SDGs Executive Committee
Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals
Terms of Reference
Adopted by the world’s Heads of States and Governments’ representatives on 25 September 2015, including the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GoIRA), the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda includes 17 SDGs and 169 associated targets that are expected to guide sustainable development efforts around the globe until 2030.
The SDGs aim at focusing on the integrated pillars of Sustainable Development that had been at the heart of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Economic, Social and Environmental. The SDGs further include development elements that rely on institutions that were not part of the MDGs framework and comprise peace and justice components.
In this context, GoIRA has taken actions to affirm its commitment to attaining the SDGs by:
- Setting up a high-level coordination structure within the Office of the Chief Executive that focuses on the provision of political support and policy advice and the adoption of oversight and cooperation mechanisms to ensure the implementation of SDGs and a stronger cooperation with the private sector, civil society and community organizations.
- Supporting and designating the Ministry of Economy (MoEc) as the lead line-ministry and focal point for coordination, monitoring and reporting on SDGs.
- Nationalizing the SDGs.
Due to the cross-cutting nature of the SDGs and indicators, an inter-ministerial effort is required to provide a high-level platform that will bring together key stakeholders (government, private sector, civil society and international partners) to increase timely coordination and implementation of decisions related to attaining the SDGs.
After consultations with the leading national and international stakeholders, the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals was established and officially launched on July 8th, 2017.
Below is the proposed structure for the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals:
I. Background:
The Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals is established to issue recommendations and practical solutions to the Economic Committee of the Council of Ministers, so that the implementation of SDGs moves forward and reporting against the national indicators and targets takes place consistently. It oversees the overall coordination to attain the SDGs within the overall aegis of Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF), New Deal implementation plan and national priority programmes.
The Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals also provides a high-level platform for direct and sustained engagement between the various government stakeholders, the private sector, civil society organizations and the international community, with.
The core focuses of the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals is on:
· Whole of Government support to the Ministry of Economy and policy advice on proposed SDGs implementation mechanisms;
· Cross-sectorial coordination to accelerate SDGs implementation;
· Oversight of the achievement and progress of nationalized SDGs targets and indicators.
II. Co-chairs
The Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals is co-chaired by:
· The Office of the Chief Executive
· The Ministry of Economy
· UNDP, on behalf of the UN System in Afghanistan
III. Members
A broad range of stakeholders will be invited to attend and actively contribute to the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals; the list of members of the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals was established by the co-chairs and annexed to the present terms of reference (please refer to Annex 1). The list of members may be reviewed and amended whenever appropriate.
IV. Expected Outcomes
The success of the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals is closely tied to attaining the SDGs, which will be measurable against the national targets and indicators, and alignment of the SDGs with the ANPDF, New Deal implementation plan, ministerial strategies and national priority programmes. The Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals is expected to have a direct contribution to:
· SDGs are properly aligned with ANPDF
· SDGs are implemented in a timely manner
· National Policies and sectoral action plans are aligned with SDGs
· Effective coordination among Government entities is facilitated and monitored to ensure progress in the achievement of SDGs at national and provincial levels
· SDGs have become part of national discourse
V. Proposed operations modality
The Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals shall perform its functions and prioritize achieving its objectives in an independent manner. It has the authority to request information from relevant organizations and request to meet them, when doing so is necessary for carrying out its mandate.
The Technical Support Team to the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals has the overall responsibility of providing technical support to the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals to undertake its activities and achieve its objectives as per the diagram above. The Technical Support Team is responsible for drafting meetings minutes, providing operational support in the organization of the meetings and may be assigned any other tasks required for the Executive Committee on SDGs to meet its mandate.
Given Afghanistan’s intention to nationalize the SDGs based on its national priorities and its budgeting process, composed of eight budgetary sectors, and with a view to streamline the coordination process in the context of these eight budgetary sectors (Security, Good Governance, Agriculture, Rural Development, Economic Growth, Infrastructure, Health, Education and Social Protection), four technical working groups have been designed to mainstream the coordination process within the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals.
