2014•05•02 Tokyo
A new report from the UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) examines the role of governance in developing and achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The report, led by UNU-IAS Senior Research Fellow Norichika Kanie, presents ideas generated at the International Workshop on Governance “of” and “for” Sustainable Development Goals held in New York on 1 February 2014, which brought together over 40 experts involved in the SDG process.
A key part of the international process to formulate a post-2015 development agenda is the creation of a limited number of sustainable development goals, with negotiations ongoing within the United Nations to develop these SDGs and to provide the necessary financing. While issues of governance have been emphasized at prominent points in the discussions, they have not been fully explored.
The report highlights the need to make governance a central issue in the SDG agenda. It suggests that even the best designed and funded goals and targets are likely to have significant limitations, unless attention is paid to national implementation and international governance for support and monitoring.
The report highlights five key messages from the workshop:
For more information and background on the workshop and report, see the UNU-IAS website.
Ideas on Governance 'of' and 'for' Sustainable Development Goals (1.2 MB PDF)