Sustainable Development Goals

Implementation Meet

Post 2015 Development Agenda for India

Letter from the
Executive Board
Dear Ministers and Civil Society Members,

As your moderating Executive Panel, we would like to welcome you to the First
Sustainable Development Goals Implementation Meet 2016.

As the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) reached their December 2015 deadline, a
new set of transformative and universal Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have
been adopted by world leaders as a part of the Post2015 Development Agenda at the
United Nations General Assembly in September 2015. The new sustainable development
agenda seeks to ensure that the momentum generated by the millennium development goals
is carried forward beyond 2015 to achieve not just substantial reductions in poverty,
hunger and other deprivations but finally end them to provide a life of dignity to all.

At this crucial juncture, the responsibility of steering development in India has been passed
on to a new Government. It is now an opportune moment to take stock of the achievement
of the MDGs in India and lessons learned that can be incorporated into the design and
implementation of the sustainable development goals to build upon the unfinished MDG
agenda.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which were announced by the
Assembly, demonstrate the scale and ambition of this new universal Agenda. They seek to
build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what they did not achieve. They
seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment
of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions
of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental. The Goals and targets
will stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance for humanity and
the planet.

India being at the helm of game changing in the international forum

will have to carve out its own polices for implementing this broad
agenda of Sustainable Development Goals. We have written this
background guide with the intent of providing you the basic
information about the purpose of the meet and shedding light on the
aforesaid theme. However, this by no means implies that you have to
restrict yourself to this document. You are thereby encouraged to
use this text only as a starting reference point for your research
further.

We encourage all members to come up with innovative as well as

constructive arguments and debates in the committee as it is a
pressing issue which is being debated about. The delegates must keep
the context of the agenda in mind
and formulate their stance on the agenda as per their respective
portfolios.

We are confident that members at the meet will engage in a fruitful,

constructive and healthy debate.

Wishing good luck to all the members !

Riya Chhibber Dakshina Moorthy

Chairperson Vice Chairperson
I. Sustainable Development Goals Implementation Meet: An
Overview of the Meets mandate
As per General Assembly Resolution : Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, adopted on 25th September 2015, Clause 78 and 79 make
suggestions for national level provisions that member states can adopt in order to implement
Sustainable Development Goals. The clauses state:

National level

78. We encourage all Member States to develop as soon as practicable ambitious national
responses to the overall implementation of this Agenda. These can support the transition to
the Sustainable Development Goals and build on existing planning instruments, such as
national development and sustainable development strategies, as appropriate.

79. We also encourage Member States to conduct regular and inclusive reviews of progress
at the national and subnational levels which are country-led and country driven. Such
reviews should draw on contributions from indigenous peoples, civil society, the private
sector and other stakeholders, in line with national circumstances, policies and priorities.
National parliaments as well as other institutions can also support these processes.

As part of the First Sustainable Development Goals Implementation Meet, the purpose of
the meet shall primarily be:

1. To deliberate, analyse and make assessments of Indias achievement of the MDGs

2. To contemplate new policy frameworks for the implementation of Sustainable

Development goals and challenges thereon

3. To discuss major SDGs that require special attention as per the current Indian scenario

4. To decipher and discuss a roadmap for sustainable development for India, especially
keeping in mind areas of Poverty, Education, Food Security etc.

5. To develop a comprehensive understanding between ministries and civil society members

in achievement of SDGs.

As far as the committee procedures are concerned, standard motions and caucuses shall be
in order and members coming for the meet will be able to engage in formal as well as an
informal discussion from time to time. More details about the committee procedures shall be
dealt with when the meet commences.
II. From MDGs to SDGs
At the Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September, 2015, UN Member adopted the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate
change by 2030.

The SDGs, otherwise known as the Global Goals, build on the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets that the world committed to achieving by 2015.
The MDGs, adopted in 2000, aimed at an array of issues that included slashing poverty,
hunger, disease, gender inequality, and access to water and sanitation. Enormous progress
has been made on the MDGs, showing the value of a unifying agenda underpinned by goals
and targets. Despite this success, the indignity of poverty has not been ended for all.

