BALANCINGTHEPILLARS:EradicatingPoverty,

ProtectingthePlanetandPromotingShared

Prosperity Together2030writteninputstotheUNHigh-LevelPoliticalForumonSustainableDevelopment(HLPF)

2017

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BALANCINGTHEPILLARS:EradicatingPoverty,ProtectingthePlanetandPromotingSharedProsperityTogether2030WrittenInputstotheUNHigh-LevelPoliticalForumonSustainableDevelopment(HLPF)2017SUMMARYAttheHLPF2017,governmentsshouldclearlyreportonhowtheyareimplementingtheirintegratedpromisesand commitments; mainstreaming the SDGs into their national plans and budgets and working towardseradicating poverty and hunger everywhere, realizing human rights, ensuring fair and sustainablemanagementofnaturalresourcesandecosystems,andcombatinginequalitieswellbefore2030.Furthermore,governmentsmustsharehowtheyaregeneratingeffectiveandinclusiveinstitutionsforSDGdelivery.AttheHLPF,membersstatesshouldfocusonfourmainthemes:1)Povertyeradicationthatleavesnoonebehind;2)Prosperitysharedinapeople-centeredeconomy;3)Aplanetthatisprotected;and(4)Institutionsatalllevelsthatareparticipatory,transparentandaccountable.ApproachestopovertyalleviationsharedattheHLPFmustincludeconcretebudgetedpoliciesthatpromotewomen’srightsandgenderequality,children’srights,overcomingbarriers for the inclusionofpersonswithdisabilities,migrants,minorityethnicgroups,youngandolderpersonsandothers.TheHLPFneedstoproactivelybuildonexistingmechanismsandfunctionalbodiestodeliveronitsmandateofpolicycoherence,particularlyonthematicissues.TheHLPFisanopportunityto(i)assessgapsinexistingmechanismsandidentifywhichpopulationgroupsarenotproperlyreviewedvis-a-visSDGprogressand(ii)definepropermechanismstoovercomesuchgaps.WithregardstotheVoluntaryNationalReviews,weexpectpresentationstoclearly:(i)outlinehowinclusivethenationalprocesshasbeenatcountrylevel;(ii)addresscomprehensive, coherent implementation of the 2030 Agenda and (iii) explain how the accountabilityframeworksurroundingVNRswillbeprogressivelystrengthened.Preparatoryeventsaroundthematicreviewsshouldbesupportedandrestoncontributionsbyallstakeholders.

VNR countries should state when they plan to volunteer again and an accountability cycle should becontinually in place until 2030, providing regular and predictable spaces for interaction, review andparticipation.

Governmentsshouldreportonthecreationofclear,open,coherent,transparentandregularspacesforthe

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participationofstakeholders intheplanning, implementationandaccountabilityofthe2030Agendaatalllevels.Anycountry that leaves themostmarginalized,vulnerableanddisadvantaged ‘outsidethedoor’oftheirnationaldiscussionscannotbesaidto‘leavenoonebehind’.

Sofar,civilsocietyexperiencesofparticipationvaryand,inseveralcountries,effortstoincludecivilsocietystillappear tobetokenisticor there isstillaperceptionthatgovernmentofficialsareuncomfortablewithbuildingworkingrelationshipswithcivilsociety.

Fundingcontinuestobeamajorbarrierfortheparticipationofcivilsocietytogetherwithlackofcapacitytounderstand the Goals and their interlinkages. Efforts should also be undertaken at all levels to engagestakeholdersbeyondthe“usualsuspects”andconsultationhastobecross-sectoralandcountry-wide,notrestrictedtocapitalsandothercentersofpower.

Insomedevelopedcountries,ithasbeenachallengetoengagedomesticstakeholdersbeyondenvironmentaland development-focused NGO. Engaging subnational government bodies is still a challenge, due tounawarenessortheperceptionoftheSDGsasan“externalagenda”.

Paragraph89ofthe2030AgendacallsonmajorgroupsandotherrelevantstakeholderstoreportontheircontributiontotheimplementationoftheAgendaandthisisstillamissingpieceoftheglobalfollowupandreviewarchitecture.UNMemberStatesandthePresidentofECOSOCshouldestablishclearandmeaningfulmechanisms–beyondonlineplatforms-tocollect,publicizeandanalyzereportsonthecontributionofcivilsocietyandstakeholderstotheimplementationofthe2030Agendaatalllevels.Finally,theHLPFministerialdeclaration should encourage governments to partner with civil society and stakeholders in developingcapacitybuildingandawarenessprogramsonthe2030Agenda.

