April 2016: The national level will be critical in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to position papers by Save the Children and the Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network and partners. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has reflected on how Canada will implement the 2030 Agenda at home, and has provided advice for the first round of national reporting. Other inputs focus on: multi-stakeholder partnerships to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 on peace and justice; the care economy; and 2015 data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

Save the Children recommends a particular focus on strengthening national level accountability between states and people, including children, pointing out that children are best able to participate at local and national levels. A position paper, titled ‘Towards a New Accountability Paradigm: An Accountability Framework for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,’ outlines key accountability principles and presents recommendations for ensuring children’s meaningful participation in accountability for the 2030 Agenda, including recommendations at the national, regional and international levels. It proposes a sample schedule and diagram for the High-Level Political Forum’s (HLPF) national voluntary review and thematic review, and outlines ways to ensure child-sensitive accountability, such as by providing unique spaces and organizations for children to meet, learn about their rights and the 2030 Agenda, and take joint action to access to child-friendly, age-appropriate mechanisms and spaces to engage with decision-makers and provide input to accountability processes.

TAP’s position paper argues that follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda “should be seen as a continuum of accountability from local to national to regional to global levels and back again,” with a focus on strengthening national accountability between governments and citizens to reflect the people-centered nature of the 2030 Agenda and its commitment to leave no one behind. ‘Towards a Transparent, Accountable and Participatory HLPF Review System’ makes specific recommendations for the HLPF, including leaving no one behind in its focus, meetings, inputs and outcomes. It also includes recommendations on stakeholder participation at the HLPF, including “explicit entry points” for engaging in HLPF national voluntary reviews and thematic reviews, and a compilation of civil society reports as an official input to the HLPF.

On national implementation of the SDGs, IISD’s Livia Bizikova stresses the critical role of Canada’s federal government in providing “necessary tools, guidelines and support.” She suggests that Canada’s Federal Sustainable Development Act and related Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) could become the principal vehicle for implementing the 2030 Agenda, pointing to its core areas on climate change, clean technology, jobs and innovation, national parks, protected areas (PAs) and ecosystems, freshwater and oceans, and human health, wellbeing and quality of life. Bizikova recommends, inter alia: expanding the FSDS’ scope to reflect all aspects of sustainable development, the SDGs and their interlinkages; expanding the Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators (CESI) to a comprehensive set of national sustainable development indicators; and appointing the Prime Minister as chair of the Committee on Sustainable Development to demonstrate the domestic importance of the 2030 Agenda. IISD’s Mark Halle offers advice to Switzerland on developing its first national report. He stresses the imperative for governments to demonstrate that the 2030 Agenda is the overriding agenda “and other agendas—whether relating to trade, investment, taxation, employment, refugee policy or other priorities—should be required to demonstrate their compatibility with the primordial agenda.”

On SDG 16 on peaceful, just and inclusive societies, Saferworld considers how global multi-stakeholder partnerships can contribute. Its paper, titled ‘Greater than the Sum of Our Parts,’ describes existing multi-stakeholder partnerships and makes recommendations for partnership models that could support collective action on SDG 16, through: filling gaps by developing multi-stakeholder partnerships on issues not well covered by existing partnerships; enhancing coordination of existing partnerships; establishing a new alliance, partnership or network to widen and deepen support on SDG 16; or forming a group of champion countries.

On economic issues, Development Initiatives released an overview of key trends on official development assistance (ODA), following the release of the OECD DAC 2015 data. The overview highlights: a record level of ODA from the 28 DAC donors, with 22 countries reporting a real-term increase in ODA; an increase in ODA to the least developed countries (LDCs), although it still remains below its 2011 peak; and a 7% reduction in ODA by the US. The report also stresses that, even when excluding refugee costs, ODA levels rose.

A report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) finds that increased investment in the care economy would stimulate job creation and help countries address challenges related to economic stagnation and aging populations. The report argues that the prevailing policy discourse has focused on infrastructure associated with construction of roads and bridges, rather than sectors like education, health and social care that are critical to the caring economy, suggesting this focus “reflects a gender bias in policymaking.” ITUC’s study presents evidence from seven OECD countries, showing that increased investment in care would create more jobs (than investing in the construction industry), spur economic growth and reduce gender inequality. [Save the Children Website] [IISD RS Sources] [TAP Position Paper] [IISD Blog: Implementing the SDGs in Canada] [IISD Blog: Reporting on the SDGs] [Greater than the Sum of Our Parts: Global Partnerships for Goal 16] [Development Initiatives Overview] [IISD RS Story on OECD DAC Data] [Investing in the Care Economy]