grassroots work must be initiated, encouraged, and collaborated with. The UN has produced many vital resolutions but these do not typically find a place on the everyday dining table where mindsets are being shaped. These are not seen at schools and universities. So in my experience working at the grassroots level I would suggest that we expand strategies to engage more broadly and easily with  stakeholders bottom up. This is where change can begin. We must act with urgency and agility of a 21st organization but with the wisdom of 19th organisation. 

Thanks to everyone for the views already expressed. One lesson that COVID-19 has unfortunately demonstrated is that even in the context of dire circumstances and common threats, effective action can be undermined by organizational disunity and rivalry. Beneficial collaboration among UN agencies will therefore require that explicit and conscious measures be taken to counteract the sometimes inherent tendencies towards competition (for funding, information, agenda-setting, and the like). Those qualities which we have seen so effective in the field--values of solidarity, mutual support, and perhaps even sacrifice on behalf of others--will need to be applied to the agencies’ own functioning and relationships. It should also be noted that some of these operational elements, such as certain aspects of budgeting, unfold at levels above the agencies themselves, and it will fall to the Secretariat itself to foster an operational environment reflecting one common movement forward and not a loose collection of disconnected entities.     

In the work of achieving the SDGs, and particularly alleviating multidimensional poverty, a key partner is the local communities themselves, including those with limited financial resources. Material wealth is often equated, in practice, with greater capacity in general. Extreme poverty of course imposes numerous limitations, and must be eradicated on both pragmatic and moral grounds. Yet financial capacity is *not* synonymous with the human capacity needed to advance constructive social transformation. There is no guarantee, for example, that those living in affluence take any active role in the betterment of humankind. Conversely, the efforts that those who are materially impoverished to assist their communities are certainly not without significance or impact. A key area of learning, then, must be how policies and programs can be implemented in ways that recognize the capacity of all populations to contribute to the advancement of humanity. How can UN agencies go about their work in ways that recognize around them a world filled with billions of protagonists of constructive change? How, in practical terms, will efforts under such a paradigm differ from those undertaken when the generality of humanity was seen primarily through the lens of deprivation and need? These are questions that demand deep and honest consideration.

UN Agencies come with diverse mandates putting the UN Development System in a unique position to respond to the multifaceted nature of the pandemic in an integrated fashion. The UN’s wealth of experience on humanitarian and emergency preparedness, response and recovery is a strong factor to take into consideration and to be adequately explored to the COVID 19 response. The global initiatives on humanitarian, health and socio-economic response are platforms to address the vast array of issues resulting from the pandemic. The socio-economic response plans and the UN wide effort for gender integration is an aspect to build on facilitating national response. Linkages of such response to the SDGs is an aspect that should continue to be encouraged as it would allow to respond to the pandemic and work towards long-term development plans simultaneously.

While urgency of the response to COVID 19 is recognized, streamlined approaches to setting a common situation and vulnerability analysis; relevance and quality of priorities identified; optimal use of limited resources; improved coordination of efforts especially on the UN’s approach towards donors are areas that need more work. Rapid monitoring of progress with few key agreed indicators and a very light lessons learned exercise will facilitate continuous learning and improved response. Investment on innovative approaches and private sector engagement are a priority to address funding constraints. The UN should also be open to active engagement and partnerships with other stakeholders such as Civil Society for an impactful response.  

This has been a rich discussion, and I'm so glad to see so much discussion of the inclusion of community perspectives. (Thanks Godha's and Dan!) This is particularly relevant for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, whose participation in public life is a core tenet of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the CRPD).

It also serves as a guide for the implementation of the SDGs by providing a rights perspective to the inclusion of persons with disabilities, in the pursuit to ‘leave no one behind’. With the CRPD, states parties undertake to “ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others,” actively promoting an environment in which persons with disabilities can participate (Link here, Article 29).

This requires outreach to, and engagement with organizations of persons with disabilities, and prioritization. Persons with disabilities and their representative organizations must be included in planning and prioritization for the SDG’s.

Such participatory consultation is already a part of the “full and effective implementation” of the Quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system (Link here), and its call for implementation of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) (Link here).

The report of the SG on UNDIS shows that at baseline, the UN system has much room to improve (Link here). If participating agencies want their work to leave no one behind, implementing the already-established UNDIS is an organic way to ensure that agencies’ internal work and programmes do not leave persons with disabilities behind.

As I mentioned in another discussion, persons with disabilities, like many of those furthest behind, may not yet be included in official data and statistics. Without that, basic poverty measures for persons with disabilities, much less multidimensional ones, are hard to discern.

In the absence of national or official data, or as a compliment to it, persons with disabilities should be included in grassroots community data. The Disability data Advocacy toolkit (Link here) offers examples of citizen-generated data and the Leave No One Behind data platform. The platform’s goal is to make SDG implementation more inclusive and accountable towards those who are furthest behind in society.

