Discusses Institutional Aspects of SDG 16

The United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CESP) opened its eighteenth session and discussed the institutional aspects of OBD 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions), focusing on effectiveness, accountability and accountability. inclusion. Discussions focused on governance and public administration as they relate to the theme of the 2019 session of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). ) on the empowerment of people and the guarantee of inclusion and equality.

CEPA was created by ECOSOC in 2001 and has 24 members who meet annually at UN headquarters. The Committee provides advice and recommendations on aspects of economic and social development related to public administration and governance, including support for the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals.

During the April 8th and 9th sessions, participants discussed the institutional aspects of SDG 16, namely effectiveness, accountability and inclusiveness, which are key elements of the “Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development”. Adopted at ECPOC 17 and endorsed by ECOSOC in July 2018. The experts discussed the cross-cutting nature of SDG 16, adding that Goal 16 was also “very broad and very deep”. Juwang Zhu, director of the Public Institutions and Digital Government Division (DPIDG), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), said the 2030 Agenda focuses on leaving no one behind and that the links among the 17 SDGs emphasize the importance of governance and public institutions at all levels. Geraldine Joslyn Fraser-Moleketi (South Africa), Chair of CESP-18, said the Committee committed itself to recommend policy actions as an essential contribution to the overall review of SDG 16 that will take place at July 2019 session of the HLPF.

The opening session of the 18th session continued with the subject of the review of the 2030 Agenda. ECOSOC Vice-President Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco, stressed that in 2019, the HLPF will review the 2030 Agenda “at ministerial and summit levels”. Liu Zhenmin, head of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said that in 2019, the review and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda will turn to CEPA to obtain information on progress made in achieving the institutional aspects of the program. SDO 16. Liu also stressed that the principles of effective governance defined by the CEPA are of fundamental importance for the realization of the 2030 Agenda, and that countries can already begin to use them to improve. public trust.

Irena Zubcevic, DESA, informed participants of the two sessions of the HLPF in 2019. She stated that the ECOSOC Chair planned to produce a “very detailed and robust” summary of the July session, and that the political declaration to be adopted at the September HLPF should: reflect the July session. She said that the co-facilitators of the political declaration – the Permanent Representatives of the Bahamas and Sweden – had started meeting with Member States and stakeholders, would start consultations in May or June and hoped to achieve a short result, targeted and action-oriented. Zubcevic added that the review by the General Assembly of the HLPF, which will take place at the 74th session, will examine how the HLPF will be considered in the future, including whether it will continue to consider a group of several sustainable development goals each year or will conduct different reviews.

Fraser-Moleketi said the committee would aim to strengthen a set of draft documents that will shape CEPA’s contribution to SDG 16. Moni Pizani (Venezuela), a member of CEPA, shared the highlights of a document on participation. and empowerment. . Pizani said that “empowerment” was a complex subject that involved not only increase the capacity of everyone to act independently but also creating supportive institutional environments for self-reliance, and it also needed to take into account the impact of empowerment on institutions and societies. She emphasized that: tax policy could reduce inequalities by ensuring fair and efficient taxation; data analysis is important for identifying trends and ensuring inclusive development, and empowerment without resources or skills could mean ineffective implementation of policies.

Source: SDG Knowledge Hub.