The Director of Cepei participated in this Seminar with a presentation on the institutional framework and the enabling environment for the Sustainable Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Jointly organized by the School of Public Policy and Management of the Korean Development Institute, the Latin American and Caribbean Community of Practice on Managing for Development Results, the Asian Development Bank and the African Community of Practices, the meeting, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, sought to reflect on country experiences, challenges and opportunities facing Managing for Development Results (MfDR) practice as countries seek to advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Seminar assessed how one of the key pillars of MfDR, monitoring and evaluation, has contributed to achieving SDGs with particular focus on building resilient infrastructure, promoting sustainable industrialization, fostering innovation, promoting productive employment and achieving gender equality (Goal 5, 8, 9) . The seminar also discussed challenges and opportunities facing monitoring and evaluation systems in the context of the SDGs, aiming to promote concrete actions and solutions to support progress towards the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Participants included national and subnational government representatives, community-based organizations and local government associations, as well as private sector representatives and experts from Asia, Latin America and Africa.
In what ways have governments and non-governmental actors at the subnational level contributed in the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs?
The Director of Cepei, Philipp Schönrock, participated in the session “Localizing SDGs” – What is its status four years later?”, where he discussed about the participation of subnational stakeholders in the implementation of the SDGs, but, more importantly, on the existing enabling environment for it.
“Territories and cities, as well as local populations, are taken into account by the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in each of its central elements. Working with local authorities and stakeholders is a fundamental element in achieving sustainable development”.
Cepei
In his presentation, the Director of Cepei focused on showcasing the institutional framework and the enabling environment for the Sustainable Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean.
18 of 20 Latin American countries have created an institutional framework to implement the 2030 Agenda at the national level or have left those functions in charge of pre-existing institutions. 12 (66%) of them have established the direct participation of local governments in their integration, either with full participation, convened by invitation or in advisory bodies.
Regarding the enabling environment (which refers to favorable conditions and guarantees so that non-governmental actors can participate in decision-making), our Director presented an overview of the inclusion (or not) of civil society in institutions responsible for the national implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in Latin American countries.
During the presentation, Schönrock also highlighted the participation of the LAC region in the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) on the progress in the implementation of the SDGs, which countries present each year to the UN High-Level Political Forum on Development Sustainable.
Cities have stood out for their commitment on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, generating their own Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). However, Schönrock said, it is important to note that the realization of these reports is not yet within the reach of the technical and human capacities of many cities and territories.
The session was moderated by Claudia Buentjen of the Asian Development Bank, and was also attended by the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Finance of Mongolia, Bulgantuya Khurelbaarar, whose presentation focused on the implementation of sustainable development in Mongolia; the Chief Policy Advisor of the Asian Development Bank, Rainer Rohdewohld, who spoke about the enabling environment for the SDGs in Asia, and Gabriela Agosto, Executive Secretary of the National Council for Social Policy Coordination, who commented on Argentina’s experience.