July 2016: During the second annual meeting of the Praia City Group on Governance Statistics, representatives of national statistical offices (NSOs), civil society organizations, and UN entities reviewed indicators on peace, justice and institutions contained in the framework set out by the UN Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Indicators (IAEG-SDGs).

The Praia City Group met from 4-6 July 2016, at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in Paris, France. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) reported on the meeting in a newsletter on activities related to SDG 16 (Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels).

The IAEG-SDGs and UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) have categorized some of the SDG 16 indicators as needing further work on methodology. Per a March 2016 document, titled ‘Provisional Proposed Tiers for Global SDG Indicators,’ the IAEG-SDGs has grouped the proposed SDG indicators into three “tiers.” A Tier 3 designation means “there are no established methodology and standards, or methodology/standards are being developed/tested.”

The SDG 16 indicators marked Tier 3 are:

• 16.4.1 Total value of inward and outward illicit financial flows (in current United States dollars)
• 16.6.2 Proportion of the population satisfied with their last experience of public services
• 16.7.1 Proportions of positions (by sex, age, persons with disabilities and population groups) in public institutions (national and local legislatures, public service, and judiciary) compared to national distributions
• 16.7.2 Proportion of population who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive, by sex, age, disability and population group
• 16.10.1 Number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates in the previous 12 months

According to UNDP, the meeting also addressed the Group’s Governance Statistics Roadmap for 2016-2020. The road map includes the development of a governance statistics handbook, which will provide: mapping and synthesis of how governance is conceptualized and measured by various countries and regions, UN entities and other actors; and mapping of the demand for governance statistics by user constituencies, such as policymakers, parliamentarians, national human rights commissions and research institutions.

The UNSC established the Praia Group in March 2015, with the aim of encouraging countries to produce governance statistics based on sound and documented methodologies. The first meeting took place in Praia City, Cabo Verde, in June 2015, where members prepared a road map for 2016-2020. The UNSC approved the Group’s five-year roadmap at its 47th session in March 2016 (UNSC 47). [SDG 16 Info Digest] [IISD RS Story on Praia Group’s Roadmap] [SDG Indicators Database] [Provisional Proposed Tiers for Global SDG Indicators] [IISD RS Story on UNSC 47 Report] [Praia Group Report to UNSC 47]