This year one of the Sustainable Development Goals that will be under review during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2024 will be SDG 17 (partnerships to achieve the goals). Therefore, last July 15, in the framework of the forum, Cepei, the Science Platform Sustainability 2030 (wpn2030) and SDSN Germany, held the side event “Peer Learning and Capacity-Building for Integrated NSDS Implementation and Reporting).”
The space, organized at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) office in New York (USA), was based on the said SDG and the five transformation “levers” mentioned in the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2023: governance, economy and finance, science and technology, individual and collective action, and capacity building. The objective was to inform and further stimulate discussion on capacity development for integrated governance of NSDSs.
The panelists were Philipp Schönrock, Executive Director of Cepei, Sarah Löpelt, Researcher at SDSN Germany and the Science Platform Sustainability 2030 (wpn2030), Julius Rathgens, member of the Science Platform Sustainability 2030 (wpn2030) and Luciana Mendes Santos Servo, President of the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) in Brazil.
One of the obstacles holding back member states’ investment in integrated NSDS governance and capacity building is political instability, short-term urgencies, and a limited set of fiscal options. For this reason, the event sought to promote the participation of participants from different national contexts, to hear their opinions and the results of complementary research.
Challenges and Solutions for Latin America and the Caribbean
Among the issues discussed were the main obstacles faced by Latin American and Caribbean countries in building integrated governance and reporting on the SDGs. These include a lack of inter-institutional coordination and a lack of funding.
For this reason, Schönrock said that, for the region to improve its SDG institutionality, the experience and lessons learned from other regions can be useful. He also mentioned some solutions to overcome these challenges:
- Strengthen political leadership and inter-institutional coordination.
- Encourage local participation
- Involving the private sector and civil society
- Strengthen institutional capacities
Public-private data partnerships key to achieving SDGs
Regarding SDG monitoring, the event also mentioned the importance of strengthening the capacities of national statistical systems, ensuring adequate financing, improving inter-institutional coordination, and increasing the availability and quality of data.
Due to the complexity of such processes, one of the ways to achieve this is through the inclusion of all actors in society. Cepei, in fact, has conducted in-depth research on how to improve SDG monitoring and reporting through public-private partnerships that seek to provide a comprehensive and accurate picture of progress toward the goals. Among the actions carried out in these collaborations is the exchange of data between both parties and the provision of technical services to the public sector by the private sector.
In addition, the private sector currently participates in different ways in the monitoring of the 2030 Agenda:
- Data collection
- Implementation of monitoring technologies
- Accountability reports that show the contribution to the SDGs.
- Partnerships with governments, NGOs, and other organizations
- Technological innovation
There are many advantages to public-private data actions. They can illuminate disparities in access to essential services, unequal distribution of resources, and violations of fundamental rights. However, ensuring that data collection is conducted ethically and respecting privacy principles under governance schemes adapted to local contexts is also crucial.
To learn more about the Data, SDGs and the private sector project click here.