1. Nik Sekhran
Director, Sustainable Development
United Nations Development Programme
Manila, September 2017
Integrated Approaches and SDG Accelerators

2. THECHALLENGES
Poverty
Over 300 million people lived
in extreme poverty in 2013 in
the region. South Asia
accounted for over 15% of
people living in extreme
poverty in 2013.
Water
48% of South Asia’s
renewable water resources
are withdrawn.
Climate Change
The region alone would
emit more than 20 billion
tons of CO2 by 2035 which
equals 46% of the world’s
share.
Gender
Large gender disparities in
enrolment ratios are found
in tertiary education.
Sanitation
55% of the population lack
access to improved sanitation
facilities in South Asia, and
23% in East Asia & the Pacific.
Inequality
Twelve of the 30
economies in the region
showed an increase in the
Gini coefficient in the past
two decades.
Jobs & Livelihoods
By 2050, some 280 million
people will join the job
market in India alone.
Between 1991-2013 less
than half of new entrants
to the labour market were
absorbed by the economy.
Hunger
About 16% of the
population in South Asia,
10% in East Asia and 7% in
Pacific small island states
remain undernourished.

3. VulnerabilitytoClimateChange
 SIDS are particularly vulnerable to climate change, with populations, agricultural lands and infrastructure
tending to be concentrated in the coastal zone
 $63.1 billion is the annual damage caused by disasters in Asia and the Pacific*
 $40 billion is the budget required annually to help the region adapt to climate change
Source: ADB
*This is the average over a twenty year period (1995-2014)

4. THEOPPORTUNITIES Fast Growing Markets1
The Asia-Pacific region continues to be the world leader in growth.
•Growth is projected to reach 5.5 percent in 2017 and 5.4 percent in 2018.
•5 of the regions economies are forecasted to grow about 7 percent during 2017.
Entrepreneurship2
The region is among the most entrepreneurial in the world.
Sixty-six per cent of people in the region view entrepreneurship as a positive career choice.
Innovation3
Innovation is an engine of growth in the region, with many countries moving towards more
innovative industries.
According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 5 of the regions economies are among the
top 25 innovators in the world, while others like India and Vietnam are quickly gaining
ground in this area.

5.  Implies that goals and
targets are relevant to
all governments and
actors: integration
 Universality does not
mean uniformity. It
implies differentiation
(What can each
country contribute?)
 Policy integration means
balancing all three SD
dimensions: social,
economic growth and
environmental
protection
 An integrated approach
implies managing trade-
offs and maximizing
synergies across targets
 The principle of ‘no
one left behind’
advocates countries to
go beyond averages.
 The SDGs should
benefit all – eradicating
poverty and reducing
inequalities.
 Promotion and use of
disaggregated data is key
SDG AGENDA PRINCIPLES
‘NO ONE LEFT BEHIND’INTEGRATIONUNIVERSALITY

6. Source: SDSN - SDG Index (http://www.sdgindex.org/download/)
SDG DASHBOARD FOR COUNTRIES IN EAST AND SOUTH ASIA

7.  Landing the SDG
agenda at the national
and local levels:
integration into
national and sub-
national plans for
development; and into
budget allocations.
MAINSTREAMING
 Determining policy
areas that when
tackled can can directly
affect multiple
development priorities
and have a multiplier
effect across the SDGs.
 Support – skills and
experience - from
respective UN agencies
to countries, which
should be made
available at a low cost
in a timely manner.
POLICY SUPPORTACCELERATION

8. MAPSMissions2016-2017

9. I. Alignment: Assessing national priorities and the SDGs
II. Defining an Institutional Coordination Mechanism
III. From planning to action: Prioritizing SDG accelerators
IV. Integrating SDGs into budgets and financing the SDG agenda
V. Data, monitoring, and reporting
VI. Advocacy, resources and partnerships
A ROADMAP TOWARD SDG IMPLEMENTATIONELEMENTS OF A ROADMAP TOWARD
SDG IMPLEMENTATION

10. SDGACCELERATION
What is an Accelerator?
 A priority area that when tackled can directly
affect multiple development priorities and
have a multiplier effect across the SDGs.
How are accelerators determined?
 Through consultations and review of empirical
evidence, a theory of change is built to identify
areas with maximum potential for impact
towards a national development priority and
across SDGs.
 The challenges to and identification of
interventions to overcome these challenges is
conducted, resulting in a COMBO of
interventions for SDG acceleration.

