Dawn of the SDGs: Three ways the UN can promote localization

Ideas for driving progress at the dawn of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have emerged from Zambia’s experience in shaping the post-2015 development agenda.

The United Nations can support countries by capitalizing on three time-tested comparative advantages: our convening role, normative role and capacity development role.

The proposed sustainable development goals come with a number of challenges and new demands for countries. Countries are called on to ensure equitable and inclusive national development, and their governments to be more transparent and more accountable to the people they serve.

Buzz words for post-2015

Learning from the experience of Zambia, there are some key lessons that can be drawn to facilitate the effective localization of the SDGs. Based on our experience, the buzz words for the post-2015 development agenda are: participation and inclusion; data and evidence; and accountability and management of resources.

Zambia participated in the first and second rounds of global consultations for the post-2015 development agenda. In 2013, we focused on the “what”: What issues should be included? In 2014, we focused on the “how”: How can we make this agenda a reality? We looked for concrete ways such as participatory monitoring for accountability.

Three ‘supporting roles’ that UN Country Teams can play

Localizing the SDGs will be critical to implementation. This involves creating strategies at the local level, finding ways to translate the development agenda into results at the local level, and making discussions of the agenda relevant to local stakeholders.

How can the United Nations support national governments in the localization of the SDGs? The UN must capitalize on its comparative advantages ― mainly its convening role, capacity development role and normative role – working through the UN Country Teams.

1. Convening role ― Participation and inclusion

This is about enhancing broad-based engagement on the localization of the SDGs. UN Country Teams can facilitate a participatory approach to national planning, monitoring and evaluation. Action:

• Enhance the participation of key stakeholders in the planning of national development plans. Stakeholders should include civil society, private sector, grassroots-level communities and development partners;
• Increase the engagement of parliamentarians in localization of the SDGs. This will aid in ensuring that the voices of the people are heard. 

2. Capacity development ― Data and evidence

Especially at the grassroots community level, statistical evidence can highlight existing inequalities and vulnerabilities. Information can empower rights-holders to claim their rights.  It enables them to recognize their circumstances and encourages their participation in national development processes. When a marginalized group of rights holders is sensitized, they can demand decentralized decision-making and more equitable allocation of domestic resources. In a capacity development role, the UN Country Teams can support national governments as they invest in data generation and effective monitoring. Action:

• Strengthen national statistical systems;
• Promote localization of national development indicators through a framework of accountability based on clear goals, operational time-bound targets and indicators that can be measured at sub-national community level, with the participation of marginalized groups;
• Advocate alignment of national development plans with the SDGs, to ensure harmonization of monitoring systems.

3. Normative role ― Accountability and management of resources

UN Country Teams have an important role to play in the normative work across the issues, objectives and policies that underpin sustainable development. Most national government work in silos, trying to tackle developmental challenges by sector. This has had a negative impact on addressing the mutually reinforcing factors required to address MDGs, and would likewise hinder progress towards the SDGs. Action:

• Foster innovation and development of independent thought and policy options in line with international conventions and treaties;
• Model how to move away from the sectoral (silo) approach of planning towards a goal-based approach.

UNDG can provide support to UN Country Teams that encourages the use of innovative approaches. Governments will be called on to develop capacities and institutions that can respond quickly to internal and external shocks, and innovative approaches will be required to meet the challenges ahead.

UNDG can also develop knowledge networks and information sharing. It can also ensure adequate technical capacity and expertise within the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO) to support governments, as well as adequate funding for UNRCO and the UN Country Teams.

As discussions move towards decisions, the UN Country Teams are positioned to play roles developed over the past 70 years of UN history and in so doing translate the post-2015 ‘buzz words’ of participation, inclusion, data, evidence and accountability into practical support for governments.

What do you think? What other steps can we take to localize the SDGs?