International Development Committee Report: UK Implementation of SDGs

08 June 2016

The Scotland Malawi Partnership was pleased to be a part of the launch of the UK Parliament International Development Committee's report on UK Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals on the 8th June.

The Scotland Malawi Partnership was pleased to be a part of the launch of the UK Parliament International Development Committee’s report on UK Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals on the 8th June.

The SMP submitted to this inquiry last year and is quoted in the final report, highlighting our support for universality and policy coherence for development (paras 68 and 78). Almost all of the points made by the SMP in its submission have been carried through to the Committee’s final report.

We very much welcome the report which we feel offers useful insight into the UK’s delivery of the SDGs and makes constructive recommendations on how the UK Government could strengthen its work in this area.

We especially welcome the Committees comments that:

“Civil society organisations – from the global north and global south – have a vital part to play in the achievement of the SDGs, through communicating and implementing the Goals, and holding governments to account on progress.” (Para 56)

“We hope the crucial role of civil society in achieving the Goals will be recognised by the Government in the upcoming Civil Society Partnership Review, and that they will work closely with civil society organisations on the implementation of the Goals, both at home and overseas.” (Para 56)

“We remain to be convinced that responsibility for domestic implementation should lie with the Secretary of State for International Development who already faces a substantial challenge in working to support international implementation of the Goals” (para 74)

“We are particularly concerned that the SDGs have not been included in the 2015-2020 Single Departmental Plans of all government departments as was previously suggested by the Minister” (para 75)

“We are deeply concerned at the lack of a strategic and comprehensive approach to implementation of the Goals” (para 83)

“We welcome the Minister’s announcement that the Government will produce a report outlining the international and domestic approach to implementation of the SDGs by the end of the year but are disappointed at the apparent reluctance to call it an implementation plan and at the impression of a lack of urgency on this issue” (para 89)

We especially welcome the Committees recommendations that:

“DFID look closely at its civil society funding mechanisms to ensure: (para 57)

(a) “small NGOs, particularly in the Global South, are not being discriminated against because of difficulties in disbursing and managing small amounts of money…”

(b) “innovation and collaboration to achieve the SDGs are encouraged through flexible funding and reporting;

(c) “CSOs are able to undertake the important task of communicating the SDGs to citizens across the world so that governments are held to account on progress.”

“Departments should be assigned specific responsibilities for making progress on the SDGs – as originally indicated in DFID’s evidence – to ensure ownership and clear lines of accountability” (para 76)

“The Cabinet Office should lead on this work, in consultation with DFID” (para 77)

“The Government should commit to producing a biennial report on policy coherence for sustainable development” (para 85)

“The forthcoming Government report on the UK Implementation of the SDGs should be urgently produced and must equate to a substantive cross-government plan for implementation of the SDGs” (para 90)

“The UK Government should report annually on its contribution to SDG progress in all of DFID’s priority countries” (para 122) “…this report…must be made publically available…” (para 123)

“All House of Commons departmental select committees engage with the SDGs” (para 128)

The Scotland Malawi Partnership whole-heartedly endorse the findings of this Parliamentary inquiry.

We welcome the strong commitments that both the UK and the Scottish Governments have made regarding delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. We applaud the important leading role the UK Government, and the Prime Minister in particular, played in the development of the SDGs and we encourage both Governments to move quickly to develop effective implementation plans.

We encourage the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee to come to Scotland and meet with members of the Scotland Malawi Partnership who have an inspiring story to tell about what, already, is being done to champion the SDGs and build civic engagement in Scotland.

The recommendations made by the UK Parliament’s International Development Committee for the UK Government are strikingly similar to the recommendations made by the SMP and others for the Scottish Government in our recent submission to the SG’s international development policy consultation (section 4.4):

“We stand with NIDOS, UNICEF Scotland, UN House, IDEAS, Learning for Sustainability and others across Scotland in calling for the SG to:

(i) Establish a post within the office of the First Minister, either as a Ministerial appointment or senior civil servant, dedicated to the implementation of the SDGs.

(ii) Support effective national structures to engage civic society, business and local government in the delivery of the SDGs.

(iii) Commit to publishing regular implementation reports detailing Scotland’s progress against the SDGs, with channels for parallel reporting from Scottish civic society.”

“The SMP encourages the Scottish Government to fund the development and administration of a central website (www.globalgoals.scot), collating information about activities across Scotland for the implementation of the SDGs”

“The SMP recommends a modest investment in the coordination of Scotland’s civic contribution to the SDGs, designed in such a way as to unlock existing potential capacity and resource across civic society.”

IDC Launch photo