By Cai U. Ordinario
The national government is mulling over the creation of another interagency committee that will focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
Neda Assistant Director General and current Officer in Charge Rosemarie G. Edillon told reporters on Thursday that the new inter-agency body will focus on monitoring the country’s performance and other efforts on the global goals.
“We are looking at several options. One option is to make it as a committee of the Neda Board, so interagency pa rin. Kailangan talaga [ang] oversight [and] DBM [Department of Budget and Management] has to be there dahil sa financing side and [the] DOF [Department of Finance]. You need the key economic agencies like environment,” Edillon said.
The Neda official said there was a previous suggestion that an SDG steering committee be lodged at the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development.
However, Edillon said given the various social, economic and environmental goals that need to be monitored, it would be better for the steering committee to be placed under the ambit of the Neda, an oversight agency.
Edillon said that Goals 1 to 6, which are mainly the Millennium Development Goals, are social goals. Goals 7 to 12, meanwhile, are mostly economic goals.
Goals 13 to 15 comprised of environmental goals. Goal 16, on the other hand, is a mixed goal that focuses on peace and justice, while Goal 17 is focused on global partnership.
Goal 11 covers economic and environment concerns and Goal 10 covers social and economic topics.
“If its part of the Neda Board, then it will have part of the structure, the apparatus. I think ’yun ang pinaka-viable,” Edillon said. “It has to be substantially a higher up so there will be substantial
coordination.”
The Neda Board is the highest policy-making body of the Neda, the country’s premier socioeconomic planning agency. It is chaired by no less than the President of the Philippines.
The Neda Board already has several interagency committees under its wing, including the Investment Coordination Committee, Infrastructure Committee, and Development Budget Coordination Committee, among others.
Meanwhile, Edillon said the government has yet to craft a financial plan for the SDGs. This will be drafted once the SDG indicators are finalized by the United Nations.
However, given that there are 169 targets for 17 goals, the indicators that will be required to meet the goals could be more than double the number of targets, more financial resources are needed.
Edillon said the Philippines is ready to provide data for 75 percent of the data requirements needed for the over 200 indicators but will need more data sources for other indicators.
Many of the additional indicators will require disaggregating data according to gender, as well as providing data specifically on persons with disability and indigenous peoples.
“The problem is under the SDG kasi because the principle is ‘no one left behind,’ then we have to make sure that it can be disaggregated. Disaggregated by gender, disaggregated by minority groups, persons with disability, mga ganun,” Edillon explained.
“It will require lots of resources. ’Yun lang making it representative at the provincial level, sample size has to be increased by four, so times four, eh ’yun pang may disaggregation,” she added.
The SDGs are composed of 17 goals with around 169 targets with 229 global indicators. The goals were adopted in September 2015.
The Global Goals aim to end poverty and hunger; promote universal health; education for all and lifelong learning; achieve gender equality; sustainable water management; ensure sustainable energy for all; decent work for all; resilient infrastructure; and reduce income inequality between and among countries.
The goals also include create sustainable cities; ensure sustainable consumption and production; take action against climate change; conserve and sustainably use oceans and marine resources; reduce biodiversity loss; achieve peaceful and inclusive societies; and revitalize global partnership for development.