Plans underway to speed up SDGS implementation

These specific SDGs include ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all (SDG 6); ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all (SDG 7); building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and fostering innovation (SDG 9); making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable (SDG 11); and strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development (SDG 17).

Overall, data shows Tanzania has made good progress on eight out of 17 goals and relatively moderate progress on others.

Speaking at the breakfast debate organised by Policy Forum and UNA Tanzania last week, senior economist at the Ministry of Finance, Mr Joseph Malekia, said a national strategic plan is being prepared to create sufficient awareness for the public in order to accelerate SDG implementation to meet the 2030 targets.

“A strategy is being prepared for building sufficient awareness and motivating all stakeholders to work on various challenges to speed up implementation of the SDGs,” noted Mr Malekia during his presentation on the second voluntary national review report.

He said Tanzania will work with other nations to develop collaborative plans to handle current problems and hasten the implementation of the SDGs.

Tanzania’s second Voluntary National Review (VNR) 2023 report is in line with the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2023 theme, ‘Accelerating the Recovery From the Coronavirus Disease (covid-19) and the Full Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at All Levels.

Mr Malekia cited the shaking of the global economy due to the coronavirus and the Russia-Ukraine war as some of the stumbling blocks to Tanzania’s efforts in financing and progressing with different projects under the SDGs.

“We have seven years until 2030, and only 12 percent of the SDGs have reached a good stage of implementation. A lot of work needs to be done to achieve these goals,” said Mr Malekia, adding that the government is devising different ways to raise money to fulfill the various goals of the SDGs.

“The money we receive as aid is not always enough to fulfill our goals,” he added.

Mr Stephen Chacha, co-founder of the Africa Philanthropic Foundation and the Tanzania Data Lab and co-convener of the Tanzania Sustainable Development Platform, said financial resources were still a challenge.

“Financial resources pose the biggest challenge in implementing and reporting the SDGs, followed by the availability of information and statistics at the right time to measure their implementation,” he said.

Mr Stephen Chacha, co-founder of the Africa Philanthropic Foundation and the Tanzania Data Lab and a co-convener of the Tanzania Sustainable Development Platform, said financial resources were still a challenge.

"Financial resources pose the biggest challenge in implementing and reporting the SDGs followed by the availability of information and statistics at the right times to measure their implementation," he said.

During the debate dubbed themed “Towards Sustainable Development: Reflecting the 2023 Tanzania Voluntary National Review Report,” stakeholders suggested several solutions, including translating the SDGs into local contexts and local languages, to ensure the local community is fully on board.

"The SDGs will be more meaningful if society is directly involved instead of being a bystander," said Iringa resident Samwel Paul, in a phone conversation.

Human rights programme manager at UNA Tanzania, Mr Goodluck Willy emphasised that the government should prioritise data availability for monitoring the SDGs to facilitate more progress reporting.

Multi-stakeholder approach was also cited as key to the implementation of the SDGs by 2030.

“This includes the government, civil society, private sector, UN agencies, media, development partners, and others," said Mr Willy.

Other recommendations included unlocking new innovative sources of finance for the SDGs, such as climate finance, and capacitate the media to relate reported news to the SDGs, which is of essence in stimulating their implementation.

"I commend the efforts made to ensure that no one is left behind in the preparation of the SDGs implementation statement. We have cooperated well, especially in terms of people with disabilities, to ensure that they participate properly in this process," noted Ms Nesia Mahenge, country director of CBM International.

She added that the government needs to set aside a financial budget that can enable the successful implementation of all SDGs and have clear priorities.

In September, Tanzania will participate in the SDG Summit to discuss the draft resolutions of the member countries and to give a commitment to the implementation of the goals.

The meeting is expected to take place during the 78th meeting of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this month.