Implementing the SDGs as an integrated and coherent set represents a major challenge to all countries. With only ten years to go, the progress on the SDGs is uneven, both across and within countries. In the current COVID-19 crisis context, countries worldwide even risk to reverse progress on a number of SDGs. The pandemic crisis also poses a number of complex and interconnected challenges arising from the human, social, financial and economic consequences of COVID-19; and by the need to ensure that immediate responses and the subsequent recovery measures take a comprehensive and coherent approach. Strengthened governance practices and policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD) will be essential to align the short-term responses with the achievement of long-term economic, social and environmental objectives for a sustainable recovery as well as international commitments, such as the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda.
The OECD helps countries strengthen governance and policy coherence in support of the SDGs and to foster resilience in the post-crisis environment.
To support governments in strengthening practices to advance SDG implementation and to foster crisis resilience, the OECD has the following instruments and standards:
• Recommendation on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development
• Recommendation on Public Service Leadership and Capability
• Recommendation on Budgetary Governance
• Recommendation on Regulatory Policy and Governance
• Recommendation on Open Government
• Recommendation on Public Procurement
To help policy practitioners implement a coherent approach for achieving the SDGs and a sustainable COVID-19 recovery, the OECD has the following implementation tools:
To address different facets of sound governance and policy coherence for the SDGs, including country case studies and good practices, the following thematic reviews are available:
The OECD provides targeted support to countries to help them tackle key obstacles to SDG implementation and to prepare a sustainable crisis recovery. Examples of country support include:
• Country work brochure - Supporting SDG Implementation
• Czech Republic: SDG Governance Review, Institutional Scan 2020
• Egypt: Integrated Governance for Coherent Implementation of the SDGs
• Germany: Public Procurement: Strategic Dimensions for Well-being and Growth
• Italy: Mainstreaming the SDGs in the decision making
• Luxembourg: Strengthening institutional mechanisms and capacities for policy coherence
• Malta: 2050 Sustainable Development Strategy for Malta and Action Plan
• Norway: Sustainable public procurement
• Poland: Building civil service capacity for delivering on the SDGs
• Romania: Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms to deliver on the SDGs
• Romania: Linking Policy Planning and Budgeting to Support SDG Implementation (forthcoming)
The OECD brings together experts and policy practitioners from countries worldwide to exchange experience and knowledge and to provide a forum for discussion to find innovative solutions to the key challenges countries face in advancing the SDGs and preparing a sustainable crisis recovery. Key gatherings include the following:
For more information, please contact: pcsd.contact@oecd.org