The Transparency, Accountability and Participation Network is running a series of events to promote its SDG Accountability Handbook, following its release on 7 May.
The handbook provides guidance for civil society at the national level on approaches to holding governments accountable for taking action to achieve the SDGS.
The TAP Network is a coalition of civil society organizations active in designing and implementing measures to promote accountability for sustainable development policies at all levels, and especially in relation to SDG 16 on peace, justice and building institutions.
June 2019: The Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network is running a series of events to familiarize civil society organizations with using the ‘SDG Accountability Handbook,’ which it released on 7 May 2019. The handbook provides guidance for civil society at the national level on ways to hold governments accountable for action to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
The TAP Network is a coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) active in designing and implementing measures to promote accountability for sustainable development policies at all levels, and especially in relation to SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
The 2030 Agenda does not rely on formal sanctions or consequences if States fail to implement the SDGs.
The 96-page resource titled, ‘SDG Accountability Handbook: A Practical Guide for Civil Society,’ features information on working with government institutions, including parliaments and government-designated bodies or ministries responsible for the SDGs, and working through formal processes such as the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), international human rights mechanisms, and domestic law reforms. There is also guidance on working with civil society-driven processes, for example, engaging with the mass media, publishing civil society reports on specific SDGs, and raising awareness through public outreach.
In an introductory message to the handbook, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlights the critical role of accountability in the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in view of the need to monitor progress and prevent backsliding on commitments. The handbook authors elaborate on the notion of accountability, noting that the 2030 Agenda does not rely on formal sanctions or consequences for States if they fail to implement the SDGs: instead, implementation rests on a concept of shared responsibility, including the idea that governments are answerable to people whose lives are affected by their actions and decisions.
While the main focus of the handbook is on working with governments and engaging with international processes, the authors also address accountability of the private sector and of CSOs themselves in contributing to the 2030 Agenda. The handbook provides an overview of international accountability mechanisms for the private sector and suggestions for CSO accountability.
The TAP Network released the print version of the handbook on 7 May 2019, and held a webinar to introduce it on 14 May. An in-person launch took place at the sixth meeting of the Partners for Review network (P4R) in Oaxaca, Mexico. Other events will take place at UN Headquarters in June, and on the sidelines of the July 2019 session of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York. Regional capacity building workshops and other events are also being planned. The TAP Network’s guest article on the SDG Knowledge Hub highlights the launch plans.
CSOs may contribute their own stories and lessons learned regarding accountability to the Handbook’s online platform. The TAP Network intends that the ongoing publication of such case examples will help CSOs and others in developing their own approaches to accountability in their various country contexts. CSOs are also invited to share their own reports on implementation of SDG 16 via the TAP Network. [SDG Accountability Handbook Website]