Today more than half of the world’s population has no access to social protection at all. In Lao PDR and Tajikistan exclusion is even larger with, respectively, 87.9 and 73.4 percent of the population with no income security in cases of old age, maternity, unemployment and other life cycle and socioeconomic risks.  Poor governance, lack of integrated policy responses, and insufficient and unsustainable financing of social protection are key issues for a number of countries including Lao PDR and Tajikistan in their efforts to extending the coverage of social protection to all. There is a growing need for awareness raising at the global and national levels as well as for the sharing of knowledge and good practices, and the development of practical guidance for the strengthened governance and digitalization of social security systems, identified as a key accelerator enabling to leapfrog some of the bottlenecks to close the social protection coverage gap. The main objective of the project is thus to accelerate and extend universal social protection through the strengthening of the policy design, administrative governance and the digital transformation of social protection systems in Lao PDR and Tajikistan, and promote lessons learned to benefit other countries in the Global South. The project will pursue a two-fold strategy. In two focus countries, Lao PDR, and Tajikistan, technical support will be provided through the ILO country offices to strengthen governance, social security administration and services, and technical capacities of institutions and practitioners, including through the promotion of connectivity and digitalization. In parallel, the project will develop a knowledge base of good practices as well as hands-on training modules including on digital transformation of social protection planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation. These knowledge products will be useful for all countries and disseminated widely through UNRC network, DESA and ILO websites, seminars/workshops and training sessions including as part of the course offer of the ILO International Training Centre in Turin.

The Data For Now initiative (Data4Now) aims to develop countries’ capacities to deliver the information needed by local and national policy and decision makers to achieve the 2030 Agenda and make a positive difference in people’s lives.  To this end, it supports members of the national statistical systems in participating countries to collaborate more effectively with local, national and global partners from intergovernmental organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector, in order to leverage innovative sources, technologies and methods for the streamlined production and dissemination of better, more timely and disaggregated data for sustainable development. The initiative, which was launched by UN Deputy-Secretary General Amina Mohammed on 25 September 2019 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, seeks to enhance collaboration and promote synergies across increasingly complex data systems, supporting the mainstreaming of data innovations into official statistical production processes, including geospatial information, big data and other non-traditional data sources.  It is co-led by a core team consisting of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). A set of eight trailblazer countries from 3 continents have already joined the initiative, namely: Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia, Paraguay, Colombia, Ghana, Rwanda and Senegal. With this project, it is expected that 8 more countries will join the initiative. Data4Now is about accelerating the sustainable use of robust new methods and innovative tools that improve the timeliness, coverage, and quality of SDG data through collaboration, partnerships and capacity development. The work will also allow more timely and accurate measurement of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related policy interventions. The Data4Now initiative draws closely from the learnings of previous and ongoing work carried out by UNSD, the World Bank, GPSDD, and SDSN, and has been designed with inputs from government, civil society, academic and private sector partners. An inception workshop of the Data4Now initiative was hosted by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, in Kigali, Rwanda, on 13-14 November 2019. In this inception workshop, funded jointly by the four core partners, representatives from national statistical systems in the eight trailblazer countries, as well as partners from the private sector, academia and international identified priority needs and deliverables, and explored possible partnerships and solutions around data, technology and methods with highest potential impact to attain those deliverables. Building on the outcome of the inception workshop and the initial results of the activities in the trailblazer countries, UNSD, in close coordination with the other Data4Now core partners, will develop a work plan to collaborate with 10 additional countries in Africa and Asia that would join the Data4Now initiative. This plan foresees specific activities to support the production, analysis and use of accurate, inclusive and up-to-date data for the SDGs on priority themes identified by the national statistical system authorities of the 8 countries in the initial phase of the project.   
 

