June 2019: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is updating its 2010 policy on policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD), to ensure its relevance to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG target 17.14 calls on countries to enhance PCSD as a means of implementation for the SDGs. As part of the update process, the OECD is holding a public, online consultation until 28 June 2019.

In 2010, the OECD issued a Recommendation on Good Institutional Practices in Promoting Policy Coherence for Development. The Recommendation is a recognized legal instrument of the OECD, which asks its members to assess the impacts that domestic policies may have on wider development efforts. It also instructs the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) to exchange information, conduct peer reviews, and foster international cooperation on issues relating to policy coherence for development (PCD).

The OECD’s introduction to the current consultation process notes that UN Member States, when presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of SDG implementation to the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), have remarked on the difficulty of enhancing PCSD, citing it as one of the most difficult challenges in implementing the SDGs. The OECD further notes that the 2030 Agenda does not provide guidance on PCSD.

The draft recommendation on PCSD provides definitions of PCSD, PCD and policy integration, as well as other terms. The draft recommendation calls on governments to build strong political commitment and leadership on PCSD at the highest political level, including publicly committing to priority areas, action plans and key performance indicators (KPIs). It proposes that governments develop a strategic, long-term vision that defines desired sustainable development outcomes, using tools such as strategic foresight, scenario development and system thinking to formulate policies. The draft recommendation also calls for better incorporating sustainable development into policy and finance, including through budget and public procurement processes.

The draft recommendation places importance on ensuring whole-of-government coordination in the PCSD process, involving regional and local authorities, and engaging stakeholders effectively. Members are urged to anticipate, assess and address the domestic, transboundary and long-term impacts of policies, and to strengthen their monitoring, reporting and evaluation systems for doing so.

The public consultation is available as an online survey, with a deadline for comment of 28 June 2019. [OECD Webpage on Public Consultation]