The Minister for General Duties/Focal-point Minister for SDGs, Office of the Prime Minister in Uganda, Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba is live in Bangkok the Royal Kingdom of Thailand, representing Uganda in the 13th Meeting of the UN Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals Indicators (IAEG-SDGs). The meeting is to be held from November 7th – 9th, 2022 at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok. In today’s (8th November, 2022) plenary session meeting, the Hon. Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba addressed SDG experts representing UN member States from Africa, Europe, Asia, North America and South America. In her remarks, the Minister asked members of IAEG-SDGs Working group to focus on Indicators which will help to end poverty in the world and those that focus on the incomes of indigenous people. “I Note that all SDGs are important, However, I beseech you to choose the most important SDGs and develop an easy tool to administer”.
She asked the members of the Working group to develop tools (indicators guide) which is easy to administer and get the data we want to end poverty in the world.
The Minister informed members that out of 231 global SDG indicators (revised) 201 are applicable in Uganda and only 119 have data points leaving 82 indicators with no data points. She further highlighted that none of the SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) indicators have data points yet the two are basic for promotion of data on sustainable industrialization and promoting indigenous technology development and growth of domestic innovation in undeserved countries and growing Cities.
The Minister also thought advise and requested UN Statistics Division team to admit Uganda to be a member of the Working Group of Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals Indicators, apparently Uganda is only an observer member.
In her response, the Chairperson of IAEG-SDGs complimented Hon. Minister Justine Kasule Lumumba – Rt. Hon. for reminding them about their main role of focusing on the welfare of indigenous people and acknowledged that most times their focus has been on data and metadata and they forget talking about people’s lives.
Thank you for giving us a Wonderful reminder that our work is very important Co-Chair applauded Minister on behalf of members. She also informed Hon. Minister and the meeting that Uganda will become a member in the next phase of elections scheduled for mid-year 2023.
The representative of OHCHR also assured the Hon. Minister that UNCHR is committed to working with the Office of the Prime Minister and the Government of Uganda
The Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators was formulated in the fort-sixteen Session, of the United Nations Statistical Commission on 6th March 2015. IAEG-SDGS is composed of member States including regional and international agencies as observers. It was tasked to develop and implement the global indicators framework for the Goals and targets 2030 Agenda.
The global indicators framework was subsequently adopted by the UN General Assembly on 6th July 2017 and is contained in the Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on Work of the Statistical Commission pertaining to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Currently, the working group of the IAE-SDGs address Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX), Geospatial information, and Measurement of development support. The working groups are responsible for their own detailed work plans, methods of work, communication and coordination mechanism with other partners.
Countries that are not members of the IAEG-SDGs, International organizations, Civil society, Academia and the Private sector are invited to participate on the criteria established by the working group.
This year the Thirteen meeting of the Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (13th IAEG-SDGS) is being held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. It’s the in-person plenary Session meeting of the IAEG-SDGs since October 2019 in Addis Ababa due to COVID 19 pandemic
Uganda is being represented by a three member delegation from the Office of the Prime Minister led by the Minister for General Duties/Focal-point Minister for SDGs in Uganda, Justine Kasule Lumumba – Rt. Hon.
by MGD media
