To leave no one behind is the mantra of the SDGs, however accountability will be essential to live up to that promise
By Tullah Stephen
A lack of a robust accountability framework may hinder countries from achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development civil society organizations (CSO) have warned. Through their lobby group, CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE), CSOs will lobby stakeholders to develop accountability mechanisms during the 2nd High-Level Meeting (HLM2) of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) to be held in Nairobi next month. The four-day meeting that will start on the 28th of November, will bring together over 3,000 delegates and 600 civil society groups to deliberate on ways for effective development cooperation as countries work on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Accountability is one of the anchors civil society advocates have been looking to build upon the development of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Accountability keeps non-state actors, such as the private sector and foundations in check, particularly at country level where they must abide by the same principles as their development partners,” says Suba Churchill Chair, CSO reference group and National civil society congress in Kenya.
The SDGs according to the UN will lead to significant gains in reducing poverty in the world and promote economic prosperity, social development and environmental protection. The goals provide powerful aspirations for improving the world and what collectively needs to be done.
“We can enhance the SDG implementation and review by demanding accountability for all development actors in the lead up to the HLM2, and at the conference itself,” says Churchill
Held a year after the United Nations adopted SDGs, HLM2 Nairobi will prioritize actions to make development co-operation more effective. Parliamentarians and representatives of local and regional governments will get to share views on how to efficiently achieve the SDGs through setting specific policies and actions to will minimize transaction costs for developing countries and improve the quality of development co-operation partnerships.
“The HLM2 will discuss how to ensure development effectiveness becomes essential part of Agenda 2030. As civil society, we have both a responsibility and opportunity to help deliver effective development results to the people we represent. The most effective way to get these results is to demand accountability in its broadest and truest sense.” Vitalice Meja who heads regional secretariat Africa CPDE.
The meeting will comprise two days of preparatory sessions and two days of high level discussions. The preparatory sessions will include a stock-taking on the second GPEDC monitoring round and opportunities for a range of stakeholders to meet in advance of the high-level segment. The meeting will also feature a marketplace promoting technology, innovation and successful implementation.
The Global Partnership for Effective Development arose from an agreement reached at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, Republic of Korea, in 2011. Its main focus has been to maintain political support and foster engagement among stakeholders in the implementation of the agreements reached in Korea.