COMPREHENSIVECONTRIBUTION

I. BalancingthePillarsofSustainableDevelopmentTheHighLevelPoliticalForum(HLPF)’sthemethisyear"Eradicatingpovertyandpromotingprosperityinachangingworld"–isaninvitationforattendingGovernmentstoreinforcethe“politicalwill”ontheground–to reflect, within national contexts, the global support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)demonstratedin2015.Governmentsshouldpresentplansandpoliciesonpovertyalleviationanderadicationandonallthegoals,aswellastheinterlinkagesamongthegoalsthatarepartofthethematicfocusforthisyear’sHLPF.

Itisthereforetimeforgovernmentstoclearlyreportonhowtheyareimplementingtheirintegratedpromisesand commitments; mainstreaming the SDGs into their national plans and budgets and working towardseradicating poverty and hunger everywhere, realizing human rights, ensuring fair and sustainable

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management of natural resources and ecosystems, as well as combating inequalities well before 2030.Furthermore,governmentsmustsharehowtheyaregeneratingeffectiveandinclusiveinstitutionsforSDGdelivery–whatcanbeconsidered the“fourthpillar”of sustainabledevelopment.These institutionsmustthemselvesalso‘leavenoonebehind’.

It has been reaffirmed time and time again that povertywill only be eradicated if prosperity is equitablyshared,socialprotectionisarealityandiftheplanetisprotected.Integratingandbalancingthethreepillarsof sustainabledevelopment (social,environmentalandeconomic) liesat thecoreof the2030Agenda forSustainableDevelopmentandisakeyelementoftheHLPFdiscussions.

ExperiencesfromtheGround#1.

UnitedKingdom*

TheUKgovernmenthasissuedanoverviewreportoftheUKresponsetotheSDGsathomeandabroad.IthasbeenannouncedthatindividualgovernmentdepartmentswillmainstreamtheSDGsthroughtheirSingleDepartmentalPlans,andreportonactivitiesthroughtheirannualaccounts,whiletheDepartmentforInternationalDevelopmentwillholdgeneraloversightoftheapproach.ScottishandWelshGovernmentshavecommittedtoembeddingtheSDGsinbothnationalandinternationalpolicywithintheirareasofdevolvedcompetence.IntheScottishcase,thisistakingplacethroughitsInternationalDevelopmentStrategyandNationalActionPlanonHumanRights;inWalesthroughtheWellbeingofFutureGenerationsactandtheappointmentofaFutureGenerationsCommissioner.

CommitteesoftheUKParliamenthaveconductedthreeinquiriesinto(1)theSDGs;(2)theSDGswithintheUK;and(3)Goal5.Recommendationshighlighttheneedforgovernmentleadership,effectivecoordinationbetweengovernmentdepartments,partnershipwithstakeholders,andannualreportingtoparliament.Civilsocietysupportfor-andparticipationin-ParliamentaryscrutinyoftheSDGs,hasbeenextensiveandfruitful.Multistakeholdernetworksarefacilitatingthisactivity,notablytheBONDSDGgroup(international)andUKStakeholdersforSustainableDevelopment(domestic).TheOfficeforNationalStatisticshas,attimeofwriting,justlaunchedaconsultationonhowtodevelopaUKdataandreportingstructureforallgoalsandtargets.

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India*

AspartofitstransitionfromtheMDGstotheSDGs,inJanuary2015,theIndianGovernmentreplaceditsPlanningCommissionfortheNationalInstituteforTransformingIndia(NITI).Thiscommission(orAayog)servesastheGovernment’spolicythinktank,providingdirectional,policyinputsandrelevanttechnicaladvicetotheCentralandStateGovernments.TheAayoghasbeenentrustedwiththeroletoco-ordinate‘transformingourworld:the2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment’.Asafirststep,theAayogshiftedfromatraditional5-yearplan,toa15-yearvisiondocument.

AsofJune2017,theAayoghascompletedtheprocessofmappingthevariousMinistriesandCentrallySponsoredSchemes(CSS)ofthecentralGovernmentagainstthevariousgoalsoftheSDGs,indicating“nodal”MinistriesforSDGsanditstargets.Actualworkofdirectingenergiestowardsachievingthevariousgoalsisyettotakeoffinaconcertedmanner.

