On 12 July 2021, the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) and UN DESA hosted a VNR-Lab titled, “SDG advisory bodies and their role in national sustainable development policy cycles” as part of the 2021 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).
The VNR-Lab debated the importance and various forms of national sustainable development policies, including national strategies, policy cycle, prioritization processes and the use of indicators. It was also opportunity to discuss Voluntary National Reviews and peer review processes and how they can relate to the policy cycles at national level. The lab examined the impact of inputs from reviews at the international level on national policies and strategies.
During the event, a number of national multi- stakeholder advisory bodies outlined how they work together with their governments to deliver on the 2030 Agenda.
Now – Zosa Gruber at #VLR lab 9 at the #HLPF2021 with @RNE_DE and many others.
A key takeaway from BCCIC: “trust is important for establishing relationships between councils & government. #SDG advisory councils are one way of promoting consensus & a whole of society approach.” pic.twitter.com/xc2Td8kLgz
— BCCIC (@BCCIC) July 12, 2021
The event highlighted the variety of existing multi-stakeholder platforms and their concrete role in the local implementation of the SDGs and in facilitating consensus and inclusive advice on policies to realize the 2030 Agenda.
A study on national sustainable development advisory bodies
Providing critical background for the VNR-Lab, the study “Pieces of a puzzle: towards national sustainable development advisory bodies,” was a light touch assessment of the institutional environment, stakeholder engagement and history, as well as policy processes in four countries that embrace such MSP-advisory body functions.
At the time of the study, the countries’ multi-stakeholder bodies were not institutionalised yet. In order to understand how these bodies can and may evolve for accelerated SDG delivery, their stakeholder overview and engagement in national sustainable development processes is laid out and assessed. The four countries in this study are a first cohort (Benin, Ecuador, Kenya and Tanzania).
The research was conducted by TPI Associates, Todd Kirkbride and Danielle Jean-Pierre Figueroa, and submitted to the Global Forum for National SDG Advisory Bodies. The study was financially supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Comparable assessment in another cohort of eight countries is ongoing and will be published as a second volume to this study.
Related blog
Read “What Makes National SDG Bodies Effective” by Zosa De Sas Kropiwnicki-Gruber, Bashar Alsaeedi, Hannah Janetschek, and Felix Meyerhoff on the SDG Knowledge Hub of IISD.
About VNR-Labs
VNR-Labs (Voluntary National Review Labs) at the United Nations HLPF in New York are a lively space for open debates and interaction on issues related to VNR preparations. Despite the virtual format, this lab will aim to ensure a dynamic dialogue. Four countries will share their insights through a dialogue between the governments and their multi-stakeholder advisory body. Each country will have roughly 15 minutes to share their insights. This will be followed by a debate among all four countries and with the audience.
Click here for a list of all VNR-Labs from the 2021 HLPF.
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