20 August 2019
Germany Launches National Reporting Platform on SDG Indicators
Photo credit: Claudio Schwarz /Unsplash
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The German National Reporting Platform on the SDG Indicators platform makes it possible to directly download the national data for individual SDG indicators.

The platform indicators that 62% of 244 global indicators are reported online.

Destatis notes that the US and UK are “precursors” in establishing national reporting platforms for SDG indicators, and Germany’s NRP is based on a version of the UK’s platform.

July 2019: Germany’s statistical authority has launched a national reporting platform providing data and metadata on its progress towards the 17 SDGs. The platform uses the global indicators approved by the UN General Assembly.

The German National Reporting Platform on the SDG Indicators (SDG-NRP) was released on 9 July 2019, during the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The platform makes it possible to directly download the national data for individual SDG indicators, which is useful in particular for the custodian agencies of each global indicator.

The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) describes the platform as an interactive environment, and an “open source solution” that makes the corresponding project code publicly available. The Guidance page notes that Germany’s SDG-NRP has been developed in accordance with the UN’s Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics, which require such a platform to feature open source technology and be publicly accessible. According to the ‘About’ page, the platform uses data from official statistics and from other sources.

The ‘Reporting Status’ feature of the platform shows whether each indicator is reported online, has statistics “in progress,” is “not applicable,” or its data sources are still being explored. Overall, the platform reports that 62% of 244 global indicators are reported online. The SDGs with the highest rate of online reporting in Germany are: Goal 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), Goal 8 (decent jobs and economic growth) and Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation).

Data sources are still being explored for 33% of the global indicators, particularly under Goals 1 (no poverty), 10 (reduced inequalities), 12 (responsible consumption and production) and 13 (climate action).

Among the indicators considered not applicable are those addressing conflict-related deaths, developing countries’ voting rights in international organizations, and population living below the international poverty line.

Destatis notes that the US and UK are “precursors” in establishing national reporting platforms for SDG indicators, and a “new universal version” of open SDG platforms is available. Germany’s NRP is based on a version of the UK’s platform, the website indicates. [Germany’s SDG-NRP]

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