Bangladesh*TheBangladeshGovernmenthasintegratedtheSDGsanditstargetswithits7FYP(7thFiveYearPlan2016-2020).TheGovernmenthasdevelopedamappingdocumentincludingallMinistries,DivisionsandAgenciesbySDGsandtargetforfasttrack.TherespectiveMinistries/Divisionsorgovt.developmentagencieswillfollowtheabovemappingdocumentbySDGstargetsandwillalsoinitiateprocessofdevisingactionprograminterventionsbyphases.The7thFYPwillonlycoverthefirstphaseoftheSDGperiodFinanceandresourcemobilizationarethekeycomponentsincomingyearsinachievingtheSDGtargets.BangladeshhasnotyetpreparedanyfinancialneedassessmentforSDGimplementation,buthasaplantodoit.The7thFYPhasmadeaprimary financingestimation frombothpublic andprivatesectors for the fiscal yearof2016-2020.But thisamountdoesnotreflecttheneedordemandbasedfinancialallocationtoachievetheSDGtargets.Expertsaysthat,inachievingtheSDGs inBangladesh,domesticresourcemobilizationneedtoberaisedtoat least18percentfromthepresent12.1percentoverthenext5to10years,buttheprojectionofdomesticresourcemobilizationis(14.2-16.2%ofGDP) in the7thFYP.Concernhasbeenraisedwhether governmentwill be able toensurequality financingto SDGsdespiteintegrationofthetargetsinthe7thFYP.Onthecivilsocietyside,thereisgreatawarenessamongtheNGOsandGovernmentOfficialsaboutSDGs.AcivilsocietygrouphasbeenformedwithexpertprofessionalstomonitortheprogresstowardsachievementofSDGinthecountry.

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(1) Povertyeradicationthatleavesnoonebehind

Developingcountrieshaveexperiencedadvancesinthepastdecades.Hundredsofmillionsofpeoplehavebeenliftedoutofpovertyandsome1.1billionescapedextremepoverty.However,1.6billionadultsliveinmultidimensionalpovertyandone inninepeoplestill go tobedhungry,evenas studies showthat three-quartersof extremepoverty couldbeeliminatednow, throughbetter, progressive taxationwhilst cuttingdownonmilitaryandotherregressivespending1.

Poverty eradication demands tailored approaches that equally address the multidimensional aspects ofpovertyandtheneedtoreduceinequalitieswithinsocieties.Children,especiallygirls,aredisproportionatelyaffectedbypovertyandevenmoresobyextremepoverty.Fallingintopovertyinchildhoodcanlastalifetime;therearenosecondchancesforahealthystartinlifeortoaccesseducation.

Approaches to poverty alleviation, then,must include concrete budgeted policies that promotewomen’srightsandgenderequality,children’srights,overcomingbarriersfortheinclusionofpersonswithdisabilities,migrants,minorityethnicgroups,youngandolderpersonsandothers.Stronginvestmentinqualityeducationforallagesisanessentialelementforsustainabledevelopmentandtheeradicationofpoverty.Furthermore,governments must take appropriate measures to ensure accessibility in the physical environment, totransportation,toinformationandcommunications,bothinurbanandinruralareas,toallowfortheinclusionofpersonswithdisabilities.

(2) Prosperitysharedinapeople-centeredeconomy

Thetypeofprosperitytobepromotedistheonethatcanbesharedandbenefitthewholesocietyandnotonlytherichest,asisthecurrenttrend. The private sector should be a responsible partner in thepromotionofsustainabledevelopmentandbusinesses,attheheartofa market yet people-centered economy and should work for thebenefitofthewholesocietyinordertoallowprosperitytobecomeareality beyond shareholders. Instead, public-private partnerships(PPPs)presentpitfallsthatare leavingpeoplebehinddueto lackoftransparency and accountability and governments failing or lacking 1 https://www.oxfam.org/sites/www.oxfam.org/files/file_attachments/bp-economy-for-99-percent-160117-summ-en.pdf

“ParticipationbystakeholdersisbothameansandanendinthecontextofAgenda

2030.”

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capacitytomonitorthePPPs.PPPsshouldthereforebe implemented in linewithcountry-drivenprioritieswithappropriateriskmanagementandregulatoryframeworks.MeasurestoregulatetheprivatesectorandalternativeapproachessuchastheSocialandSolidarityEconomy,developmentofcooperativesandsocialenterpriseswillbeessentialtoachievetheSDGs.

