4 March 2016: In a web meeting hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the head of Colombia’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Commission outlined the country’s strategy for starting implementation of the Goals early, and provided some highlights of the Commission’s experiences to date.

Felipe Castro, Secretary of the Commission, told representatives of the Major Group and Other Stakeholders that setting up the body in February 2015 was Colombia’s first step towards implementing the SDGs, even while they were still being negotiated at the UN. The Commission includes seven ministers, to enable it to runs at “the highest level” and coordinate between different government institutions, he said.

The Commission has focused on three main aspects, to date. The first is establishing the SDG indicators, and in this regard Castro expressed concern with how to realize the “leave no-one behind” commitment of the SDGs. While Colombia’s National Development Plan refers to reducing inequalities between regions and groups, he said, no indicators have been specified to measure progress on these commitments. He said that introducing disaggregation for indicators will “be crucial to deliver on this agenda and key pillar of the SDGs.” Castro also noted that Colombia’s national implementation plan currently includes 92 of the SDG’s 169 targets, while another 34 targets cannot be achieved by individual countries themselves.

Second, the Commission is integrating the SDGs into local development plans, helping local governments to understand how the 2030 Agenda can suit local objectives. Castro said an obstacle to effective integration with local plans has been ensuring equal and effective engagement with NGOs and civil society. A special commission has been set up to provide a clearer contact point at the national level for these organizations.

Third, the Commission has started to assess the amount of resources needed for implementation, and possible sources. According to Castro, these will include not only government budget resources, but also private sector, philanthropy, international aid and others, in addition to technical assistance for capacity building. The private sector in particular is being regarded as a major potential contributor to the achievement of the Agenda, he said, and measures to incentivize private funding are now being discussed. [IISD RS Sources] [CEPEI Blog about Commission] [Getting ready for SDG implementation in Latin America]