| Overview : The Government of Lesotho remains committed to implementing the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is operationalised through the National Strategic Development Plan II (NSDP II), 2018/19 – 2020/22/23. Following the adoption of the SDGs by the UN General Assembly in September 2015, the Government of Lesotho embarked on a multipronged effort to raise national awareness and ownership on the SDGs. In 2017, the Government of Lesotho through the Ministry of Development Planning undertook the process of domesticating the SDGs which came up with a comprehensive, holistic, nationally owned, and country-led sustainable development strategy for SDGs implementation through the NSDP II. The assessment on the integration of SDGs into the NSDP II has confirmed a full integration and alignment between the SDGs and the NSDP II pillars. However, there are notable gaps and misalignment at the sector level and with the SDG targets. The midterm NSDP II review highlights that most ministries do not possess comprehensive implementation strategies with linkages to the NSDP. This misalignment is also reflected in the national budget It is in this context that the Government of Lesotho, through the Ministry of Development Planning (MoDP) and the Ministry of Finance, and in collaboration with UNDP, UNICEF and IOM are implementing a joint programme on Economic and Financial Management Integration for Sustainable Development (JP-EFMIS) to promote integrated planning and financing for sustainable development, to accelerate attainment of the SDGs. With assistance from the UNDP, the MoDP will pilot the Integrated National Financing Framework to establish country specific mechanisms for aligning its development targets and financing objectives. Through the INFF, policymakers will lay out a strategy to increase and make most effective use of investment for sustainable development and ultimately achieve priorities articulated in a national sustainable development plan. As a result, the INFF is seen as an acceleration framework for SDGs achievement. A successful INFF depends on national capacity to coordinate the implementation and monitoring of the SDGs. Capacity to implement the SDGs includes reinforcing inclusivity and participation of all stakeholders, existence of mechanisms for monitoring, accountability and oversight. Knowledge and understanding of the 2030 Agenda not only enables the governments and national stakeholders to establish pathways to achievement of the targets, but it also increases commitment of governments to allocate adequate resources to achieve respective priority national development targets, thus facilitating attainment of the SDGs targets. Limited awareness and capacities for coordination and implementation of SDGs in Lesotho have negatively impacted national coordination, tracking and achievement of SDGs targets. Working with the UN, the government has produced a baseline report on the SDGs indicators and published the Voluntary National Review on the SDGs (VNR, 2019), but has not translated the recommendations to impact implementation strategies for NSDP II and other long term development planning. The Ministry has also previously led a training programme for the National Assembly that led to development of standing order and establishment of the SDGs Committees in the two houses of Parliament, to provide oversight and support. In order to guarantee integrated planning and financing mechanisms, and alignment of sectoral development objectives to the NSDP and the SDGs, the Ministry of Development Planning intents to roll-out a capacity building programme targeting government, civil society and private sector stakeholders to promote awareness and accelerate achievement of SDGs. In context of the INFF, the programme is expected to build capacities for coordinated implementation of the NSDP and SDGs and enable mobilisation of public and private, domestic and international resources for achieving Lesotho’s development objectives. Given the challenges and risks associated with COVID-19, the training will be delivered on-line. Applications should be send to ls.procurement@undp.org |
