Global policy barrier to SDGs implementation: economist

The current global policy environment is standing in the way of effective implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at country levels, said Debapriya Bhattacharya, distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue.

The good news is that the SDGs have hit the ground running and countries have already geared up to implement the 2030 agenda, he told a meeting of the United Nations in New York on Monday. 

He spoke at the opening plenary session of the High Level Political Forum, the top body of the UN that monitors the implementation of the SDGs, said the CPD in a statement.

This was the first annual review by the UN of the progress in implementation of the SDGs.

The agenda was adopted by the UN in September 2015, and most of the countries have already integrated the SDGs in their respective national plans, said Bhattacharya.

"But they are facing challenges in the areas of institutional capacity, availability of financial resources and access to necessary data and information."

His comments came as the global economy faces faltering growth, rising inequality, new pandemics and dearth of peace and security.

There is a need to improve the global economic governance to bolster SDG delivery at the national level, said Bhattacharya, also the chair of Southern Voice on Post-MDG International Goals, a network of 49 think-tanks from Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Wu Hongbo, UN under-secretary-general for economic and social affairs, presented the 2016 SDG Progress Report on behalf of the UN head. Hongbo pointed out the importance of political leadership in delivering the new global agenda, said the CPD statement.

Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the United Nations Framework for Climate Change, underscored a strong baseline for kick-starting the 2030 agenda.

Oh Joon, president of Economic and Social Council of the UN, chaired the opening session.