10 March 2016: Civil society organizations (CSOs), research institutes and foundations have published commentary on the global indicator framework, among other topics. Recent papers, letters and statements: cite priorities for continued progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14; provide recommendations for the EU and Germany on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and present a dashboard that allows users to identify linkages between human rights and the SDGs. Other contributions focus on national reviews, world happiness rankings, and the green economy.

The overall process of elaborating goals, targets and indicators has been subject to a “downward trend,” according to a Global Policy Watch briefing paper, with the Goals more ambitious than the targets and the targets more ambitious than the indicators. The paper identifies several gaps between the stated priorities of the 2030 Agenda and the global indicator framework agreed by the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) in March 2016, including on extra-territorial obligations and inequalities. Positive changes include a new indicator on secure tenure rights to land, and an indicator on mainstreaming education for sustainable development (ESD).

A report by the Global Ocean Commission (GOC) cautions that “humanity has driven the global ocean to the brink of collapse, jeopardizing its ability to adapt to and recover from the impacts of climate change,” despite increased awareness about ocean conservation. ‘The Future of Our Ocean: Next Steps and priorities’ notes recent successes, such as: the adoption of a stand-alone SDG on oceans (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development); the establishment of the Preparatory Committee for a new legally binding agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of high seas marine biological diversity; promising signs of progress on addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, marine plastics, phasing out fisheries subsidies; and the UN Secretary-General’s appointment of a Special Representative for the Ocean. GOC recommends as next steps: creating an independent entity to measure and track SDG metrics; monitoring implementation of SDG 14 through a series of UN High-Level Conferences on Oceans and Seas, including in Fiji in 2017; ensuring universal ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including a new implementing agreement by 2022, and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement (FSA); and overcoming the divide between climate and ocean experts and policymakers.

“Europe is in dire need of a new and positive narrative for its future development that resonates with European citizens and presents Europe as a constructive force for sustainable domestic and global development,” reflects a paper by the German Development Institute. The paper underscores that the lack of sustainable development and peace in other parts of the world threatens Europe’s sustainable development. It recommends that: the EU take a whole-of-government approach to implementing the 2030 Agenda, which encompasses all dimensions of the EU’s internal and external policies, and links EU strategy processes to the 2030 Agenda; EU Heads of State and Government commit to implementing the 2030 Agenda in advance of the 2016 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF); and the EU use its Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy and the revision of the Europe 2020 Strategy as umbrella documents for national and external implementation of the 2030 agenda.

A group of 39 German CSOs argue that the country must take “fundamentally different approaches” to implement the 2030 Agenda. The position paper calls on the Government of Germany to develop a “comprehensive and binding” national plan for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda that addresses goals, indicators and strategies within Germany, effects outside of Germany and support for countries in the global South. The paper further recommends: revising Germany’s national sustainability strategy; ensuring compatibility between judicial intentions and the 2030 Agenda; regular reporting and use of disaggregated, high-quality, and transparent data; and, on SDG 14, supporting an implementing agreement under UNCLOS that provides for adequate marine conservation areas, especially in the high seas, and banning microplastics in cosmetics.

The Danish Institute for Human Rights has launched the Human Rights Guide to the SDGs Database, illustrating links between the SDGs, human rights instruments and labor standards. Human rights can provide a legally binding framework and guidance for implementing the 2030 Agenda, while the SDGs can contribute to realizing human rights, the Guide asserts. Users can search the database and use the Guide to: incorporate human rights monitoring and reporting into SDG follow-up and review; draw on recommendations from human rights monitoring and reporting processes to guide SDG implementation; align global, regional and national SDG action and implementation plans with human rights and labor standards; and identify additional indicators.

Together 2030 is conducting a perception survey on the national reviews of 2030 Agenda implementation. The survey, available online through 30 March, queries individuals’ awareness and perceptions of their country’s national review process, including desired approaches and fora for engagement.

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) released the 2016 World Happiness Report, which finds that inequality of well-being provides a broader measure of equality than income and wealth distribution measures. According to this year’s report, happiness inequality has increased in most countries and nearly all global regions.

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung announced a dialogue series, ‘Regions for Green Economy,’ on regions’ efforts to decouple economic growth and job creation from environmental consumption. Dialogues will address the role of cities and regions in climate mitigation and adaptation, with examples from China, Europe and the US, and ways to strengthen regional renewable energy cooperation in the EU. [GPW Publication: 2030 Agenda and the SDGs: Indicator framework, monitoring and reporting] [GOC Publication: The Future of Our Ocean: Next Steps and Priorities] [GDI Publication: Towards a “Sustainable Development Union”: Why the EU Must Do More to Implement the 2030 Agenda] [German CSO Publication: Implementation of the Global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in and by Germany] [Human Rights Guide to the SDGs database] [Together 2030 Survey] [SDSN Publication: 2016 World Happiness Report] [Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Regions for Green Economy]