The new Global Goals, and the broader sustainability agenda, go much further than the
MDGs, addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that
works for all people.

UNDP Administrator Helen Clark noted: "This agreement marks an important milestone in
putting our world on an inclusive and sustainable course. If we all work together, we have a
chance of meeting citizens aspirations for peace, prosperity, and wellbeing, and to preserve
our planet.

It is important to note that the new goals must be integrated into national and regional
strategies and polices. One major challenge facing the developing world was access to
long-term financing for infrastructure development for achievement of Millennium
Development Goals. This gap must be closed and the voices of developing countries
must be heard by multinational institutions while also confirming the fulfilment of
ODA and trade agreements.

The Global Goals will now finish the job of the MDGs, and ensure that no one is left
behind. In the light of these new goals, India, as a developing nation has new roles and
responsibilities to fulfil.
III. Indias performance on
MDGs : Achievements and Challenges
Looking ahead, we must focus on the main development concerns that India will have to
confront in the post-2015 period to achieve a better, more inclusive and sustainable future
and for that, the assessment of Indias performance on MDGs is significant.

A February 2015 report by UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social

Commission for Asia and Pacific) on behalf of the UN Country Team-India gives a
comprehensive and detailed account of Indias performance on MDGs. Some of the crucial
points mentioned in the report are:

1. India has made notable progress towards reaching the MDGs but achievement
across the Goals varies. India has already achieved the target for reducing poverty by half
(Goal 1) by official estimates and is close to doing so by international estimates. India has
already achieved gender parity in primary school enrolment (Goal 3).

2. India has increased forest cover and has halved the proportion of population
without access to clean drinking water (Goal 7). But India lagged behind on targets for
achieving universal primary school enrolment and completion and achieving universal
youth literacy by 2015 (Goal 2); empowering women through wage employment and
political participation (Goal 3); reducing child and infant mortality (Goal 4); and improving
access to adequate sanitation to eliminate open defecation (Goal 7).

3. India can improve performance by helping the weaker states emulate the good
performers. The analysis finds that states that performed better on the MDGs focused
on the following drivers:

Accelerated broad-based and employment creating economic growth. Across states in

India, economic growth is closely related to MDG performance. It is due to indirect
impacts of growth on MDGs from governments expanding revenues; and direct impacts
of growth from employment creation and increased incomes for poor households to invest
in nutrition, health and education.

Channeled resources into human development. Across India, states spending more on
health and education in per capita terms have seen their human development surpass
others.

Promoted good governance and effective delivery of public services. States with
better, more accountable and responsive service delivery have also performed better on
the MDGs. For example, states that provided more work to the poor under the Mahatma

Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and provided more food
grains for poor households from the Public Distribution System (PDS) also achieved better
overall MDG performance scores.
 Extended basic infrastructure networks.
States that have extended roads and transport and promoted access to electricity have seen
more improvement in MDGs such as health and education than other states. States with
better access to all-weather roads have a greater proportion of births attended by skilled
health personnel. States with better access to electricity tend to perform better on literacy.

Promoted gender equality and empowerment of women helps achieve the MDGs by
reducing fertility, population growth, and child mortality; improves nutrition, hygiene and
health of households, childrens performance in schools, allocation of household
resources, and economic growth in general. States that have empowered women more
than others measured by the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM) have also
performed better on the MDGs.

The report has important country statistics in various areas and the challenges that India
must be ready to face in the implementation of the new policies with regard to Sustainable
Development goals. The Ministry representatives and Civil Society members can take a
look at the full report with the help of the following link:

India and the MDGs: Towards a Sustainable Future for All

http://www.unic.org.in/items/India_and_the_MDGs_small_web.pdf
IV. What is Sustainable
Development: An overview of the Sustainable Development
Goals

What is sustainable development?

