Page 198 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 2

STS479 Sabit A.H et al.
3. Statistical Development Goals in the GCC
The measurement of development has moved from the sole focus on GDP,
to indicators such as the Human Development Index (HDI), Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and now SDGs. These tools have been important
in benchmarking progress with other countries, given the rapid progress in
GCC countries and NSIs have played a key role.
However, it is clear that SDGs are raising the data expectations bar in both
the range of required indicators, and the range of disaggregations, to support
the SDG spirit of “leave no one behind. (PARIS21, 2019). As PARIS21 note, many
SDGs require new methodologies, new data to be collected or indeed new
techniques to provide data at the required disaggregations.
Meeting these SDG requirements in the GCC, calls for a substantial effort
in strategic leadership, collection and capacity building at both a country and
regional level.
SDGs are recognised as a strategically important project at both the GCC and
country levels. Within the GCC, the GCC Secretariat has established a regional
SDG Task Force, comprised of representatives of planning agencies, relevant
Secretariat personnel and GCC-Stat. The taskforce facilitates regional
cooperation, through identifying common priorities for SDGs at the GCC level,
mapping achievements against the national priorities for SDGs, exchanging
experiences in the preparation of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), as well
as reviewing the regional SDG report, prepared by GCC-Stat. In this way, the
regional taskforce plays a key regional coordinating role in identifying regional
priorities, as well as monitoring and understanding regional progress in
meeting the SDG targets and goals. As a priority for the GCC statistical system,
SDGs are the main focus of the GCC Statistical project – Development,
Progress and Sustainability Indicators, and are increasingly shaping
requirements in other projects. The GCC SDG indicators project focuses on
producing regional level SDG indicators, such as periodical reports such as
“Progress Report about the performance Towards the Achievement of
Sustainable Development Goals – 2030 in the GCC Countries” (GCC-Stat,
2018). and agreeing on harmonised regional requirements. The project also
provides the framework for regional capacity building in SDGs (discussed
below).
Consistent with their coordination roles in their respective national statistical
systems, the NSIs in the region also have a key role in the production,
dissemination and analysis of SDG indicators at the country level. Most countries,
including for example Bahrain (Kingdom of Bahrain, 2018) and UAE (FCSA) have
high-level SDG committees, chaired at the Ministerial level. The NSI has a lead
role in these committees, e.g. in the UAE, the Federal Statistics and
Competitiveness Agency (FCSA) is the Deputy chair of the committee, as well as
providing the Secretariat. NSIs have a key role in the production of the SDG

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