Leveraging interlinkages and enhancing policy coherence in SDG implementation: scope for systemic approaches in reporting

The capacity to leverage synergies and mitigate trade-offs between the SDGs has an impact on goals progress. While policy coherence is at the heart of successful SDG implementation, making strategic decisions that involve multiple interacting targets and interests is a challenging task at national as well as local levels.

How can a systemic approach improve reporting and help accelerate action on the SDGs? What are the opportunities and challenges in adopting a systemic perspective in practice?

In this VNR Lab, participants will be presented with an overview of systemic approaches for dealing with SDG interactions, and a discussion focused on lessons learned from applying them in practice. Panelists will reflect on experiences from applying SDG Synergies in different geographies and stages of implementation, including reporting. The discussion will address how a systemic approach can strengthen capacity for sustainable development, strategic and operational barriers to systemic approaches being applied in practice, capacity needs and how the scientific community can support.
Read more about the SDGs, the High-level political forum, and VNR labs.

Agenda

Welcome remarks

• Åsa Persson, SEI Research Director

Kick-off presentation and reflections

How SDG interactions can be helpful to accelerate action: an overview of approaches and the case of SDG Synergies

• Presenter: Henrik Carlsen, Senior Research Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
• Discussant: Viveka Palm, Director Sectoral and regional statistics, Eurostat, European Commission, former co-chair of the UN Inter-Agency and Expert Group for the Sustainable Development Goal Indicators

Panel Discussion

Moderated by Nina Weitz, Research Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute

• Mia Crawford, Deputy Director & Coordinator 2030 Agenda, Department of Global Agenda, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
• Suzanna Sumkhuu, Director, Development Policy and Planning Division, Mongolia National Development Agency
• Adriana Cozma, Coordinator SDG Group, Technical Secretariat of Colombia’s SDG Commission, Colombian National Planning Department