The Data For Now initiative (Data4Now) aims to develop countries’ capacities to deliver the information needed by local and national policy and decision makers to achieve the 2030 Agenda and make a positive difference in people’s lives.  To this end, it supports members of the national statistical systems in participating countries to collaborate more effectively with local, national and global partners from intergovernmental organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector, in order to leverage innovative sources, technologies and methods for the streamlined production and dissemination of better, more timely and disaggregated data for sustainable development. The initiative, which was launched by UN Deputy-Secretary General Amina Mohammed on 25 September 2019 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, seeks to enhance collaboration and promote synergies across increasingly complex data systems, supporting the mainstreaming of data innovations into official statistical production processes, including geospatial information, big data and other non-traditional data sources.  It is co-led by a core team consisting of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data (GPSDD), and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). A set of eight trailblazer countries from 3 continents have already joined the initiative, namely: Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia, Paraguay, Colombia, Ghana, Rwanda and Senegal. Data4Now is about accelerating the sustainable use of robust new methods and innovative tools that improve the timeliness, coverage, and quality of SDG data through collaboration, partnerships and capacity development. It draws closely from the learnings of previous and ongoing work carried out by UNSD, the World Bank, GPSDD, and SDSN, and has been designed with inputs from government, civil society, academic and private sector partners.  An inception workshop of the Data4Now initiative was hosted by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, in Kigali, Rwanda, on 13-14 November 2019. In this inception workshop, funded jointly by the four core partners, representatives from national statistical systems in the eight trailblazer countries, as well as partners from the private sector, academia and international identified priority needs and deliverables, and explored possible partnerships and solutions around data, technology and methods with highest potential impact to attain those deliverables. Building on the outcome of the inception workshop, the UNSD, in close coordination with other Data4Now core partners, has developed a plan of action to build the capacity of Colombia and Senegal, two Data4Now trailblazer countries that are also priority target countries for the Italian development cooperation. This  plan of action foresees specific activities to support the collection, analysis and use of accurate, inclusive and up-to-date data for the SDGs on two priority themes identified by their respective national statistical system authorities, namely (1) measurement of poverty indicators among difficult-to-reach population groups, and (2) production of disaggregated and timely crop-yield estimates.   

Integrated national financing frameworks (INFFs) can help countries design and deliver financing solutions that can support the achievement of national sustainable development objectives, and a sustainable recovery. Since INFFs were first introduced as part of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, interest in them has grown steadily. The international community has responded by developing tools and providing funding for national reform efforts.  In the last two years, the Inter-agency Task Force on Financing for Development (IATF), led by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), has published a series of guidance materials to support INFF implementation. Governments in over 80 countries are working with UN Country Teams, UNDP and other UN system agencies to implement INFFs. The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout have further heightened interest in INFFs, with several countries adopting them in support of recovery plans. With a view to complementing the implementation support provided by partners, UNDESA is proposing a targeted support program for sustainable development and SDG Financing in 4 Small Island Developing States (SIDS), as part of the DESA-led Financing for SIDS (FINS Initiative). DESA’s work is complementary to UNDP country support, providing high caliber integrated experts who work in country, as well as tailored mentoring support and training at the regional and global level. This in-depth support both addresses the special needs of SIDS and will serve as a basis for refining and developing global analytical work. The SIDS work will thus be levered to support implementation of INFFs across a wide group of countries. INFFs can help SIDS develop effective and comprehensive frameworks for financing sustainable development and the SDGs at the country level, by considering all types of finance (i.e., public, private, domestic, and international) in a risk-informed manner. Initially, three African SIDS (Guinea Bissau, Mauritius, and Seychelles) expressed interest in receiving support on financing for sustainable development under the DESAled FINS initiative. To obtain support under the project, the government entity in charge of overseeing and coordinating the design of the financing strategy and its alignment with the country’s national development priorities (most usually the Ministry of Finance), in coordination with other relevant core Ministries as appropriate, must send a formal request for support to UNDESA through the UN Resident Coordinator Offices (UNRCOs).  As of August 2022, Mauritius and Seychelles have sent formal requests of support for the development of an integrated national financing strategy to UNDESA. This was the product of substantive exchanges with country officials that were facilitated by the UNRCO, UN country teams (UNCTs) and benefitted from engagement with other development partners such as UNDP.  Country selection for the project is a continuing process and conversations are well underway with other SIDS with similar levels of interest and political backing for INFF operationalization, such as the Dominican Republic and Vanuatu. 

The project aims at making Sustainable development goal data of project countries open and available to the widest possible audience by improving the dissemination and use of Sustainable Development Goal indicators at national and international levels. The project will build capacity of countries in dissemination of data; modernisation of their National Statistical Systems with up-to-date technology and skills; engagement with key users of data; and will create an on-line, international data and visualisation platform for Sustainable Development Goal indicators.

