Measuring up to the new agenda

Targets and indicators was the featured topic of discussion at the third session of the UNGA intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda that took place from 23 to 27 March 2015 in New York. In response to a request by IGNP Co-Facilitators Macharia Kamau of Kenya and David Donoghue of Ireland, John Pullinger, Chair of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC), presented Member States with a working draft of a technical report on global indicators for the SDGs and targets. FAO, along with other UN agencies, contributed to recommendations in the draft report for more than 300 global indicators for targets under all 17 SDGs.

Earlier in the month, 3-6 March, the 46th session of the UNSC had endorsed the formation of an Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs), composed of Member States, and supported the establishment of a High-Level Group (HLG), consisting of national statistical offices (NSOs), to foster capacity-building, partnership and coordination for post-2015 monitoring. Regional and international organizations will participate, as observers, in both new groups.

The Commission also approved a road map for developing and implementing an indicator framework. Key markers include: July 2015 – the development of a first note on possible global indicators and an indicator framework; December 2015 -a proposal from the IAEG-SDGs on global and universal indicators and an indicator framework for consideration by the UNSC; March 2016 –endorsement of the indicator framework at UNSC47.

A UN Fit for purpose

Meanwhile, discussion on the role, capacity and readiness of the UN system to support countries in implementing the post-2015 development agenda is under way. The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has issued a road map for its dialogue process on "the longer-term positioning of the UN Development System" consisting of seven sessions, seven workshops and three retreats between January 2015 and December 2016.