Coordination and implementation instances of the SDGs in Paraguay met with Cepei to explore actions to strengthen the data ecosystem at the national level.
With the aim of exploring different lines of cooperation between the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), Cepei and Paraguay, to strengthen the data ecosystem for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the country, our Director and Data Coordinator, visited Asunción, where they met with government institutions, responsible for coordinating and implementing the SDGs.
The exploratory mission, organized with the support of the General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses (DGEEC), focused on advancing conversations with the SDG Commission, coordinated by the Foreign Ministry; The Directorate of the Military Geographical Service (DISERGEMIL), governing body for geospatial information; The Ministry of Education and Science (MEC); The Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare (MSPYBS); The Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES); The National Police (PN); The Civil Registry of persons; The National Cadastre Service (CATASTRO); And the Technical Unit of the Social Cabinet (UTGS).
These conversations sought to identify the current state of Paraguay in the implementation, measurement and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG); Determine the main challenges in terms of data, technology, policies, resources and capacity to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs; Define a specific data ecosystem approach according to the needs of the country; And promote multi-stakeholder partnerships for the monitoring of the 2030 Agenda.
As part of the activities of the visit, thematic meetings were organized with the participating institutions and Cepei. Among the topics discussed was data availability and disaggregation for the SDGs indicators, where the Director of Planning and Statistical Coordination of the DGEEC, José Quiñónez, addressed progress in the construction of indicators proposed in the 2030 Agenda.
Other topics presented were the Administrative Records, where the availability of information from Vital Statistics, the public health system, the public education system, and fact-finding, was discussed.
During the third day of the mission, the thematic meetings revolved around “Open data, geospatial and terrestrial observations, as well as new sources of data”.
We presented the work that we have been carrying out with the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD). In 2019 Cepei became a strategic ally of the Global Partnership, to strengthen its presence in Latin America and the Caribbean by promoting SDGs measurement at the national level and fostering the use of data through the implementation of country-driven working plans.
In addition to sharing experiences and knowledge with the team of the DGEEC and the SDG Paraguay 2030 Commission to strengthen the national data ecosystem for the implementation of the SDGs, Cepei granted the DGEEC a Tableau Softwarelicense to develop interactive data visualizations.
The Director General of the DGEEC, Iván Ojeda, and the Director of Cepei, Philipp Schönrock, signed the agreement. The DGEEC believes that data visualization is key to better understanding and communicating the reality in which we live.
WHAT INSTITUTIONS ARE IN CHARGE OF IMPLEMENTING THE 2030 AGENDA IN PARAGUAY?
In 2016, the “Inter-institutional Coordination Commission for the implementation, follow-up and monitoring of international commitments within the framework of the sustainable development goals of the United Nations” was created in Paraguay –SDG Commission-, by presidential decree No. 5887.
Among the functions of this Commission are to “coordinate the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs at the national level in accordance with national and international processes.” To this end, the Commission was organized into two committees and sectoral tables for each axis of sustainable development.
The Implementation Committee is coordinated by the Technical Unit of the Social Cabinet (UTGS) which main function is to establish the guidelines for the alignment activities between the SDGs and the national and local development plans.
The Statistical Monitoring Technical Committee´s main function is to build the indicators proposed by the SDGs with the information produced by the institutions, taking into account the availability of information sources. This Committee is coordinated by the General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses (DGEEC).
HOW IS THE DGEEC´s WORK FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SDG INDICATORS ADVANCING?
The General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses (DGEEC) has advanced in the construction of indicators that respond to 20% of that proposed by the 2030 Agenda, for which meetings were held with 20 institutions, involving approximately 87 officials in the work process. Currently, progress is being made in the process of building more indicators looking forward to achieve an advance of 30%.