Fifth session of IAEG-SDGs held in Ottawa – Draft resolution for adoption by ECOSOC and General Assembly (3)

The UNSC recommended that ECOSOC adopt a draft resolution pertaining to data and indicators for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The draft resolution will be included in the report of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC). It is important that it goes forward without being re-opened, as it is a ‘technical’ rather than a ‘political’ document that has been carefully crafted and on which National Statisticians reached consensus.

This draft resolution recommends the adoption of the global indicator framework for the SDGs and targets of the 2030 Agenda. It also requests the UNSC to coordinate the substantive and technical work necessary to implement fully the global indicator framework and to further refine and improve the global indicator framework to address coverage, alignment with targets, definition of terms and development of metadata. The Secretary-General is requested to continue maintaining the SDG global indicator data base and to facilitate collaboration between national statistical systems and international and regional organizations to enhance data reporting channels and ensure the harmonization and consistency of data.

Official statistics and data from national statistical systems constitute the basis needed for the global indicator framework and role of national statistical offices as the coordinator of national statistical systems (NSS). International organizations should base the global review on data produced by NSOs and should consult with concerned countries to produce and validate modelled estimates, before publication. Furthermore, all activities of the global statistical system should fully adhere with the UN Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics and ECOSOC Resolution 2006/6

The draft resolution welcomes the Cape Town Global Action Plan (CTGAP). It was launched at the World Data Forum which brought together 1400 data experts and 300 speakers to consider six thematic areas (no 3  was on Leave no one behind). CTGAP, provided a space outside the UNSC and was not a one-time event: the 2nd World Data Forum will take place in October 2018 with the same thematic areas, to present progress, with increased participation of policy makers providing an opportunity to provide updates on the plans

The draft resolution also stresses the need for the UNSC to inform the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) and urges countries, international regional organizations and bilateral and regional funding agencies to intensify their support for strengthening data collection and statistical capacity building.

Timeline

The draft resolution will be taken up by ECOSOC at its Coordination and Management meeting in early June

If adopted by ECOSOC, the resolution will go to the General Assembly to be taken up at the 72^nd session sometime between September and December 2017.