On November 6, 2018, a multi-stakeholder dialogue took place in Bogota, within the framework of the Convergences Forum, with representatives of the government, the private sector and civil society. The Data Coordinator of Cepei, participated in the meeting to reflect on the role of civil society organizations in the progress of sustainable development of Colombia.
The Convergences Forum, held at the Chamber of Commerce of Bogota (CCB), was a space for dialogue and exchange of good practices and solutions to achieve the transition towards sustainable territories and communities, and promote a Colombia 3 Zero (Zero exclusion, Zero carbon, Zero poverty). It brought together national and international actors (representatives of the private and public sectors, civil society and academia) committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Colombia. The theme of this first edition of the Forum in Colombia was developed under 4 axes of work:
- Responsible and inclusive economic development
- Reduction of inequalities
- Peace for the development of Colombia
- Preservation of the environment and fight against climate change
The space, organized by Convergences, was promoted by a Colombian working group that includes among its members the Colombian NGO Confederation – CCONG.
With the purpose of reflecting on the co-responsible role of civil society organizations in the progress of sustainable development of Colombia, the CCONG, co-hosted, within the framework of the Forum, the multi-stakeholder meeting “What place have the sustainable development agenda in the formulation of the National Development Plan ‘Pact for Colombia 2018-2022’.
The Data Coordinator of Cepei was invited to participate in the Forum, which was also joined by Lucas Gómez, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policies and Technical Secretary of the National Planning Department and the colombian SDG Commission; and Felipe Castro, Deputy Director of the SDGs Center for Latin America and the Caribbean, Andes University.
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Guiding questions
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The key questions addressed during the discussion were:
What are the actions that should be recommended to the National Government so that they are incorporated into the New National Development Plan 2018 – 2022?
What should be the main functions of the Intergovernmental Commission established by Presidential Decree for the promotion and reach of the SDGs, to make its progress and achievements accountable?
What are the 3 central aspects that must be included in a Government Monitoring System that allows other actors to carry out social control exercises and contribute as a co-responsible actor to SDG measurement?
What should be the role of the “Multi-stakeholder Platform” established in the CONPES Document 3918, and how could it effectively guarantee that its recommendations and suggestions are binding?
“The goals established in the 2030 Agenda will be achieved by 2030 if: 1. there is a joint work among all the actors; 2. the active participation of the community is promoted; there is a control and monitoring system; 3. Adequate allocation of resources is made for the implementation of the SDGs at the subnational level “.
Fredy Rodríguez, Cepei Data Coordinator
“Among the main functions of the SDG Commission in Colombia, the following should be considered: 1. Generate a co-creation mechanism that involves the participation of all the actors to join forces and fulfill the proposed goals; 2. Promote the use of data from non-traditional sources that allow strengthening the measurement of indicators; 3. Generate a work plan with the most vulnerable communities to prioritize working areas; 4. Socialize the progress and challenges of the SDGs to the different communities of the country, not only to multilateral organizations.”
