Are we on track in implementing the SDGs?

With only 10 years to the deadline, what is the progress so far on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Is the agenda on the right track and speed for achievement? Is there a need to fast track progress being made?

These are some of the questions that Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), Global Compact Network Kenya and the Office of the Deputy President seek to address through the SDGs Readiness Report: A Policy, Legislative and Institutional Review of the 17 SDGs in Kenya.

The report, jointly developed by the three stakeholders, identifies gaps in the laws and policies across the 17 goals with an emphasis on how the country can achieve green economic growth and recommend interventions. It also reviews institutional arrangements for executing the SDG commitments and makes recommendations on how the parliament should monitor the national and sub-national execution of SDG commitments.

Legal Advisor & Head Legislative & Intergovernmental Office at Deputy President‘s Office, Dr Korir Sing’oei notes that the sheer scale and scope of SDGs requires the mobilization of unprecedented competencies and innovation among and within states and across multiple actors.

“As a vanguard country in the negotiation that led to the adoption of SDGs, Kenya has been at the forefront in translating these global ambitions into domestic imperatives aligning budgets and programmes of the State with SDGs. Notable is the focus of this administration on the Big 4 Agenda: affordable housing, food security, manufacturing for employment creation and universal healthcare,” says Dr Sing’oei.

According to KAM Chief Executive and Global Compact Network Kenya Board Chair, Ms Phyllis Wakiaga, it is critical for all stakeholders, the private and public sector alike, to unite and fast track the realization of the SDGs before we run out of time.

“SDGs are universally accepted, most importantly because they create opportunities for different industries to create shared value. In the manufacturing sector, for instance, we do see the coming together of market potential, societal demands and policy action. Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) resonates with the 14 sectors of manufacturing under our membership whose role is crucial in the implementation of the SDGs. However, the goals ought to be customized to the specific circumstance of each sector. This has seen us rally our members and the wider private sector to embrace and integrate sustainability within their business strategies and operations,” remarks Ms Wakiaga.

This year marks the Decade of Delivery towards the realization of the Global Goals by 2030 with the need for bold action on a speed and scale we have never seen before.

Global Compact Network Kenya Executive Director, Ms Judy Njino says that now more than ever, this state of affairs demands decisive leadership, collective action, and greater partnerships to get back on track and boost shared prosperity by 2030. The private sector has an essential role to play in the realization of the SDGs.

“While real progress has been made by the business community, action to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is not advancing at the speed or scale required. Unanimously adopted in September 2015 by all 193 member states of the United Nations, the Agenda 2030 and its related Goals were a historic feat in international diplomacy and multilateralism. This calls for CEOs and other business leaders to set radical goals and establish a new normal for doing business,” notes Ms Njino.

SDGs are a set of 17 goals, 169 targets and 231 indicators adopted by United Nations Member States in 2015. To start the implementation of the SDGs, the Government of Kenya established the extent to which the SDGs converge with Kenya’s development objectives as set out in the Kenya Vision 2030 and therefore identify which SDGs are relevant to Kenya’s development context.

A mapping of the 17 goals with Kenya Vision 2030 was undertaken and indicated that the Vision is well aligned to the global development framework and its implementation is directly linked towards achieving the SDGs.