Objective

As an input to the Arab Sustainable Development Report, the objective of this project was to prepare a concise, high-quality paper on sustainable development monitoring and recommendations for the Arab region in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and post-2015 global development agenda. The project addressed the following questions:

• What are the key elements of the emerging global framework for measuring progress on the SDGs and post-2015 agenda and the data revolution? What are the main indicators being considered at the global level for measuring progress on sustainable development?
• What is the experience in the Arab region with monitoring sustainable development? What are the key gaps/barriers/constraints experienced by stakeholders in the Arab region?
• What are the likely implications for the Arab region of a new SDG monitoring framework, including key challenges, likely gaps/needs and potential opportunities at the national and regional levels?
• Can practice and experience in other regions as well as emerging approaches (e.g., “big data”) provide lessons for the Arab region?
• What are the recommended options for addressing key challenges in the Arab region to support implementation and follow-up of the SDGs and post-2015 agenda?

Our Role

Midsummer Analytics’ reviewed past experience in monitoring SD in the Arab region through a combination of desk research and personal interviews with regional experts. Our review focused in particular on regional experience with monitoring the UN Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Initiative in the Arab Region.

Based on our review, we assessed the current capacity of Arab states for monitoring the new SDGs of the post-2015 development agenda and made recommendations for building upon this capacity. We were invited to present our findings at the Arab High-level Forum on Sustainable Development held in Manama, Bahrain in April, 2015.

We worked with a variety of Arab experts on this project, including officials in multilateral institutions, public servants, academics and consultants working in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.