(3) Aplanetthatisprotected

TheeconomicpillarofsustainabledevelopmentshouldbepromotedinanintegratedapproachthatincludesSustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), as stated on Goal 12. Protecting nature and ensuringequitableaccess toenvironmental resourcesalsosupportsvulnerableandmarginalizedgroups’ continuedenjoymentoftheirrightstolife,health,foodandwater.Moreover,theimpactsofclimatechangeonpovertyeradication,hungerandsustainabledevelopmentareclearandthoselinkagesmustbebroughttotheHLPFdiscussions.TheHLPFbringsanopportunityforgovernmentstoshareideasonwhichbroadermeasuresofprogress(beyondGDP)arebeingestablished(para48)andhoweconomicgrowthisbeingdecoupledfromresourceconsumptionandenvironmentaldegradation(Target8.4).Thiswillbecriticalforarevitalizedanalysisofthemultipledimensionsofpovertyandofhowprosperityisnotonlybeingpromotedbutalsoshared.

(4) Institutionsatalllevelsthatareparticipatory,transparentandaccountable

Governmentstrulyaccountabletoeachoftheircitizens, includingthemostvulnerableandmarginalized–thosetheypledgednottoleavebehind–arecritical ifallthis istohappen.Enablingcivicspacesgenerateopportunitiesforthepoorestandmostvulnerable,particularlywomen,children,youthandolderpersons,personswithdisabilitiesandotherstoengageindecisionsthataffecttheirownlives,expressingchallengesanddevisingsolutionsandstrategies.The‘leftbehind’needtobeknownandmadestatisticallyvisibleasavaluableresourceattheglobal,national,andsubnationalscales.

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Civil societygroupshavedemonstrated theirimpact through thesector’s high degree ofresponsiveness andflexibility to changingpolitical and sociallandscapes, their abilityto stimulate actionthrough publicengagement, and theirabilitytoprovideavoiceto a collective set ofvalues that is deeplyrooted in communities,but still scalable topartnerships andnetworks.Withthislevelofexpertiseandconnection,governmentsshouldexploretheroleofcivilsocietyorganizationsaspartnersindevelopingsubnationalandnationalindicators,contributingdata,andensuringfundingisavailable,includingthroughinternationalcooperation,toenablesuchorganizationstoparticipatefullyinindicatordevelopment,datacollectionandmonitoring.

II. StrengtheningtheAccountabilityCycleThe HLPF, as a forum for follow up and review needs to reflect the integrated character of sustainabledevelopmentchallenges, inparticularbyproactivelybuildingonexistingmechanismsasmandatedby the2030Agenda.Existingfunctionalcommissionsandotherbodiesprovidedsubstantive inputsatHLPF2017.ThisisveryimportantiftheHLPFistodeliveronitsmandateofpolicycoherence,particularlyonthematicissues.ThesefunctionalbodiesaddressissuesrelatedtospecificpopulationgroupswheretheybringtotheforefrontparticularissuesregardingthesegroupsandmostimportantlyhowSDGsareimpactingtheirlives.

Furthermore,forpolicycoherence,theHLPFisanopportunityto(i)assessgapsinexistingmechanismsandidentifywhich population groups are not properly reviewed vis-a-vis SDG progress and (ii) define propermechanismstoovercomesuchgaps.Itmustbenotedthatchildrenareonesuchgrouprequiringparticularattention,evenasnofunctionalbodyorforumexistsforchildrenandtheirissueswithintheECOSOCsystem.NoprocesshasbeensetupthatcanallowfortheHLPFdeliberationsanddecisionstobeinformedbysuch

ExperiencesfromtheGround#2.Togo*Togoistheonlycountrythathasvolunteeredforanationalreviewinboth2016and2017,andhasshowedgreateropennessinthisyear’sprocess.PartofthisincreaseinparticipationhasbeenfueledbytheGovernment’sinitiativetoincludecivilsocietyrepresentativesinitsregionalconsultationsfortheNationalDevelopmentPlan.However,thebiggestdriverofthe recent rise of awareness among civil society have been regional and national CSOconsultativeworkshopsonSDGs.TogoCSOs SDGWorkingGroup succeed to bring together for the very first time in twodecades,allcomponentsof itscivil society, including localMayors and theDiaspora.Ontheir own funds, The TCSWG facilitated organization of thematic workshopsmainly foryouth,womenandvolunteers.ThegrouppresenteditscontributiontotheGovernmentatanationalworkshop,submitted3writtenstatementsonSDGdomesticationprocessesinTogo,hadaworkingsessionwith thePlanningMinister, fully contributedto thecountryVNR report and is currently finalizing its shadow report to the HLPF Voluntary NationalReport.ThisexperiencehascreatedanewparadigmofcollaborationamongTogomajorgroups and other stakeholders to engage in a new kind of partnership. A success storyindeed.

