Page 164 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 2

STS479 Nebil D. et al.

Prioritisation of Sustainable Development Goals
and efforts of SESRIC to support statistical
modernisation in OIC member countries
Nebil Dabur, Atilla Karaman
SESRIC

Abstract
The United Nations General Assembly endorsed the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) in September 2015 for which all countries have pledged to
achieve the 17 goals and 169 targets by 2030. Unlike the Millennium
Development Goals period, the challenges are valid for not only developing
but also developed countries in implementing the SDGs which in effect shakes
the definition of “developing” and “developed” country. The implementation
of SDGs will understandably be more complex for economically and
technologically disadvantaged countries of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) that had previously faced challenges in achieving the
MDGs. In this respect, proper prioritisation, planning and careful consideration
of the multidimensional interactions among the SDG targets will be critical in
the achievement of SDGs. Tasked with following up the SDG Indicator
Framework and identifying the SDGs priorities of the OIC countries, the
Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic
Countries (SESRIC) designed and circulated the “Tendency Survey on SDG
Priorities of OIC Member Countries”. This paper discusses the results obtained
from the aforementioned Survey including the SDG prioritisation, expected
SDG achievement levels, limiting factors on SDGs, national commitments to
SDGs, structure of agencies responsible for SDGs, SDG data availability,
cooperation with international agencies on SDGs, and statistical needs and
capacities of OIC member countries on SDGs. This paper also covers the efforts
of SESRIC in facilitating (i) the flow of know-how and experience sharing on
issues related to official statistics and SDGs through its flagship OIC Statistical
Capacity Building Programme (StatCaB) since 2007; and (ii) engaging with the
global statistical community to support the endeavours of OIC member
countries in modernising their national statistical systems in meeting the
requirements of the global SDG monitoring and reporting framework.

Keywords
SESRIC; statistical modernisation; OIC member countries

1. Introduction
The twenty-first century is full of contradictions in many aspects. On the
one hand, the technologies we developed have facilitated how we live and do

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