Around 12 least developed countries (LDC) are scheduled to leave the category in coming years, more than doubling the number which have left the category in the 47 years since it was formed. Many of these potential graduates are concerned about losing access to the international support measures (ISMs) provided by the international community. After graduation, in some cases after a transition period, countries stand to face reduced support or forego access to support measures in trade, official development assistance and other areas such as travel support and reduced budgetary contributions to the UN. The loss of these benefits disincentivizes graduating LDCs, most of which are along the Belt and Road, from leaving the category, a process which is not automatic but is ultimately the sovereign decision of governments. The drop-off in international support also risks stalling development progress after graduation. LDC graduation and assistance for LDCs are mentioned in ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ approximately 44 times, particularly with a view to ‘leaving no-one behind’. Support for LDCs after they leave the category is an important way of helping these countries meet the SDGs by 2030.
The project will work with the governments of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal and Timor Leste, as well as international specialists and UN entities, to develop a set of proposals for post-graduation assistance. Some of these will be specific to the country concerned, and some generic – ie. applicable across the board. The proposals will partly aim at mitigating the potential impact of forfeiting existing ISMs – such as the loss of duty-free, quota-free market access under the European Everything But Arms Initiative – and will partly take the form of fresh measures to assist with the new development landscape following graduation, such as new infrastructure investment to support trade diversification. The key beneficiaries are thus the populations of these countries, totaling some 269 million people, intermediated through the Ministries of Planning, Trade, the Central Banks and private sector institutions. These will also be the prime entities involved with implementation in each country, alongside teams of national and international consultants overseen by UNDESA staff.
The project will first result in a concrete list, for each country, of new proposed assistance mechanisms for the post-graduation landscape. Communications and advocacy measures built into the project will aim at incorporating these mechanisms into international processes such as the forthcoming new Programme of Action for LDCs to be launched after 2020, and ideally some of the measures will be adopted by donors and trading partners. They will also be incorporated into government planning. Secondly, beyond the development and publicity of these measures, the project will strengthen policy frameworks and institutions for the adoption and use of selected assistance mechanisms in target countries.
Analysis and recommendations will be developed and published in an in-depth analytical study. Subject to government priorities and ratification, they will be included in the government planning documents of target countries, supported by development partners, and implemented with a view to enhancing sustainable development in the post-graduation era. An anticipated secondary outcome will be to incentivize the next graduating LDCs to leave the category, given new assurances of support.

The Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development (OISC/DESA) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), United Nations is continuously developing its programme of capacity development related to the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) with a view to strengthen the capacities of countries presenting their VNR at the high-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF) in 2022 and 2023.
The voluntary national reviews (VNRs) aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. As stipulated in paragraph 84 of the 2030 Agenda, regular reviews by the HLPF are to be voluntary, state-led, undertaken by both developed and developing countries, and involve multiple stakeholders. Participation during the actual presentations of the VNRs by various countries provides valuable opportunities when lessons, experiences and solutions from the different presenters are shared, allowing the countries’ participants to learn, bring these lessons learned/experiences/solutions back 
to their countries, try them out, and adapt them to their situation in their efforts to implement their plans. VNRs are also mandated to lead to the launching of partnerships. At the 2016 HLPF - the first HLPF since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs - 22 countries conducted voluntary reviews. Since this first VNR exercise, the number of countries conducting VNRs has steadily grown. Out of 45 countries that will be presenting their VNRs at 2022 HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC, there are 12 first time presenters, 28 second time presenters, 3 third time presenters and 2 fourth time presenters. For the 2023 HLPF, it is expected that 30 – 40 countries will conduct their VNRs. The preparations of the VNRs thus provide the opportunity for countries to review the range of policies and efforts related to the 2030 Agenda. VNRs also provide a unique opportunity to drive institutional change towards ‘whole-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ approaches and to bolster capacity-building at the national level to implement the 2030 Agenda. The workshops will provide capacity building support for countries presenting their VNRs by allowing peer learning on core issues related to adapting policies and institutions to the SDGs, and sharing lessons learned from the VNRs for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It will provide the opportunity for VNR countries to learn from each other and facilitate future peer learning amongst government officials. The first stage of the project will focus on organizing the Second Global VNR Workshop to be held in Gaborone, Botswana (11 – 12 April 2022). At the second stage of the project, the First Global VNR Workshop for 2023 will be organized in Italy (October 2022). It is proposed that a total budget of US$ 220,000.00 be provided for this project for related contractual services, general operating and other direct costs and travel expenses.

The achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs largely depends on inclusive national and local actions. The primary objective of the present proposal is to support the acceleration and scaling up of SDGs implementation and localization through the preparations of Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) of SDG implementation in the target countries and regions and, through this process, to build the capacities of government officials at the national and subregional levels for effective SDGs implementation at all levels, including the subnational level and reviewing and monitoring of progress. The proposed activities will form a comprehensive support structure for the development of the VLRs and their linkages to Voluntary National Reviews in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and local governments in the cross-border Chaco region of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, in collaboration with the participating local governments and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Offices and United Nations country teams. The activities respond to a direct request received, respectively, from  the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare of Zimbabwe,submitted through the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office (dated 21 August 2021), requesting support for the development of VLRs and from the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Paraguay (dated 28 April 2021), requesting support for the development of a Voluntary Local Review in El Chaco Region (Western region) and potentially in other interested entities. The Offices of the Resident Coordinator in Argentina and Bolivia have also expressed their interest in participating in the present project, as has Argentina’s Commission for Sustainable Development Goals. These activities will also be implemented in line with the priorities identified in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks for each country.

Micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  MSMEs help reduce levels of poverty through job creation and economic growth, they are key drivers of employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship for women, youth and groups in vulnerable situations, and also make up the majority of the world’s food producers and ensure sustainable food production systems, they play a critical role in closing the gender gap as they ensure women’s full and effective participation in the economy and in society. Despite their noted contributions to the achievement of the SDGs, MSMEs, especially women and youth-owned enterprises, have been hit the hardest by the negative socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The urgent need to enhance MSME resilience has been prioritized in the General Assembly resolution A/RES/74/270 ‘Global Solidarity to fight the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)’ and the Secretary-General’s report ‘Shared responsibility, global solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic’. In accordance with official expressions of interest from pilot countries, the project will support the implementation of integrated and inclusive policy measures that enhance MSME resilience, including building an enabling policy environment and improving capacity and skills among MSME entrepreneurs. It will build the capacity of policymakers to design and implement effective policy measures tailormade to demands of MSME entrepreneurs, as well as improve the capacity of MSME entrepreneurs, particularly women and youth MSME entrepreneurs, expanding their access to financial resources, high-value market opportunities and innovative techniques that enhance resilience. Capacity building workshops, policy dialogue, technical trainings and study tours will be delivered to build the capacities of policymakers to formulate and implement structural transformation initiatives that include MSMEs as well as enhance the abilities of MSME entrepreneurs to access and adopt good practices and innovations conducive for MSME resilience. The project will deliver guidelines, toolkits and knowledge products to disseminate experience and good practices on MSME resilience for building forward better among pilot countries. It will endeavor to develop and promote a community of practice (CoP), targeting policymakers, MSME entrepreneurs and other stakeholders committed to fostering MSME resilience and building forward back from both project pilot countries, as well as countries willing to contribute to the project with their expertise and resources. To ensure its long-term sustainability, the project will leverage existing partnerships with government counterparts, Resident Coordinators’ Offices, UN Country Teams and private sector partners, which DSDG/DESA has built through implementing the current MSME project from 2017. To scale up sustained impact, the project will pursue opportunities to align with inter-governmental process, global and regional initiatives, such as the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in the Asia-Pacific region, creating synergies and leveraging resources for continued implementation of project achievements beyond its lifecycle. MSME entrepreneurs, in particular women and youth MSME entrepreneurs, are the targeted beneficiaries of this project. Project stakeholders include government authorities, development partners, private sector, civil society and research institutions. Eventually, by enhancing MSME resilience, the project will expand MSME contribution to shared prosperity, sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, sustainable patterns of production and consumption, reductions in inequality, and solidarity and cooperation among countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

The objective of the project is to enhance the presence and leadership of women in public institutions at national and local levels in selected countries of the Africa and Asia regions, currently identified as Mauritius and Senegal, Bhutan and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, respectively. The initiative will enhance the capacity of the governments in the four project countries to develop and implement an action plan that prioritizes gender equality in public administration at the national and local levels and promotes women’s career progression towards leadership positions in the public sector. It will also stimulate a South-South knowledge transfer and cross-fertilization by enhancing the awareness of a broader group of governments (partnering countries) on the importance to prioritize gender equality in public administration. Direct beneficiaries include high- and mid-level government officials from ministries and governmental institutions at the national and subnational levels. Indirect beneficiaries include citizens and communities at large.