Panel to oversee progress in UN’s SDG

Data collected by private agencies may be considered for monitoring

Iterative process: Bi-annual reviews with the States will be held to identify good practices and challenges.

The Centre will soon set up a high-level committee headed by Chief Statistician of India to oversee the country's progress towards UN’s Sustainable Development Goals aimed at ending poverty, fighting inequalities and tackling climate change.

A dashboard is also being developed with technical support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to “strengthen the mechanism” for monitoring progress on these global goals, India said in its Voluntary National Review Report submitted to the UN Forum on Sustainable Development.

Data collected by private agencies may be considered for monitoring the SDGs, particularly since a number of the goals are not directly linked to the Centre’s provision of public services.

“Given the interrelatedness of the goal and targets, the government is also considering setting up a high level Committee headed by the Chief Statistician of India to oversee the monitoring framework for SDGs at the national-level… Steps are being taken to strengthen the statistical system in the country through adequate financial and human resource investment,” according to the report.

National indicators

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has already developed a list of draft national indicators to measure progress of SDGs. These draft indicators have been put out in public domain. Based on the inputs received, national-level indicators will be finalised.

India will hold bi-annual reviews with the State governments for identifying good practices and challenges. There is an emphasis on assessing and improving the availability of data and putting in place a transparent monitoring system, the report said, pointing out that “disaggregated data” was vital as it would help formulate policies for specific disadvantaged groups and geographical areas.

“India appreciates that tracking the SDGs effectively will require mechanisms to be established for generating a set of data that is broader, more disaggregated and available at shorter intervals of time as compared to the data that is currently utilised for reviewing developmental efforts,” the report said.