How Can the HLPF Provide Useful Policy Guidance? Mark Elder Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Presented at the 2018 Sustainable Development Transition Forum Incheon, Republic of Korea 29 October 2018

HLPF Mandate HLPF’s mandate is basically limited Answer to question in session title: not easy Note: Governments created the HLPF before SDGs HLPF’s mandate is basically limited Voluntary Focuses on information sharing Potential HLPF elements beyond information sharing Provide *guidance* on follow-up & review Negotiated *political declarations* How can HLPF improve on its predecessor, the Commission on Sustainable Development? Can it go beyond being a “talk shop?”

HLPF: VNR Contents & Reporting Areas already getting attention Progress towards goals Implementation structure Stakeholder consultation Interlinkages among SDGs Recommend more attention on efforts Means of implementation (MOI) Concrete actions (not just allocation of MOI) Especially efforts beyond actions taken before the establishment of SDGs (additional efforts motivated by SDGs)

Efforts to Implement SDGs (Domestic) Means of Implementation Need to move beyond MOI concept in international negotiations (focused on ODA) Focus on MOE from a domestic perspective Need to focus on concrete actions (not just gathering resources) Recommend more attention on policies laws, regulations, & budgets Policies, laws, regulations Budgets (spending and revenue) Need to be more specific than “enabling conditions” Need to move beyond a project-based approach to a more systematic approach

SDGs in National Policy Context SDG issues are not really ”new.” Most governments worked on most SDGs before they were adopted. Examples: Poverty reduction, agriculture Health, education Water, energy, forest resources Environmental protection In VNRs, not always clear what is “new” Need to highlight what is new – additional effort motivated by SDGs Map existing budgets & policies to SDGs Then, highlight additional budgets & new/stronger policies

Existing Suggested Outline (“building blocks”) VNR Handbook Existing Suggested Outline (“building blocks”) Ownership of the SDGs Incorporation of the SDGs into national frameworks Integrating 3 dimensions of SD Leaving no one behind Structural issues Institutional mechanisms Goals and targets Means of Implementation Next steps These are good building blocks Reasonable to focus on “progress” and level of achievement But difficult to distinguish existing and new policies Recommendations Need to highlight efforts Budgets could be under MOI But laws, policies, regulations, should be more visible

Negotiated Political Declarations? Many challenges Already hundreds of multilateral environment, other agreements. What to focus on? Would take much time and effort But without (or even with) political declarations, risk of concluding as a “talk shop” Recommendation: develop a new measure of “well being” Replace GDP Needs organized stakeholder input; currently no scientific consensus on which measure is best Note: production of GDP statistics is supported globally by significant resources and institutional structure (national statistical offices)

IGES Outputs Aim Encourage more ambitious actions with transformative potential IGES Activities & Publications on the SDGs List as of March 2018 https://pub.iges.or.jp/system/files/publication_documents/pub/fact/6423/APFSD_IGES%20Activties%20and%20Publications%20on%20the%20SDGs.pdf