13 July 2016: On the third day of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development’s (HLPF) 2016 session, participants convened in four panel discussions on: creating national ownership; mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into national policies, plans and strategies; vertical cooperation and promoting collaboration between national governments and local authorities; and mobilizing means of implementation (MOI). The 2016 HLPF is focusing on the theme of ‘ensuring that no one is left behind.’
On creating ownership at the national level, participants stressed the importance of formulating national strategies with strong national leadership, and balancing the universal nature of the SDGs with the national context. Panelists reflected that sustainable development will require new models of governance and multi-actor partnerships, and cautioned against using external blueprints for national implementation. Participants called for practical indicators to track progress, and for verifiable and reliable data at all levels.
On mainstreaming SDGs into national policies, plans and strategies, country delegates shared their experiences with implementing the SDGs. Several countries highlighted efforts to engage citizens and collaborate with national stakeholders, including the media and the private sector. Estonia shared practical examples of mainstreaming SDGs, including integrated impact assessments and information and communications technology (ICT) solutions like e-government.
On vertical cooperation, keynote speaker Kadir Topbaş, Mayor of Istanbul, Turkey, emphasized that since SDG implementation will mainly take place at the sub-national level, voluntary national reviews should include sub-national inputs. During a panel discussion, participants highlighted: the need for specific targets for sub-national and local levels; the importance of inter-ministerial committees to implement the SDGs; and the opportunity to build local-level commitment through bottom-up approaches. Stressing that populations that are left behind often live in areas with the least resources, discussant Rosemarie Edillon, National Economic and Development Authority, the Philippines, called on national governments to complement local budgets.
On mobilizing MOI at the national level, participants suggested using the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism’s (TFM) online platform to share experiences and non-financial resources, such as science, knowledge and technology, especially through South-South cooperation. Macharia Kamau, Permanent Representative of Kenya and co-chair of the first Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum, presented a statement on the outcome of the 2016 STI Forum. He listed priority areas and objectives including: upfront investment in technology; awareness of social context; and participatory STI actions.
The HLPF is convening from 11-20 July 2016, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. [UN Press Release] [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [IISD RS Story on HLPF 11 July] [IISD RS Story on HLPF 12 July]