The technical groups have been designed so that related topics, that are associated to the budgetary sectors, can be discussed within an umbrella working group. Therefore, the four technical working groups respectively focus on:
· Security and Governance
· Agriculture and Rural Development
· Health, Education, Environment and Social Protection
· Economic Growth and Infrastructure
Subsequently, the technical working groups focus on the reform actions required to address each of the issues that are cross-cutting with the SDGs, with the purpose of attaining the SDGs linked to their respective issue. The technical working groups will in addition include systematic discussions on strengthening partnerships, necessary to achieve the SDGs related to their respective areas of interest.
Detailed terms of reference and standard operating procedures for each working group may be developed, if necessary. In such case, the working group is responsible for drafting its terms of reference and standard operating procedures and submits those to the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals for approval.
Once available, the main characteristics of the terms of reference and standard operating procedures of the Technical Groups will be annexed to the present terms of reference, as Annex 2.
The Ministry of Economy conveys the opportunity to participate to each of the technical working groups to the civil society and the private sector. The Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals will appoint the representatives of the civil society and private sector that are most relevant to the cross-cutting issue to be discussed by the respective working group.
Members of each Working Groups are to be decided by the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals. It is proposed that the working groups are composed as follows:
VI. Technical Working Groups
Working Group 1: Security and Governance
Co-chairs: Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Independent Directorate of Local Governance
Members:
Office of the President, Office of the Chief Executive, Ministry of Economy, Citizen Charter, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Information and Culture, National High Council for Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption, both chambers of the National Assembly, Supreme Court, National Security Council, High Office of Oversight and Anti-Corruption, Executive Committee on Fighting Corruption, Integrity Watch Afghanistan, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, National Directorate of Security, Independent Bar Association, Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission, Independent Election Commission, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, Supreme Audit Office, National Procurement Authority, Electoral Complaints Commission, Central Statistics Office, UNAMA, UNDP, representatives of the civil society, representatives of the private sector, representatives of the donors’ community.
Working Group 2: Agriculture and Rural Development
Co-chairs: Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock & Ministry of Rehabilitation and RuralDevelopment
Members:
Office of the President, Office of the Chief Executive, Ministry of Economy, UNDP, Breshna Shirkat (DABS), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Energy and Water, Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Women Affairs, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Arazi, representative of PriSEC, National Environment Protection Agency, Capital Region Development Independent Authority, Central Statistics Office, UN Habitat, UNHCR, FAO, WFP, representatives of the civil society, representatives of the private sector, representative of donor community.
Working Group 3: Health, Education, Environment and Social Protection
Co-chairs: Ministry of Education & Ministry of Women Affairs
Members:
Office of the President, Office of the Chief Executive, Ministry of Economy, UNDP, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Ministry of Information and Culture, Central Statistics Office, Afghanistan Academy of Science, National Environmental Protection Agency, UNICEF, UN WHO, UN Women, representatives of the civil society, representatives of the private sector, representatives of the donors’ community.
Working Group 4: Economic Growth and Infrastructure
Co-Chairs: Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Energy and Water
Members:
Office of the President, Office of the Chief Executive, UNDP, Breshna Shirkat (DABS), Kabul Municipality, Ministry of Public works, Ministry of Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Energy,Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock,Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Directorate of Water Supply and Canalization, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of the civil society, representatives of the private sector, representatives of the donors’ community, Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank.
Annex 1: List of members of the Executive Committee on Sustainable Development Goals
1. Office of the President
2. Office of the Chief Executive,
3. Ministry of Economy
4. Ministry of Finance
5. Ministry of Energy and Water
6. Ministry of Higher Education
7. Ministry of Public works
8. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
9. Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development
10. Ministry of Commerce and Industries
11. Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock,
12. Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
13. Ministry of Public Health
14. Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled
15. Ministry of Women Affairs
16. Ministry of Justice
17. Ministry of Urban Development and Housing
18. Ministry of Education
19. Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG).
20. Central Statistics Organization
21. Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries
22. National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA)
23. Kabul Municipality
24. Representatives of the civil society organizations
25. Ministry of Interior Affairs
26. Kateb University
International Partners
1. UNDP, on behalf of the UN System in Afghanistan
2. Embassy of India
3. Embassy of Netherlands
4. WB
5. Embassy of Germany
6. EU
7. Embassy of Norway
8. Asian Development Bank