In September 2015, the UN Member States including Uganda committed to the new development Agenda 2030. The global agenda is anchored on 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calling to transform our world by eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, leaving no one behind and significantly reducing inequalities; putting sustainable development at the core of global, national and local policies and accelerating the shift to low-carbon, climate resilient development pathways; building a renewed global partnership for sustainable development based on multi-stakeholder partnerships that can leverage needed capacities and resources and achieve at scale; and accelerating a data revolution and improving capacity to measure sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda is an integrated, indivisible agenda, which balances the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability, the success of which will depend on the extent to which coherent, evidence-based plans and policies are formulated and implemented at country, regional and global levels.
Uganda continues to make progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In 2016, Government of Uganda developed a framework to guide the coordination of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda under the leadership of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).
The National Coordination Framework for SDGs was subsequently approved by Cabinet and Parliament in 2016 and is anchored within the existing coordination structures of implementing government business and provides strategic guidance on the roles and responsibilities of key institutions, steered by a multi-stakeholder SDG National Taskforce. Uganda has achieved significant progress in terms of integrating the SDGs into the national planning framework, including the 2nd NDP. Complementary national indicators are under consideration by the Government, reflecting the holistic, integrated and indivisible nature of the Agenda 2030.
The Coordination Framework provides for five layers established within the Government coordination structures, namely: The Policy Coordination Committee (PCC)which is the highest structure chaired by the Prime Minister, the Implementation Steering Committee (ISC) which has a responsibility to review progress and recommend policy proposals to the PCC, the National SDG Taskforce comprising of technical officers from lead agencies of the Technical Working Groups (TWGs), technical representatives from key implementing MDAs, Development Partners (DPs), civil society and private sector. The committee is chaired by the Permanent Secretary in OPM.
To operationalize the coordination framework, the Government with support from UN developed a National SDG Roadmap (launched October 2018, which outlines key actions and sets timelines for the mainstreaming, implementation and Proposal – Web Platform Development Page 7 of 44 reporting of the Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals in Uganda during the NDPII period (2015/16-2019/20). The SDG Roadmap covers among other elements awareness-raising; multi-stakeholder consultations and dialogue; tailoring the SDGs to the local context; creating horizontal and vertical policy coherence. The Roadmap is divided into five crosscutting areas that are fundamental for coordinating the implementation of the SDGs: i) coordination, M&E and reporting; ii) planning; iii) financing and resource mobilisation; iv) data; and v) advocacy and communication.
The SDG Secretariat: Established in 2019, under the Office of the Prime Minister, coordinates implementation efforts for all stakeholders including government, United Nations, Civil Society, Private Sector and Academia in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Government of Uganda and the United Nations Country Team are currently supporting the SDG Coordination framework. The SDG Secretariat is housed under the Office of the Prime Minister and is mandated to:
Steer the coordination function, support, oversee and harmonize the
implementation of the SDG coordination framework.
Coordinate monitoring and assessment of local implementation and
progress of the SDG 2030 Agenda in Uganda.
Build Strategic Partnerships with Private Sector on financing and innovation
for SDGs.
Provide technical support, advice and expertise to the MDAs, private sector,
civil society and academia to accelerate the implementation of the SDG
agenda.
Become the hub of SDG information and data for the government of Uganda and other stakeholders.