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inputsacrossaspectrumofgroupsandissues.

(1) VoluntaryNationalReviews(a)VNRpresentationsattheHLPFshouldclearlyoutlinehowinclusivethenationalprocessleadinguptotheVNRhasbeenatcountrylevel,byrespondingtothefollowingquestions:

• Wasthereamulti-layeredreviewsystemfocusingonwhethernationalplansarematchingtheglobalambition,thegaps,opportunitiesandcommitmentstoaction?

• Wascivilsocietyandotherstakeholdersincludedinallphasesofthereviewcycle,includingforVNRs,fromplanningtothepresentationattheHLPFandatnationaldebriefingandplanningaftertheHLPF?

• Wasthereaclear,openandinclusiveprocesstopreparetheVNRestablishedatnationallevelandwasinformationabouthowstakeholderscouldparticipateextensivelyexchanged?Whatwasthetimelineandwasitpubliclyshared?

• Werethereonlineconsultationsorganizedaswellasface-to-facediscussionswherecivilsocietyandstakeholderscoulddirectlybringtheirperspectivestothereportpreparation?

• ArestakeholderrepresentativespartoftheofficialcountrydelegationtotheHLPF?• Willgovernmentsorganizeadebriefingatnationallevel,toreviewtheprocessandinputsreceivedand

plannextstepsinaddressingmainchallengesaftertheHLPFreview?

(b)VNRpresentationsshoulddirectlyaddresscomprehensive,coherentimplementationofthe2030Agenda,thatreflectstheglobalambitionincludingrespondingtothefollowingquestions:

• Areinternalsynergiesbeingcreated?• Ispolicymakingcoherent?• Howaresilosbeingavoided?• Are there multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder governance mechanisms in place for planning,

implementationandaccountabilityoftheSDGs?

(c)TheaccountabilityframeworksurroundingVNRsshouldbeprogressivelystrengthenedThegovernancearrangementsfornationalSDGaccountabilityshouldbedetailedbycountriesvolunteeringfornationalreviews(VNR)andaclearaccountabilitycycleshouldbepresented,includinghowtheoutcomesoftheHLPFdiscussionswillbebroughtbacktothenationallevel.

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Additionally,VNRcountriesshouldstatewhentheyplantovolunteeragainandbringanationalreporttothegloballevel,inordertofacilitateplanningandfollowup.Anaccountabilitycycleshouldbecontinuallyinplaceuntil2030,providingregularandpredictablespacesforinteraction,reviewandparticipationforcivilsocietyandstakeholders,betheresultofinclusivenationaldiscussionsandpartofamulti-layeredreviewsystem.

Tobeameaningfulspace,governmentsshouldnotonlyusetheHLPFtopresenttheirowncommitmentsandachievements but also to contribute to constructive and robust review of the commitments of others,includingcivilsocietystakeholdersandtheprivatesector,maximizingthisopportunityformutuallearningandlong-term global progress. The HLPF can be a space where global principles and the outline for multi-stakeholderpartnershipsareestablished.Itshouldalsobeaspacetoreviewgood(andbad)examples,discusspatterns, challenges and opportunities, including on how civil society and other stakeholders are beingengaged.

SystematicreviewofhowtheglobalpartnershipforsustainabledevelopmentbestenablesfulfilmentoftheSDGs, including global poverty alleviation, should be undertaken. Developed countriesmust look beyondofficialdevelopmentaid(ODA)andbilateraldevelopmentassistancetotheircountry-leveltradeandfinancepolicies and theircontributions tospecific aspects ofinternationalcooperation andreform, includingsystemic issuesidentifiedintheSDGs,in particular Goal 17.Commitments andprogress in all theserespects should bereviewed andfollowed-up country-by-country at andbeyondtheHLPF.

