1. The 2030 Development Agenda: Tackling regional challenges
Ben Slay
Senior advisor
UNDP Regional Bureau
for Europe and CIS
Istanbul
16 December 2015

2. Key issues and messages
Lessons learned from region’s MDG experience
Implications for SDGs
Emerging “issues of transition”
Greater complexity
National adaptation, prioritization, and “cherry picking”
Statistical capacity
Staggered start
Need for rapid, cohesive, integrated UN approach

3. MDGs in the region: Lessons learned
National post-2015 consultations ( )
Held in virtually all “programme countries”
Regional post-2015 consultation (November 2013)

4. MDGs in Europe and Central Asia: An uneasy fit
Weak identification with the “South”
European- , Russo-centric country orientation
Extreme poverty, basic services—not (seen as) major challenges
20+ new states emerge after “MDG baseline year” 1990, facing major issues of:
Governance, human rights
Conflict/post-conflict
Environmental sustainability (in poorer countries)
Institutional capacity (especially for data/statistics)
ODA inflows relatively modest

5. MDGs’ weak environmental sustainability dimensions matter—Water . . .
Aral Sea:
Water withdrawals as a share of total fresh water resources ( , HDRO data)

6. . . . Land, energy, and health
Numbers of child deaths per 100,000 children (2004 data)
Shares of population living on degraded land (2010)
Source: UNDP Human Development Report Office.

7. The “governance disconnect”—also an issue
Popular insurrections unseat governments . . .
Ukraine (2014, 2005)
Kyrgyzstan (2010, 2005)
Moldova (2009)
Georgia (2003)
Albania (1997)
. . . Even as these countries are “on track to achieve the MDGs”

8. Unemployment rates disaggregated by age, ethnicity
“Tyranny of averages”: National data often conceal pockets of poverty, vulnerability
Unemployment rates disaggregated by age, ethnicity
Sources: ILO, national statistical offices, UNDP/EU/World Bank Roma vulnerability database data.

9. MDGs in the region: Pluses
“Adaptation” of MDGs, targets, indicators:
“Nationalization”:
MDG targets, indicators redefined to better reflect national specifics
Virtually all countries in the region did this
“Localization”: Sub-national disaggregation
Result: More national relevance
But less international comparability
MDG needs assessments/costing estimates
Helped with sectoral resource mobilization
MAFs: Joint UN responses

10. From MDGs to SDGs: Continuity and change
2000
2015
2030
Dignity
end poverty, fight inequality
People
ensure healthy lives, knowledge, inclusion of women and children
Planet
protect our ecosystems for all societies and our children
Partnership
catalyse global solidarity for sustainable development
SDGs: “Sustainable development in all countries”
Justice
promote safe and peaceful societies, and strong institutions
MDGs: “Reduce poverty, extend basic services in poor countries”
Prosperity
grow a strong, inclusive and transformative economy

11. MDGs v. SDGs: The numbers game
Issues of transition: “Complexity”, “adaptation”, “prioritization”, “cherry picking”
Many middle income-countries adapted MDG targets and indicators to reflect national specifics
Advantage: More national relevance
Disadvantage: Less international comparability
There are 409 sustainable development goals, targets, and (proposed*) indicators  Complexity
Will other (new) ones be “adapted”? Or
Will it be about “which indicators to use”?
How will national priorities be set?
“Cherry picking”?
MDGs v. SDGs: The numbers game
Goals
Targets
Indicators
MDGs 8 21 60
SDGs 17
169
223*

12. Issue of transition: Statistical capacity?
Emerging gap between SDG:
Statistical aspirations
Realities
March 2015 survey on proposed SDG indicator feasibility 
Implication: Many developing countries will not escape “tyranny of averages”
Question: Can “big data” (“open data”) be part of the answer?
UNSC indicator assessment survey
Number of indicators
Very relevant, suitable, and feasible
50 (16%)
Very relevant, suitable, but only feasible with a strong effort
39 (13%)
Very relevant, but suitability needs further discussion, and only feasible with a strong effort
28 (9%)
Only somewhat relevant, suitability needs further discussion, and only feasible with a strong effort
86 (28%)
Only somewhat relevant, suitability needs further discussion, and difficult even with a strong effort
95 (31%)
Based on responses to a UN Statistical Commission survey of 70 national statistical offices conducted in March 2015.

13. SDG indicators: A staggered start?
Green SDGs: No problem with indicators
Yellow SDGs: Indicator problems can be resolved
Grey SDGs: “More discussion necessary” on indicators
“Ready to rock”   “Not yet ready for prime time”
UNDP calculations, based on responses from 25 member states, collected by UN Statistical Commission in October 2015.

14. SDGs: Some concluding thoughts
SDGs fit our region much better than MDGs did
This is a huge opportunity but where’s the money?
Alternative sources of development finance (e.g., remittances)?
How do we do SDG16 (“peace, justice, inclusive institutions”)?
Governments are expecting UN support that is:
Timely
Integrated
Complexity of SDG agenda means we can not know all the answers in advance—especially on:
Reporting
Accountability
But let’s not let this stand in the way of moving forward Together 

15. Thank you very much! Ben.slay@undp.org