World Public Sector Report 2019
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The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) prominently feature institutions, both as a cross-cutting issue in many of the goals and as a standalone goal (SDG 16). The World Public Sector Report 2019 looks at national-level developments in relation to several concepts highlighted in the targets of Goal 16, which are viewed as institutional principles: access to information, transparency, accountability, anti-corruption, inclusiveness of decision-making processes, and non-discrimination. The report surveys global trends in these areas, documenting both the availability of information on those trends and the status of knowledge about the effectiveness of related policies and institutional arrangements in different national contexts. It also demonstrates how the institutional principles of SDG 16 have been informing the development of institutions in various areas, including gender World Public Sector Report 2019 United Nations Sector Report Public World equality and women’s empowerment (SDG 5). The report further examines two critical instruments that can support effective public institutions and public administration for the SDGs, namely national budget processes and risk management. The World Public Sector Report 2019 aims to inform the first review of SDG 16 at the United Nations high-level political forum on sustainable development in July 2019, and to contribute to future efforts to monitor progress on SDG 16. By reviewing key challenges and opportunities for public institutions in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national level, the report also aims to inform efforts by all countries to create effective institutions to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. ISBN: 978-92-1-123209-7 eISBN: 978-92-1-004140-9 Published by the United Nations June 2019 UNITED NATIONS WORLD PUBLIC SECTOR REPORT 2019 Sustainable Development Goal 16: Focus on public institutions For more information, please visit: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs http://www.un.org/desa United Nations Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government https://publicadministration.un.org United Nations World Public Sector Reports https://publicadministration.un.org/en/Research/World-Public-Sector-Reports Sustainable Development Goal 16: Focus on public institutions | i Department of Economic and Social Affairs SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 16: FOCUS ON PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS World Public Sector Report 2019 United Nations New York, 2019 publicadministration.un.org ii | World Public Sector Report 2019 DESA Mission Statement The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres of sustainable development and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked areas: (i) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social and environmental data and information on which States Members of the United Nations draw to review common problems and to take stock of policy options; (ii) it facilitates the negotiations of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging global challenges; and (iii) it advises interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy frameworks developed in United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the country level and, through technical assistance, helps build national capacities. Disclaimer The terms ‘country’ and ‘economy’ as used in this Report refer, as appropriate, to territories or areas; the designations employed and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. In addition, the designations of country groups are intended solely for statistical or analytical convenience and do not express a judgement about the stage of development reached by a particular country or area in the development process. Reference to companies and their activities should not be construed as an endorsement by the United Nations of those companies or their activities. The boundaries and names shown and designations used on the maps presented in this publication do not imply official endorsement of acceptance by the United Nations. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its senior management, or of the experts whose contributions are acknowledged. Copyright © United Nations, 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission. Publication No.: ST/ESA/PAD/SER.E/200 ISBN: 978-92-1-123209-7 eISBN: 978-92-1-004140-9 Sales no.: E.19.II.H.1 Suggested citation: United Nations, 2019, Sustainable Development Goal 16: Focus on public institutions, World Public Sector Report 2019, Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York, June. Website: publicadministration.un.org Printed at the United Nations, New York Foreword Sustainable Development Goal 16: Focus on public institutions | iii Foreword Institutions are essential to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The strengthening of national institutions to deliver the SDGs is seen as a priority in many Member States, as shown by their voluntary presentations at the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development during the first three years of SDG follow-up and review. The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs prominently feature institutions, both as a cross-cutting issue in many of the goals and as a standalone goal (SDG 16), “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels”. The principles highlighted in SDG 16 in relation to institutions – effectiveness, transparency, accountability, anti-corruption, inclusiveness of decision-making processes, access to information, non-discrimination – apply to all the Goals. The very first review of SDG 16 at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2019 is a momentous occasion. It will provide all Member States of the United Nations a platform to reflect on the adequacy and effectiveness of existing societal and institutional arrangements for supporting the implementation of the Goals. The World Public Sector Report 2019 aims to inform this reflection. It surveys trends in relation to the institutional principles of SDG 16, both at the systemic level and in relation to Goal 5 on gender equality, and presents what is known about the effectiveness of initiatives in these areas in different national contexts. The report also looks at two critical tools that can support effective public institutions and public administration, namely national budget processes and risk management. Along with reports that have examined other facets of SDG 16, this initial stocktaking provides a base on which future efforts to monitor progress on SDG 16 can build. By reviewing key challenges and opportunities for public institutions in the context of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national level, the report also aims to inform efforts by all countries to create effective institutions to deliver the SDGs. LIU Zhenmin Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs United Nations iv | World Public Sector Report 2019 Acknowledgements Authors The World Public Sector Report 2019 was prepared by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (UNDESA), through its Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG). The report was prepared under the responsibility of Juwang Zhu, by a team of United Nations staff led by David Le Blanc. The team comprised Lisa Ainbinder, Peride K. Blind, Xinxin Cai, Aránzazu Guillán Montero, David Lung’aho, Julie Powell and Valentina Resta. DPIDG interns Néstor de Buen Alatorre, Lily Chan, Sofia Chrysikopoulou, Omar Dammak, Emmanuel Ebot, Omar El Hefnawy, Rafia Farooqui, Siyu Gu, Ying Huang, Shihao Lin, Bruno Viale and United Nations Volunteer Aurora Morandi provided research support. Chapter 1 was coordinated by David Le Blanc. Inputs for this chapter were provided by Lisa Ainbinder and Julie Powell. Aránzazu Guillán Montero coordinated and wrote Chapter 2. Chapter 3 was written by Lisa Ainbinder, Aránzazu Guillán Montero and David Le Blanc. The chapter benefitted from discussions at an Expert Group Meeting on “Budgeting and planning in support of effective institutions for the Sustainable Development Goals”, held on 4-5 February 2019 in New York, and drew extensively on inputs prepared by the following experts for that workshop: Thomas Beloe (United Nations Development Programme); Juan Pablo Guerrero (Global Initiative for Fiscal Transparency); Christopher Mihm (United States Government Accountability Office); Yamini Mishra (Amnesty International); Delphine Moretti (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development); Stephen Masha Ngowa (Government of Kenya); Katarina Ott (Institute of Public Finance, Croatia); and Claire