Progress in SDG implementation is reviewed in Turkmenistan

The participants at the level of Deputy Ministers and experts of line ministries were introduced to Turkmenistan’s ranking in the international SDG data bases and to the results of the 2022 national SDG midterm review, including the gap analysis and recommendations. These were presented by Mr. Marjan Petreski, an international consultant, who highlighted that Turkmenistan could easily be ranked higher if data on indicators were openly available. There is still a lot of work to do to ensure availability of baselines and targets, more active reporting to global databases, and increase the capacity of ministries and departments for high-quality reporting on the SDGs.

“Only reliable and, most importantly, accessible data can effectively track progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. The availability of reliable data is an important prerequisite for understanding the impact of external shocks, including the global pandemic, military conflict in Eastern Europe, on the macroeconomic situation, as well as on various population groups. It will also help understand the causes of existing vulnerabilities so that targeted measures are taken to ensure that no one is left behind,” noted the Dmitry Shlapachenko, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan.

The State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan reported on the stages of operationalization of the National SDG database, including gradual transition to the online version. The national SDG database functions as a convenient tool for collecting and monitoring data and evaluating results for planning and tracking progress towards the achievement of the SDGs.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy presented the Annual Report of the Joint UN-Government Expert Group on SDG Financing 2021 and also the changes to the national SDG matrix. He also noted the country's commitment to improving SDG financing and the successful work of the Joint UN-Government Expert Group on SDG Financing towards establishment of the Integrated National Financing Framework. One of the steps in this process will be the Development Finance Assessment, being currently carried out with support of UNDP experts, the Joint Experts Group and the Office of the Resident Coordinator.

In the course of the meeting, the members of the national SDG Working Group supported the proposal to create a National Action Plan for the development of nationalized SDG indicators, for which Turkmenistan does not submit reporting to global databases. This Plan should outline specific activities for each national indicator, as well as indicate the responsible national departments. It can be implemented within 1-3 years depending on the complexity of the indicator methodology.