(2)TheroleofThematicReviewstoincreaseinclusionandtheintegrationofdifferentperspectivesBylookingatasub-setofgoalsfromwithinaspecifictheme,thematicreviewsundertheHLPFprovideatoolforanintegratedimplementationoftheSDGs.Theycanprovideideasforcross-thematiccollaborationand

ExperiencesfromtheGround#3.RepublicofKorea*KoreaSDGsNetworkhasbeenpreparingitsspotlightreportfor2017HLPFsinceFebruary2017and submitted it to UN on April 28, 2017. Even though the Korean government has notvolunteeredtopresentanationalreviewatthe2017HLPF,thespotlightreportaimstodeliverthepositionofKoreancivilsocietygroupsonthemainthemesofthe2017HLPF.SomeofthemainchallengesidentifiedbytheNetworkare:

1) Contradictory targets and indicators such as GDP growth versus ecologicalsustainability;

2) Quantitativeandoutcome-centeredindicatorsystemthatisnotpreparedtodirectlyandcomprehensivelymonitordiverseeffortsontheground;and

3) Lackoftargetsand indicatorstomonitorinclusivenessandparticipation,whicharefundamentalelementsoftheprincipleof‘Leavingnoonebehind’.

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cooperationbetweenUNagencies,knowledgeinstitutionsandcivilsociety,andmostimportantly,betweencitizensandtheirgovernments.HLPF2017representsamilestoneasthefirstglobalforumtoreviewspecificgoals.

Preparatory events to the HLPF that focus on thematic reviews should be supported and it should beencouraged that their implementation restsoncontributionsbyall stakeholders.Reviewprocessesat thegloballevelcansupportnationalprocessestoensurethattheprinciplesofthe2030Agendaareupheld.Clearoptionstoconductthematicreviewsinawaythatlivesuptotheprinciplesofthe2030Agendashouldbedevelopedanddisseminated.

(3)MeaningfulparticipationatalllevelsParticipationby stakeholders is both ameans andanend in the context ofAgenda2030.Reflecting this,governmentsshouldreportonhowtheyarecreatingclear,open,coherent,transparentandregularspacesfortheparticipationofstakeholdersintheplanning,implementationandaccountabilityofthe2030Agenda

ExperiencefromtheGround#4.Brazil*

SeveralnationalCSOshaveengagedwithinternationalandregionalgroupssincethepost-2015negotiations,becominganofficialWorkingGroup(GT)inJune,evenbeforeAddis.TheCSOWorkingGroupforthe2030Agendafocusesonthreekeyareas:a)SettinguptheBrazilianSDGsNationalCommission;b)InfluencingBrazil’spositionontheglobalSDGindicatorsanddebatingfuturenationalindicators;c)Aligningthecountry’sfuturenationalandsub-nationalbudgetswiththe2030Agenda.

AfterreceivingcontinuedpressurefromtheworkinggroupCSOs,theBrazilianSDGNationalCommissiondecreewassignedbythePresidentinOctober2016,butonlyinMarch2017wasthereacallforitscomposition.ItwasfinallyinauguratedonJune29th.

CSOshavebeenfightingfortransparentparticipationprocesses,includinginthedraftingofthevoluntarynationalreviewreporttobepresentedattheHLPF2017.EventhoughtherewasanopenconsultationfromNGOstopresentwhattheyhavebeendoingtoimplementthe2030Agendainthecountrybasedonparagraph89,theeditingandcompositionoftheVNRwascentralizedinthePresidentialGoverningSecretary,onlycomingoutwhenitwasfinished,withoutanyconsultationbeyondtheinitialprocess.

TheBrazilianCSWGforthe2030Agenda,foreseeingwhatwasabouttohappensinceFebruary,decidedandmobilizedresourcestoproduce(throughacollectiveeffortofnetworkcoordination)aSpotlightReporthighlightingthechallengesandopportunitiestoimplementtheSDGsinBrazilinalllevels,particularlythesub-national.ThesynthesisreportwaslaunchedinBrasilia,intheHouseofRepresentativesEnvironmentalandSustainableDevelopmentCommission,andwillbetakentotheHLPF(thefullversionofthereportwillbeavailableontheInternetaswell.)

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atalllevels.Asameans,participationallowstheexpertiseandcontributionsofallgroupstospeedupandenhancethequalityofdeliveryontheSDGs,deliveringbetterpolicieswithgreatersupportandownership.Participationisalsoanend.Participationandinclusionatalllevelsarepartofthegoalsandtargetsthemselvesandaspaceforaccountabilityandpublicscrutinyofcommitmentsisfundamentaltofollowupandreview.

a) Atnationalandsubnationallevel

Anycountrythatleavesthemostmarginalized,vulnerableanddisadvantaged‘outsidethedoor’oftheirnationaldiscussionscannotbesaidto‘leavenoonebehind’.Sofar,civilsocietyexperiencesofparticipationvaryfromcountrytocountryandfromgoaltogoal.Inseveralcountries, efforts to include civil society still appear to be tokenistic and there is still a perception thatgovernmentofficialsandbureaucracyareuncomfortablewithbuildingworkingrelationshipswithcivilsociety.

FundingcontinuestobeamajorbarrierfortheparticipationofcivilsocietytogetherwithlackofcapacitytounderstandtheGoalsandtheirinterlinkages–includinghavingaccesstotranslatedmaterials–andonhowtoengagewiththenationalandlocalresponse.Effortsshouldalsobeundertakenatregional,nationalandlocalleveltoengageawiderrangeofstakeholdersbeyondthe“usualsuspects”.Withincountries,consultationandawarenessraisinghastobecross-sectoralandgenuinelycountry-wide,notrestrictedtonationalcapitalsandothercentersofpower.

Insomedevelopedcountries,ithasbeenachallengetoengagedomesticstakeholdersbeyondenvironmentalanddevelopment-focusedNGOstopromotetheimplementationoftheSDGsatthenational level. Inbothdevelopedanddevelopingcountries,someofthechallengesidentifiedincludethelackofcoordinatedspacesforCSOengagementorthelackofanofficialnationalstructuretofacilitatetheprocessesrelatedtothe2030Agenda. Self-organized structures for CSO engagement are important at all levels, especially at the local,nationalandregionallevelsandthoseshouldfeedintoglobalprocessesandstructures.Theprinciplesofself-organizationandsubsidiarityarecriticalforcivilsocietyinordertoavoidinstrumentalization,whichdamagesboththeintrinsicvaluesandextrinsiceffectivenessofcivilsociety.

Despite their enormous contribution to sustainabledevelopment, CSOsmay lack the capacity toproperlyregisterandsharetheirexperiences,hencetheneedtostrengthencapacitiesatalllevels.Capacitybuildingeffortsshouldcomprisenotonly informationaboutthe2030AgendaandtheSDGsbutalsoresults-basedmanagement,monitoring,evaluationandmulti-stakeholdercollaboration.TheUNCountryTeamshavearoletoplayinpromotingcapacities,identifying,registeringanddisseminatingthoseexperiences.

There has also been a challenge engaging subnational government bodies in a national framework eventhough jurisdictional responsibilities over relevant resources dictate clear dependence on subnationalperformancefornationalachievementoftheSDGs.Yetinsomecountries,governmentofficialsmaybestillunawareabout theSDGsand thenational commitment towards their implementation,or see themasan

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“externalagenda”,impactingontheestablishmentofinclusiveprocessesforplanning,implementationandaccountability.

b) StakeholderscontributiontotheImplementationandthegloballevel

Paragraph89ofthe2030AgendacallsonmajorgroupsandotherrelevantstakeholderstoreportontheircontributiontotheimplementationoftheAgenda.ThisisastrategicopportunityforcivilsocietytoshowcasetheircontributiontotheimplementationoftheAgendaandtheSDGsanditisstillamissingpieceoftheglobalfollowupandreviewarchitecture.

UNMemberStatesandthePresidentofECOSOChavenotyetestablishedclearandmeaningfulmechanismsto collect, publicize and analyze reports on the contribution of civil society and stakeholders to theimplementationofthe2030Agendaatalllevels.Suchmechanismsneedtogobeyondonlineplatformsand

