UN/DESA Policy Brief #114: Connecting the Dots: The Still Elusive Synergies Between Accountability Institutions and the Follow-up and Review of the Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda highlights the importance of the follow-up and review of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an accountability mechanism and sets clear principles to guide it. Accountability institutions such as parliaments and supreme audit institutions (SAIs) are playing an increasing role in SDG oversight and assessment. However, while countries have made significant progress in institutionalizing SDG follow-up and review, the performance of such systems and processes is limited due to their imperfect integration with existing monitoring and evaluation systems and accountability institutions.

The disconnect with accountability institutions is particularly relevant in the context of COVID-19. As countries must urgently address the social and economic impacts of the pandemic on SDG implementation and particularly on the most vulnerable, there is a need for increased oversight and independent assessments of those impacts in order to inform policymaking and support the longer-term recovery efforts.

This brief discusses the critical importance of connecting SDG follow-up and review systems with accountability institutions. It reviews the available evidence on these connections and highlights some good practices. The brief presents some recommendations for maximizing these synergies going forward, taking into consideration the impact of COVID-19 on SDG implementation.  More information here.