Dimension: 4.1.3 Leaving no one behind and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This dimension concerns parliament’s role in implementing the 2030 Agenda Agenda The chronological list of all items to be discussed at a formal meeting (including plenary and committee meetings). for Sustainable Development. By engaging with the SDGs, parliaments help to respond to the needs of their country’s citizens and of the planet as a whole.

This ground-breaking global commitment to end poverty and set the world on a sustainable path to inclusive development was endorsed by government leaders at a United Nations summit in September 2015. A set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 actionable targets
lie at the core of this ambitious agenda, along with the key idea of “leaving no one behind”. United Nations General Assembly Assembly See:  Parliament Parliament A national body of elected (or sometimes appointed) representatives that makes laws, debates issues and holds the government to account. . resolution 77/159 recognizes the essential role of parliaments in bringing the SDGs to life through their law-making, budgeting and oversight powers.

Some parliaments have established dedicated mechanisms and structures, such as a sustainable development committee or subcommittee and/or a dedicated unit of the parliamentary secretariat, to support SDG mainstreaming across parliamentary work. Such bodies can act as a focal point for the type of partnership-building across society that is necessary to implement the SDGs, including with civil society, the media, the private sector, independent oversight bodies and academia.

Parliaments also engage with the SDGs by participating in the preparation of voluntary national reviews, a UN process through which countries assess and present progress towards the attainment of the SDGs. 

Sources and further reading

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Aspiring goal

Based on a global comparative analysis, an aspiring goal for parliaments in the area of “leaving no one behind and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” is as follows:

  • Parliament debates and scrutinizes national development plans and government reports to ensure alignment with, and localization of, the SDGs.
  • Parliament incorporates an SDG lens into its legislative work and at all stages of the budget cycle. Mechanisms exist to oversee SDG progress and support SDG mainstreaming in parliament.
  • Parliament is represented in national SDG coordination mechanisms and participates in the preparation of, and follow-up to, the voluntary national reviews. 

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Assessment criteria

No 1: Oversight of executive action

Parliament debates and scrutinizes national development plans and government reports to ensure alignment with, and localization of, the SDGs.

No 2: Mainstreaming the SDGs in parliament

Mechanisms exist to support SDG mainstreaming in parliament. Parliamentary committees assess policy and legislation in their respective area of responsibility against SDG objectives.

No 3: Participation in national SDG coordination mechanisms

Parliament participates in national SDG coordination mechanisms and is involved in the preparation of, and follow-up to, national reports on SDG progress to international bodies.

How to complete this assessment

This dimension is assessed against several criteria, each of which should be evaluated separately. For each criterion, select one of the six descriptive grades (Non-existent, Rudimentary, Basic, Good, Very good and Excellent) that best reflects the situation in your parliament, and provide details of the evidence on which this assessment is based. 

The evidence for assessment of this dimension could include the following:

  • Resolutions or motions in Hansard Hansard The official record or transcript of debates in a parliament. The term "Hansard”, which is mostly used in Westminster-style parliaments, originated from the name of the printer in England who began preparing reports of parliamentary debates in the 18th century. The other terms in use are “transcript”, “record” and “stenogram”. or other parliamentary records indicating actions related to the attainment of the SDGs
  • Sections of parliament’s strategic plan relating to the SDGs, or a parliamentary action plan on the SDGs 
  • Explanatory memorandums, introductory statements and/or impact assessments relating to proposals for laws and enacted legislation, outlining how they address the SDGs
  • Committee Committee See:  Parliamentary committee Parliamentary committee A body comprised of MPs who are appointed, on either a temporary or a permanent basis, to debate or closely examine matters closely related to specific policies, issues or circumstances, in line with the committee’s scope of work. The theme, structure and nature of parliamentary committees are established by a chamber’s rules of procedure. Depending on the these rules, the composition of a committee may reflect that of the whole parliament or include diverse party representation. In some parliaments, the term “commission” is used instead of, or interchangeably with, “committee”. . reports incorporating evidence from a range of bodies and organizations, including those representing hard-to-reach groups, on the attainment of the SDGs
  • Training or capacity-building materials for MPs on the SDGs
  • Briefings and analysis on the SDGs from the parliamentary library

Where relevant, provide additional comments or examples that support the assessment.

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Get help with this assessment

The assessment of indicators involves diagnosing and considering strengths and weaknesses, i.e. the things parliament is doing well, and the things it could do better or more effectively, taking into account established good practices that are described in the indicators. 

Read the assessment guidance to find out what to consider when conducting an assessment against the Indicators. Find out how to prepare, how to set the objectives of the assessment, how to organize the process, and more. Contact the project partners for expert advice.

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