I'd echo Solome's call for the UN to be open to civil society. We know that the SDG’s cannot be reached without the active participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Id just like to build on what others have said in this discussion and across the consultation, to very briefly raise the importance of engaging with volunteering, volunteerism and volunteer groups to LNOB.

Over the past year, the pandemic has highlighted how quickly LNOB gains can be lost. However, it has also shown how people everywhere - through volunteering - have played an essential role in supporting the most marginalized and vulnerable. Going forward, the UN can consider how it can build on these lessons to support civic engagement, community participation and bottom-up self-organizing in ways that build ownership and help those furthest behind. As long as it reflects the values that underpin the SDGs, volunteering can be integrated into efforts to tackle widening inequalities and build ownership. This doesn’t just mean engaging volunteers to extend essential services to the most marginalized. It also means supporting volunteering to address aspirations gaps, encourage social mobility and help those furthest behind recognize their own self-worth. For example, UNV has introduced new volunteering opportunities at the community level and in refugee groups, and has also been working with UNDP, UNHCR and the Government of Serbia on promoting the social inclusion of Roma youth through volunteering. Another example is UNICEF's work in Jordan on the National Youth Volunteering and Engagement Movement to reach vulnerable youth, or in Nicaragua, which strengthened its capacity to rapidly identify community needs and community-based solutions to child rights issues during the COVID-19 pandemic

As others have noted in the consultation, supporting volunteering to promote LNOB should also go beyond creating targeted schemes or organization-based opportunities to addressing the 70% of global volunteering that is done by informal volunteers. These volunteers are often essential to the day to day running of communities but are rarely considered or supported by development actors. Here there is great potential to tackle some of the root causes of inequalities that hold back SDG progress but we really need new evidence and innovative models that take into account the costs and benefits of informal volunteering to help us determine how we can support, encourage or reform informal volunteering practices. A relevant example that comes to mind (an estimated 60% of informal volunteering is done by women) is the really interesting work done by UNFPA with their ‘School for Husbands’ Initiative in Niger.

UNV has been exploring these themes over the past few years, and if you are interested you could have a look at the following;

• Call to Action
• State of the World’s Volunteering Report 2018
• 2020 Global Synthesis Report
• http://knowledge.unv.org/ 

Thanks!

Dear Colleagues,

As we are reaching the end of this discussion, I would like to bring to the fore two critical questions that we see as key enablers for our joint efforts to address the principle of LNOB:

1. What tools/methodologies are being used to assess who is left behind? One of the challenges many COs face is that there are a lot of groups that are left behind- how to prioritise? how to distinguish between who is left behind and who is the furthest behind and therefore should be a priority of our programme? 

2. Data has been identified as a key obstacle and enabler for efforts to LNOB. We see with COVID, a challenge has been the lack of data on certain groups which makes it hard to identify how they are being impacted by the pandemic. How have agencies, together or separately found ways to address the data gap, particularly in the context of COVID?

It would be great to hear any last reflectsions from experiences of colleagues on these two questions.

with thanks,

Emilie

Dear colleagues, 

I hope it is not too late to provide a comment on this rich discussion. 

The inputs thus far bring out many aspects of the discussion but implied - not explicit - is human rights and the human rights-based approach which is the starting block for an effective strategy on LNOB. 

I don't think its necessary to repeat the need for an HRBA to effective LNOB strategies - it is clear from the SG's approach and reports and operational Guidance for UNCTs on LNOB which clearly takes a human rights-based approach to LNOB. 

Having said that there is still a question as to how effectively we are utilizing an HRBA in our work in general and for LNOB and whether there is a clear understanding on how we operationalize the approach. Much joint work at the inter-agency level between the 4 entities takes place closely through the UNSDG infrastructure and beyond - but to what extent is this infiltrating into our respective entities beyond the core 'HR' focal points structures?

Having a clear commitment to a human rights-based approach to LNOB in our respective strategic plans will reinforce the corporate commitment to human rights in our approach and provide important entry points to mainstream further. It also links the political pledge of LNOB to the obligations and commitments of member states vis a vis the human rights mechanisms. The QCPR resolution from Dec outlines support from the UNDS to governments to support them to meet their human rights obligations as an operational activity for development. 

Our key partners: donors, governments, civil society - are interested in seeing this explicit approach which would more clearly bring together human rights and development systems at country level. The two remain siloed in effect at national level in many contexts and making the connection clearly with concrete tools to do so is imperative as we start the Decade of Action. We have the tools and knowledge but often the dots are not connected. 

Thanks for taking this into consideration.

Sarah 

Many thanks for the very rich discussion. Agree with Sarah's point. To be able to ensure that the furthest behind are made the first priority of implementation efforts, we truly need an integrated, human rights-based approach. The application of human rights principles and standards is indeed critical to support effective delivery on the commitments contained in the SDGs and particularly to identify the special measures and prioritization needed to reach the most marginalized and discriminated against, who are at greatest risk of being left behind. How can we then collectively make sure that our Strategic Plans further reiterate our commitment to a HRBA?