ExperiencefromtheGround#5.BritishColumbia,Canada*

CanadahasintegratedtheSDGsintoseveralofitsdomesticandinternationalpolicies,includingthosefocusedontheenvironment,defence,andinternationalassistance.Withoutaguidingsetofnationalindicatorstotrackthegoals,however,localcivilsocietyorganizationshavebecometheenginebehindtheimplementationandmeasurementofthe2030Agenda.UndertheguidanceoftheBritishColumbiaCouncilforInternationalCooperation(BCCIC),52roundtablediscussionswereheldinover30ruralandurbancommunitieswithover700leadersanddecisionmakersprovidinginputintoapossibleCanadianSDGagenda.AresultofthisfieldworkisanonlinemapofBritishColumbianindividualsandorganizationsworkingtowardsachievingthegoalsthatallowsgroupsandthepublictomoreeasilyconnectandcollaboratewitheachotherandgovernment.ThemapisalsoavaluabletoolinreinforcingtheneedforanationalplanaroundtheSDGsthatdependsonsubnationalinputandexpertise.IthasprovidedawaytoreportonprovincialperformancetowardstheSDGs.Buildingontheroundtableoutcomes,BCCICconductedadditionalanalysisofavailablenationalstatisticaldataandcasestudiestodevelopacivilsocietyreportinlieuofCanadanotsubmittingaVNRthisyear.ThereportprovidesanationalsnapshotofthegoalsunderreviewthisyearandwassubmittedtotheUNinJuly2017.Keyfindingsinclude:·Policiesandprogrammingoperatewithindepartmentalsilos,whichpreventsacomprehensiveandinterconnectedapproachtosustainabledevelopment.·TheglobalindicatorsarenotalwaysrelevanttotheCanadiancontext,whichcallsfortheneedforanationalsetofmeaningfulandapplicableindicators.·Withinanationalsetofindicatorstheremustbefurtherroomforregionalordemographicvariability,particularlyamongvulnerablepopulationsandremotecommunitiessuchasIndigenousCommunities,whoseperformanceonSDGoutcomesfallbehindthoseoftheaveragenon-indigenousCanadian.

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incorporatesystemsandtechnologiesthatreachouttomultiplelevels,includinglocalandgrassrootslevels,andthatgeneratecapacityforthoseexperiencestobesharedandscaledupatthegloballevel.

AtthisinitialstageofplanningandimplementingtheSDGs,theHLPFministerialdeclarationshouldencouragegovernmentstoinvitecivilsocietyandstakeholderstopartnerwiththemindevelopingcapacitybuildingandawareness programs on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Recommendations from civil society andstakeholders’ reports must be taken into account when discussing and negotiating the HLPF MinisterialDeclaration.Finally,theHLPFvenuesshouldbemadefullyaccessibleforpersonswithdisabilitiesaswellasforchildren.

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Aboutthispaper:This paper is issued on behalf of the Together 2030Global AdvocacyWorkingGroup.TheoriginaldraftwasdevelopedbasedoninputstoquestionsproposedbytheTogether2030SecretariatandopenedforconsultationsfromFebruary23toMarch92017.AfirstversionwasopenedforcommentsandadditionalinputsfromMarch17to302017.TheWorkingGroupLeadandSecretariatundertookanotherreview.AsecondroundofcommentswasopenedtotheWorkingGroupfromApril11to172017.ThefinalversionhasbeenrevisedbytheTogether2030CoreGroup.Organizations engaged on the Together 2030 Global Advocacy WorkingGroupwereinvitedtocollaborateandprovideinputstothisdocument.Finaltextreflectsthesummaryandcollectionof those inputsbutnotnecessarily,the agreement or endorsement of those organizations on all proposalspresented.*Country examples were provided by members of the Initiative engaging with theimplementationandaccountabilityofthe2030Agendaatthenationallevelandreflecttheirrespectiveexperiences.TheyweresummarizedandeditedbytheTogether2030InternationalSecretariat.Listofcontributors:UnitedKingdom(GrahamLong,NewcastleUniversity&RachelAston,BondUK),IndiaandBangladesh(NaliniVaz,Sightsavers),Togo(SenaAlouka,JVEInternational),SouthKorea(GomerPadong,…….),Brazil(AlessandraNilo,Gestos),Canada(DeborahGlaser,BritishColumbiaCouncilforInternationalcooperation)AsummaryofthispositionpaperhasbeenincludedintheofficialdiscussionpaperfrommajorgroupsandotherstakeholderstotheHLPF2017.ThefulltextwasalsopublishedattheofficialHLPF2017websiteasathematicpaper.DiversityofOpinionwithincivilsociety:MembersofTogether2030expressandprioritizedifferentaspectsofthe2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopmentandtheSDGsandprovideabroadrangeofviewsregardingitsimplementationandfollowup.Membersareunitedinthefollowingobjectives:

· TostrengthenpartnershipsbetweencivilsocietyandstakeholderstosupporttheeffectiveimplementationofAgenda2030andtheSDGs.

· TomakethevoicesofpeopleheardandhavepeopleholdinggovernmentsaccountablefortheprogresstowardsachievingAgenda2030andtheSDGsatalllevels.

“Anycountrythatleavesthemostmarginalized,vulnerableanddisadvantaged‘outsidethedoor’oftheirnationaldiscussionscannotbesaidto‘leavenoone

behind”.

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