Reviewing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Turkmenistan

The members of the Working Group were introduced to the global mega trends that have direct impact on the implementation of SDGs. The keynote speaker, Mr. Elliot Harris, Assistant Secretary-General, Chief Economist of the United Nations, brought forward the main findings of the report - "Shaping the Trends of Our Time".

“Turkmenistan's response to the global pandemic has been characterized by a strong multisectoral approach, with strategic and operational coordination across government. This multisectoral approach to government-wide governance is required to respond to mega-trends and strategic recovery”, he noted.

Importance of sharing data for effective policy making and implementation was also raised. “The availability of reliable data is an important prerequisite for understanding the impact of the global pandemic in a country, including on the macroeconomic situation and on different population groups, as well as the causes of existing vulnerabilities, in order to ensure targeted measures aimed at leaving no one behind,” Ms. Elena Panova, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan emphasized during the meeting.

The question of financing for SDGs was also highlighted as it is an important factor in sustainable recovery from the global pandemic and the achievement of the SDGs.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan as the main coordinator of SDG implementation in Turkmenistan presented the report on the progress in achieving nationally adopted SDGs. The Ministry also stressed the need for establishment of SDG focal points from the line ministries for the coordinated SDG data collection and analysis for the national report.

It was also noted that Turkmenistan improved its reporting to the global databases thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Statistics Committee, the Ministry of Finance and Economy and a number of other ministries. This work is very relevant to ensure an objective assessment of Turkmenistan progress in achieving the SDGs in various global indexes.

Accelerating joint work on establishment and operationalization of the national SDG Database was agreed to be of great importance as one of the prerequisites for improving data reporting to the global databases.   

The participants learned about the findings of 2019 Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey which serves as a valuable source for measuring the achievement of the SDGs in Turkmenistan. MICS is an important tool not only for monitoring the National Plan of Action on Child Rights (2018-2022), but also SDGs and other planning frameworks for identification of vulnerabilities and informing the corresponding policy actions.