The United Nations defines sustainable development as development that meets the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs. Previous dialogues on sustainability have more or less focused on climate change
and environmental issues, but the new paradigm of sustainability, as negotiated over the last
three years for this summit. includes all efforts towards an inclusive, sustainable and
resilient future for people and the planet.

There is a significant departure from the previous framework to now include a

harmonising of three elements: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental
protection. Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions is an indispensable
requirement for sustainable development, the UN has said.

Why the transition from MDGs to SDGs? Do we need another set of

global goals?
The document is being seen as a political document, not a technical one. Criticism that there
are too many 17 goals with 169 targets makes it a complex task to monitor, ensure
reporting and hold governments accountable, but the Rio+20 consensus was for a
comprehensive document, and this is comprehensive. But while the jury remains out on
whether these are achievable and realistic, whether the lack of clarity on monitoring and
accountability makes it an exercise in spelling
out truisms and platitudes, the fact that this is a political undertaking is important. As
undertakings that civil society and citizens can hold leaders accountable for, the goals are
significant.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are :

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable
agriculture

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Goal 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work
for all

Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster

innovation

Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries

Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land
degradation, halt biodiversity loss

Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies

Goal 17: Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Also, given that this is the first time that all nations adopt the same set of goals, regardless
of their relative position on the development continuum, given that emerging economies in
the developing world will play significant
roles as donors in their own right even as the developing world negotiates with the
developed world to keep its commitments on Official Development Assistance and other
forms of financial structural reform, the goals are more than just 17 desirables.

Who foots the bill for the implementation of the agenda?

The fine print on how developed countries are to contribute vis-a-vis developing countries is
still being finalised, though the Indian contingent of negotiators is among those G77
countries and China who insisted upon a Means of Implementation section in the document,
the latter squarely laying responsibilities upon the developed world to fulfil its commitments
on assistance and on transfer of technology to developing countries. For the first time, the
role of the private sector and its participation is also being chalked in from the very start of
the process.

According to UN officials, a framework of a revitalized global partnership for sustainable

development including the policies and actions arrived at in the Addis Ababa Conference
on Financing for Development held in July 2015 sought to define the precise nature of
resource mobilisation for implementing the goals.

How enthusiastic is civil society, given that it has been part of the
consultative process of drafting the SDGs?
Indian NGOs say they harbour a healthy skepticism of the goals themselves being achieved,
especially in the absence of clearly defined monitoring processes and clarity on resource
mobilisation these are still being negotiated. But their participation as stakeholders
means that they continue to engage with the process.

SDGs adopted, but how to implement them?

The 17 SDGs and 169 targets of the new agenda will be monitored and reviewed using a set
of global indicators. This framework of indicators is still to be developed and is currently
being reviewed by an Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators. The UN
Statistical Commission will finalize these markers or indicators, which will naturally
demand capacity-building on data collection in countries, by March 2016.

Subsequently, the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly will adopt these
indicators. Chief statisticians from Member States are working on the identification of the
targets with the aim to have 2 indicators for each target. Governments will also develop
their own national indicators to assist in monitoring progress made on the goals and
targets. The followup and review process will be undertaken on an annual basis by the
High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development through a SDG Progress Report to
be prepared by the SecretaryGeneral.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the General Assembly on its 70th
Session, said the new goals gave priority to enduring problems and reflected an evolving
understanding of the social, economic and environmental linkages that defined human life.
The goals centered on eliminating poverty, recognizing that economic growth,
industrialization, infrastructure and energy access formed the foundations of development,
he said, welcoming the prominence given to protecting the environmental.

A national plan was creating new capacity for renewable energy over the next seven years.
Working with development partners in Asia, Africa and Small Island States, he said
international partnerships must be at the center of development and climate change efforts.
Lifestyles must change and he hoped the developed world would fulfill its financing
commitments. The United Nations, including the Security Council, must be reformed for
greater credibility and legitimacy to effectively achieve the new goals he said.

The new Goals and targets will come into effect on 1 January 2016 and will guide the
decisions we take over the next 15 years.

