Invitation to contribute to the 2017 report

Social Watch will again join forces with other NGOs and networks to publish in 2017 a new "Spotlight report" (as opposed to "shadow report") on sustainable development.

This report will be launched next July during the meeting of the High Level Political Forum of the United Nations that will review at ministerial level the Agenda 2030 and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Almost two years after the adoption of this ambitious agenda, the 2017 report will look at how it is implemented.

Download the Guidelines for the Social Watch national reports 2017 in English, French, Spanish.

The first half of the report will include a critical analysis of the implementation of each of the SDGs at the global level with a focus on “Privatization, partnerships, corporate capture and their impact on the implementation of the SDGs.”

The civil society country reports will form the second half, and their analysis, conclusions and observations will inform the message of the global report.

We expect the national reports to also focus on implementation and what the different actors and “partners” are doing. Are governments up to the challenge? Are they “outsourcing” implementation to private sector “partners”? With what results? Are the international “partners” in development cooperation focusing on the right priorities? How is civil society understanding its role and interacting with all other “partners”? Is the policy environment conducive for civil society to meaningfully engage SDG processes at various levels?

“Partnerships” with the private sector are being promoted by many as a major tool to implement the SDGs. But many of the forty national reports that Social Watch produced in 2016 highlight that those partnerships frequently fail to deliver as expected. Highlighting these experiences and contrasting expecting results with realities from the ground can make this a very powerful report.

By launching this report at the High Level Political Forum of the United Nations, we will have an extraordinary opportunity to influence the global and national agendas and to raise our voices in the ongoing national, regional and international debates.

I am attaching a document with more information about the report and the guidelines for authors. We are aware that in many countries the Agenda 2030 is only starting to be implemented. But even when governments are not explaining their actions in relation to the 2030 Agenda, the results of their policies contribute to the achievement of the global goals or depart from them. This report can become an opportunity for civil society to advance its diagnosis and propositions about what should be done and what needs to change to make the goals possible.

I hope that all "watchers" will feel encouraged to participate, discuss priorities and strengthen alliances to mobilize the political will to translate the ambitious internationally agreed Agenda into reality. Please confirm to me or to Ana Zeballos (anaclau@item.org.uy) at your earliest convenience if we can count with a report from your country and who the main author(s) or contact person would be for further correspondence about the report.

We expect to receive confirmations about the intention to contribute as soon as possible and a first outline or draft (a few pages) of the report should be received by Monday, April 10th, 2017 in order for that input to be taken into the account in the global report. Final versions should arrive by Monday, May 15th, 2017 in order for them to be edited and posted online by the time of the launch in July. Please do not hesitate to write to us or use this list for comments, questions or requests for further clarifications.

Download the Guidelines for the Social Watch national reports 2017 in English, French, Spanish.