1 June 2016: The Chair of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) briefed the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on work to implement decisions taken during the UNSC 47th session, in March 2016. Wasmália Bivar, UNSC Chair (Brazil), addressed the Council by videolink during its June 2016 Coordination and Management Meeting (CMM).

Bivar noted that the implementation of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicator framework will present a challenge in most countries, and appropriate efforts to strengthen national statistical capacities, especially in countries in special situations, will have to be significantly increased and effectively coordinated to have maximum impact.

She recalled that UNSC 47 agreed “as a practical starting point” on a global framework of indicators for the Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and that the development of a “robust and high-quality” indicator framework is a technical process that will need to continue over time. She said the “230 global indicators” are intended for global follow-up and review of the Agenda, and are not necessarily applicable in all national contexts.

Regarding the UN Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs), which developed the global SDG indicator framework, Bivar said the Group will continue its work based on the work plan agreed at its third meeting, which took place in Mexico from 30 March to 1 April 2016. The work plan highlights the main steps to finalize the classification of the indicators in Tiers, the refinements of indicators where necessary, and the revisions of the indicator framework during the 2030 Agenda timeframe.

Bivar also noted that the Commission had agreed on the importance of improving data disaggregation for the full implementation of the indicator framework. In this regard, she reported that the High-level Group for Partnership, Coordination and Capacity-Building for post-2015 monitoring (HLG for post-2015 monitoring), which was established by UNSC 46, has undertaken the preparation of a Global Action Plan for the Modernization and Strengthening of Statistical Systems for Sustainable Development Data. The HLG also has decided that the UN World Data Forum that it is organizing will take place in Capetown, South Africa, in January 2017. On compiling data, she observed that at the global level, various parts of national statistical systems and experts from international agencies are working intensively to compile data in order to ensure that all SDGs and their targets are appropriately reviewed. She reported that a sub-group has been established under the HLG and the IAEG-SDGs to address specific data needs related to the SDG indicators, to ensure coordination of work.

The ECOSOC CMMs seek to review the reports of ECOSOC’s subsidiary and expert bodies, and consider special country situation or regional issues which are on the agenda of ECOSOC. [Presentation from UNSC Chair] [UN Statistics Division News] [IISD RS Story on IAEG-SDGs 3] [IISD RS Coverage of UNSC 47] [IISD RS Story on HLG Third Meeting] [CMM Website]