V. India and SDGs: The roadmap for a sustainable future

The National Environmental Policy (NEP) of 2006 articulates the spirit of sustainable
development; it states that only such development is sustainable, which respects ecological
constraints and the imperatives of social justice. The NEP highlights the consensus around
the sustainable development concept through three foundational aspirations: first, that
human beings should enjoy a decent quality of life; second, that human beings should
become capable of recognizing the finiteness of the biosphere; and third, that neither the
aspiration of a good life, nor the recognition of the limits of the biophysical world should
preclude the search for greater justice in the world.

The NEP 2006 also asserts that the most viable basis of environmental conservation is to
ensure that people gain better livelihoods from the act of conservation of natural resources
than from environmental degradation.
Moreover, In a Brainstorming Session organized by TERI in January 2013 on the subject of
SDGs, it was highlighted that the debate on whether and how the MDGs beyond 2015 and
the SDGs should be converged is revolving around three strands:

Should SDGs finish what was started by the MDGs?

The MDGs included 8 goals and 21 targets. However, some of these target indicators did
not completely address the objective of the goal. One example is from Goal 1 on eradicating
extreme poverty and hunger. Although the goal seeks to eradicate extreme poverty, the
target is to halve the population of people living below US$ 1 a day. The target could be
further enhanced to completely eradicating poverty. Therefore, should SDGs consider
revisiting the MDGs and taking them forward to achieve what the goals hoped to achieve?

Should SDGs follow an MDG+ process?

This strand of the debate holds that the SDGs should add to the goals what the MDGs
missed out on, such as goals on energy, sustainable lifestyles, sustainable cities, and others.
In this view, SDGs would be like an add-on to the current MDGs.

Should SDGs adopt a new and radical approach?

Although there is a need to obtain and sustain what the MDGs tried to achieve, the SDGs
need to be formulated keeping in mind all the three pillars of sustainable development, and
the path towards SDGs should not just stop at the MDGs but should look beyond it. Further,
the means of implementation of SDGs must be supported by actions from developed
countries at the international level, such as time-bound financing targets, associated
macroeconomic policies including trade and economic policies, technology transfer, and
other resources to assist and enable developing countries efforts in this direction.

Challenges and further steps:

As far as Sustainable Development Goals are concerned, they are no less complex and
difficult to achieve than MDGs. However, the actual litmus test for achievement of these
goals lies in its proper implementation. And that is what the Meet is to decide. In India, the
implementation of these goals is the challenge.

India needs to actively contribute to the relevant intergovernmental negotiations that are
taking place in the lead upto 2015. It is essential that India has a plan in place to engage
with positions on the Post-2015 Development Agenda emerging from forums such as
BRICS (association of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), IBSA (India, Brazil,
and South Africa), and the G20 (Group of 20 major economies). The SDGs agenda, as it
unfolds at the international level, will generate many challenges within the national context
that will need to be addressed if progress has to be made. What are these challenges and the
possible means to address them?
Some of the steps and challenges that may be
deliberated by the ministers and civil society members during the meet are:

1. Raising awareness about the SDGs among the public, and deciding to what extent
they are(to be) integrated with the national goals and priorities will pose an important
challenge:

Sensitization work will be needed by both the civil society and the governments to create
public awareness to encourage meeting of the goals. In the near future, it will also be
important to build consensus around the key themes and strategies for the Post-2015
Development Agenda among the members of the civil society. This will enable greater
mobilization of energies, inputs, and insights necessary to shape an agenda that is strongly
rooted in the principles of human rights and social justice while also setting the stage for
the supporting and monitoring processes that need to be in place once the new development
agenda is adopted.

2. The direct involvement of communities in the agenda setting process:

Direct involvement of communities with a special focus on women and other socially
excluded groups will help create the basis for a locally relevant and accountable
development framework.

3. Developing a clear commitment within government:

A clear commitment at the highest level for implementation of the goals and integration
of policy objectives in different sectors, and the involvement of other stakeholders including
the civil society, will require creating a framework, including a focal point to facilitate and
monitor the progress towards these goals.