11. Stepstodetermineanaccelerator
Identify
priority area
What are the
challenges?
What drives
progress?
What
interventions
are necessary?
Social Dialogue
National Vision and Planning
Docs Empirical Evidence (local
and global)

12. I. Addressing
inequalities –
reaching the
last mile
II. Invest on
the blue and
green
economy
III. Bridging
the
development
peace divide
IV. Increasing
local
capacities for
service
delivery
V. Boosting
quality data
and statistical
coherence
Strengthen
institutional
quality and
capacity
Restoring trust in
society through
social cohesion,
reconciliation
Sustainable
Natural resource
management
Empowered
women and
youth
Better informed
public policies
and targeted
programmes
Sustainable
& Shared
Prosperity
Accelerators:ExamplefromSriLanka
Sustainable peace
and security
achieved
Sri Lanka as a
model for
sustainable
development

13. Accelerator:SriLanka
Identify
priority
area
What are the
challenges?
What drives
progress?
Empowered women
and youth.
• High youth
unemployment
• Limited access to
services for SMEs
• Weak infrastructure
and logistics
• Women Economic
empowerment
• Promotion of jobs and
livelihoods
• Entrepreneurship linked
to education
• Focus on at risk youth
• Promote green jobs
• Innovation centers
• Review of land
legislation
• Job centers
• Targeted approached for
youth
• Etc.
Priority Area
Challenges
Drivers
Interventions

14. Review of land
legislation
Improve access
to financial
services, credit
and assets
Identify
specific
geographical
needs (rural vs
urban)
Entrepreneurship
programs at
secondary and
tertiary levels
Addressing inequalities
Women
Economic
Empowerment Promote Jobs
and livelihoods
Entrepreneurship
integrated in
education
Innovation
centers
COMBO OF INTERVENTIONS SRI LANKA
Focus on
youth at risk
Mapping of
opportunities
and
identification of
barriers
Promote green
jobs (linked to the
blue and green
economy)
De-risking to
facilitate
access to
capital
Identify youth
groups that
need targeted
approaches
Vocational
schools for the
jobs of the future
Selected
public
investment in
infrastructure
and logistics
Job
Centres

15. Accelerators:ExamplefromArmeni
Natural capital
development
Economic
transformation
Social
Protection –
leaving no one
behind
Human
capital
development
Effective public
administration
Environment
Governance
Social
Economy
Towards
the
2030 Agenda

16. Accelerator:Armenia
Identify
priority area
What are the
challenges?
Natural Capital
development
• Weak water/land-use
planning
• Pollution and solid
waste
• Weak biodiversity
protection
• Maladaptation to
climate change and
disaster risks
• Strengthened water- and
land-use planning
• Designated protected
areas
• Ecosystem approach to
mitigate climate change
and reduce risks
• Strengthened
management of pollution
and solid waste
• Innovative schemes for
private and social spending
• Diversify livelihoods to
protect natural resources,
build resilience
• Big data, GIS systems for
improved management
Priority Area
Challenges
Drivers
Interventions

17. Diversify
livelihoods to
protect natural
resources,
build resilience
Area-based
planning and
implementation
Strengthen and
streamline
environmental
governance
Risk-informed
development to
prevent-reduce-
mitigate-adapt
Innovative
schemes for
private and social
spending
Environmentally
friendly
production and
consumption
Valuation of
ecosystem
services
Big data, GIS
systems for
improved
management
Improved
enforcement of
laws and
regulations
Strengthened
water- and
land-use
planning and
enforcement
Designated
protected
areas increased
Strengthened
management
of pollution
and solid
waste
Ecosystem
approach to
mitigate
climate change
and reduce
risks adopted
COMBO OF INTERVENTIONS ARMENIA
Green Economy

18. 18© United Nations Development Programme
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