SDGs-leaving old goals behind for new

AFTER THE expiry of Millennium Development Goads (MDGs) in September this year, the United Nations is adopting 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Running from 2016 to 2030, the proposed SDGs aim to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere” and include broad topics such as hunger, health, gender equality, education, water and sanitation, energy, economic growth, sustainable consumption and production, climate change, biodiversity and marine conservation. Sustainable Development Goals are escorted by targets and will be further elaborated through indicators focused on measurable outcomes. SDGs are built on the substance laid by the MDGs, seek to complete the unfinished business of the MDGs, and respond to new challenges. These are universal set of goals, targets and indicators that all UN member states are expected to use to frame their development agendas and socio-economic policies during 2016-2030. SDGs advocate a wider participation of all stakeholders in the process, the monitoring architecture at national level will require substantial work in the countries where data gaps are huge and monitoring capacities are low. Since Pakistan is going to sign and adopt SDGs, Government need to strengthen specialized teams to undertake analytical work on translating SDGs into a national framework and policy coherence, implementation, and monitoring of new global goals. There are certain non-governmental organization and pockets of activities where the analytical and engagement work has been started well in advance to sensitize government and other stakeholders on SDGs and its potential implications for the country. Translating the ambition and the complex and tangled SDGs agenda into a workable action plan at the national level will be a huge challenge for developing countries. Pakistan should not lose time as the delay would be much costlier as it was in the case of MDGs. We need to systematically track Pakistans progress on SDGs and inform policy making and actions at the national level through research, dialogue and public policy engagement activities. The national ownership at all levels need to be ensured and the stakeholders should be facilitated in the process of developing nationally defined sets of indicators that are best suited to Pakistans national priorities and needs. Goals are important to set to make a plan, even if they do not end up being met. However, in the case of Pakistan the MDGs were just what diplomats talk about at UN summits. There was not integrated national approach to actually setting and achieving these targets. It is likely that the SDGs will also suffer from policy-making lethargy. Even though we know that it is a inevitable conclusion that Pakistan will agree to pursue the SDGs, the government warrants some healthy criticism for a job not done. It is disconcerting, that we will be following new goals, and the government will thus be allowed to leave its old goals behind- if they were goals at all.