4. Strengthening the federal structure and institutions:

Though the federal system is well placed to implement a sustainable development agenda,
its various tiers and actors need to be strengthened and sensitized in terms of human and
financial capacity to enable improved service delivery and governance. It is important to
recognise the central role of participatory processes involving local bodies including Gram
Panchayats, other Village Local Bodies (VLB), and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) for realizing
socio-economic development while protecting the environment. There are some capacity
constraints, notably at the state and local panchayat levels, in terms of technical and
financial resources which need to be addressed.

5. Collection of data, monitoring, and accountability:

Local, national, and global data collection,
which is highly disaggregated and uses new tools such as GIS mapping, remote sensing, and
social networking, will need to be undertaken. As part of the financing mechanisms,
international organizations such as multilaterals and
bilaterals, funds and foundations, and programmes of the United Nations should support the
national governments in designing, collecting, and harmonizing the data.

6. Continuous sustainability assessments:

Consolidation of information and data already available that highlights the countrys trends
on factors depicting sustainability (or unsustainability) is required. Networks of innovators
and social entrepreneurs should be strengthened and supported: Such networks should be
strengthened and supported (possibly using a model similar to the Consultative Group for
International Agricultural Research) and efforts should be increased towards forming and
funding more cross-cultural teams and relationships to promote knowledge sharing across
both North South as well as SouthSouth.

7. Financial and technical support by the developed world:

Support that mobilizes additional resources in innovative ways without diverting national or
multilateral assistance from the imperatives of development and poverty alleviation is
required.

8. Diversifying funding sources can be an important part of achieving sustainability:

The options include:

Expanding the resource base through stronger and more predictable partnerships with
major donors;

New approaches for pooling private and public revenue streams to scale up or develop
activities for the benefit of partner countries. Here PublicPrivate Partnerships (PPP) must
play an important role in financing sustainable development, particularly for infrastructure
and urban development;

New revenue streams (e.g., charges, fees, taxation, bond raising, sale proceeds, or
voluntary contribution schemes) earmarked for environmental and developmental
activities on a multi-year basis; and

New incentives (financial guarantees, corporate social responsibility, or other rewards or

recognition) to address market failures or scale up ongoing developmental activities and
resource and environmental management.

9. Diffusion and transfer of technology to India and other developing countries should
be facilitated:

New technologies also offer tremendous opportunities to deliver public services, including
healthcare, education, and basic infrastructure, to more people at a lower cost and with a
much lower use of primary resources. It may also help to identify technologies where
capabilities (North South and/or SouthSouth) could be combined with needs to deliver
appropriate solutions, and also explore ideas such as eco-patent commons and technology
commons in the line of creative commons that foster knowledge sharing and promote
sustainable development.

10. SouthSouth Cooperation to supplement North South Cooperation:

More innovative ways and thinking is required to creatively involve these groups in
producing more effective outcomes. SouthSouth Cooperation in sharing of knowledge,
experience, and learning has to be accompanied by a significant enhancement of North
South aid and technological flows. The importance of Overseas Development Assistance
(ODA) should not be diluted. With many developing countries facing contracting capital
flows, economic slowdown, and fiscal difficulties, the need for enhanced ODA becomes
even more critical than before.

Can the ministries and Civil Society members work together to achieve a sustainable future
for India? What steps are essential to chalk out a plan for implementation for SDGs and how
to avoid bureaucratic hurdles in the decision making of the same!

What role can NGOs and private players play in funding the various policies, whichever
are chalked out? Can different stakeholders work together and help achieve these goals? But
most importantly, are these goals even achievable and realistic? Who draws the criteria for
funding of various programs? Should India rely on foreign funding and technology? To
what extent must it allow foreign help are questions that all the ministries and civil society
members must ponder upon.

This document is only to give a brief background of the emergence and adoption of SDGs,
but how to implement them in a developing country like India, is a question the meet should
ponder upon!
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