Land in the SDGs: why reporting matters and how civil society can get involved

The role of CSO in the SDG reporting process

• CSOs were an integral part of formulating the agenda 2030
• Agenda 2030 reflects the aspirations of what CSOs try to achieve, among other stakeholders.
• As state parties report on progress, CSOs help ensure that state reports are inclusive, accurate and not diverting from common ambitions.
• CSOs also play an important role in monitoring resource allocation: allocated resources ought to serve to meet end goals beyond corruption and mismanagement.

Government reporting on SDG

• Governments can tend to avoid politically sensitive SDG targets (as an example, 16.4 looks at illicit flows of finance, which can involve officials). Here, CSOs and other third-party actors are in better position to provide accurate portrayals of situation.
• Often, there are limits to official data being reported; CSOs are well positioned to analyze data independently and highlight gaps and shortcomings.

The collaboration between CSO and government

• In some cases, collaboration with the government can increase intended objectives of the VNR process, as CSOs are recognised as legitimate partners in the reporting process
• CSOs involved in government reporting can influence processes, and ensure reporting reflects inclusive priorities

Complementary or alternative SDG data

• In order for CSOs to engage in reporting on SDGs, capacity must be built and the political environment must be hospitable; funding is also required.
• CSOs and other third-party data can broaden perspectives on the SDGs, provide additional analysis from diverse sectors.
• Alternative data can fill gaps identified in official data and provide best available data in absence of official statistics.

Encourage reporting and going beyond the data

• The land community should join efforts to encourage as many countries as possible to report on land targets in the SDGs.
• While data will play a predominant role, it's important to give room for stories, cases and interpret data for advocacy
• Data should be disaggregated to the highest level possible to highlight specific challenges faced by marginalized groups.

PROGRESS TOWARDS THE SDG LAND RIGHTS COMMITMENTS

5 years later, what can we learn from the 2020 Voluntary National Reviews and the SDG Indicators' global database?

Five years into the SDGs: are we on track to deliver the land targets?

This virtual event was hosted by the Land Portal and proposed as part of the 2020 SDG High Level Political Forum in July 2020. It was organised by the SDG Land Momentum Group, an informal group of CSOs and multilateral organizations working to promote the role of secure and equitable tenure rights in meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.