8 December 2015: The World Bank hosted a technical meeting on implementing and monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in fragile or conflict-affected states. Participants conducted a prioritization of the most important indicators for their national circumstances, resulting in the selection of one priority indicator for each SDG, except for Goal 16, for which three indicators were chosen.
The meeting of the g7+ in Nairobi, Kenya, held on 7-8 December 2015, gathered representatives from national ministries of planning and national statistical offices (NSOs), who agreed that the SDGs should be aligned with national development plans. Participants also recognized the need for external support and partnerships with non-official data producers such as NGOs to support NSOs in monitoring SDG implementation. The priority indicators selected for each SDG are expected to be further discussed.
Several multilateral organizations and civil society groups attended the meeting, including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the US State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and Saferworld.
Reflecting on the meeting, Thomas Wheeler of Saferworld commented that achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will mean working closely with fragile and conflict-affected states, as the proportion of people living in extreme poverty increasingly will be concentrated there. He noted that most g7+ countries are focusing on the “social development” SDGs that were previously reflected in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), while also placing a high priority on Goal 16 on peace and justice. Nevertheless, he said Goal 16 risks becoming “an orphan goal” if it becomes politically challenging, or if there is no natural ministry responsible for its implementation. He stressed that political buy-in from other ministries at the national level will be necessary to enable a “whole-of-government” approach to achieving the SDGs.
The g7+ is an association of countries that are or have been affected by conflict and are now in transition to the next stage of development. Its 20 members are: Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’ Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Papua New Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, the Solomon Islands, Somalia, Timor-Leste, Togo and Yemen. [g7+ Press Release] [Saferworld Blog Post]