2018 National Workshop for Ethiopia

Transcription

1 2018 National Workshop for Ethiopia Evidence-based and data-informed ICT/e-government policies for advancing public service delivery and accountability in supporting the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals Remarks Louise Chamberlain Country Director October 2018 ADDIS ABABA Check Against Delivery

2 His Excellency Dr. Mebratu Gebremariam, State Minister of Communication & Information Technology, His Excellency Ato Sisay Tolla, State Minister of Communication & Information Technology, Representatives from the government, private and non-governmental organizations, Distinguished UN colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to join you today on the national workshop for Ethiopia on evidence-based and data-informed e-governance. This topic is extremely timey following just yesterday s announcement by Speaker of the House of People s Representatives Her Excellency Muferiat Kamil following the opening of Parliament that Ethiopia will prioritize investment in e-governance as part of its sweeping reform agenda. This is in line with the increasing commitment we are witnessing for the application of e-governance for reforms in Ethiopia particularly to use ICT for elections; as highlighted by the new prime minister H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed. 1

3 Ladies and Gentlemen, There is no debating the crucial role that e-governance plays in facilitating implementation of SGDs through improving delivery of services, facilitation of exchange of information, and integrating a wide range of systems and services between government, non-government and private institutions. E-governance is also vital in evidence generation as well as in monitoring the achievement of SDG results by facilitating systemic collection, documentation and reporting of data on SDG indicators. At UNDP we strongly believe that evidence-based and data-informed government policies are the bedrock of any well-functioning state and e-government policies take this to the next level. In 2015 the UN member states articulated a new collective vision for development with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Agenda a plan of action for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership sets a vision for reducing poverty, achieving sustainable development and leaving no one behind. Evidence and data are at the core of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets, which balance the three dimensions of sustainable development the economic, social and environmental. 2

4 The SDGs are universal and relevant to all people in all countries, regardless of development status. The goal is to eradicate poverty; there can be no partial success. As we implement the SDGs, follow-up and review is at the center. Although action will need to be taken also by the private sector, and civil society. The responsibility of evidence generation mostly falls on governments who have the primary responsibility for follow-up monitoring and review of progress, at the national, regional and global levels. Quality, accessible, timely and reliable disaggregated data is key to improve the quality of decision-making and to accurately measure progress and to ensure that no one is left behind. Ladies and Gentlemen, A big concern for policymakers and practitioners, especially in developing countries such as Ethiopia, is the wide information asymmetry and data gap monitoring challenging. To close this gap governments will need to widen the use of ICT for data collection and generation and improve overall public service delivery. 3

5 This workshop provides an opportunity to raise an important and timely issue that of the need to strengthen institutional capacity to implement evidence-based e-government policies and strategies in support of SDGs. ICT also provides a unique opportunity for government at various levels to interact with its citizens, and innovative solutions for two-way communication. In the past few years UNDP has had the privilege of supporting the Government of Ethiopia to mainstream SDGs in its policies in partnership working with UNDESA. We are also supporting Ethiopia to ensure proper evidence generation by supporting efforts aimed at coordination of institutions, mechanisms and processes around the SDGs. Our partnership with the National Planning Commission is currently focusing on undertake SDGs baseline assessment survey and costing analysis to help Ethiopia identify a set of targets and indicators to prioritize. I believe this intervention complements UNDESA s project with Ministry of Communication and Information Technology of Ethiopia, which focuses on strengthening institutional capacity to implement evidence-based government policies. In the next phase we 4

6 expect to work closely with the government on systems for performance and delivery to strengthen accountability. Going forward, supporting Ethiopia around the SDGs, particularly strengthening investments in evidence and quality and timely data will remain a priority for all stakeholders. Let me therefore take this opportunity to underline UNDP s commitment to scale up our partnership with the Government, academic and research institutions to improve evidence generation and improve the follow-up and review mechanism of SDGs through policy and programme support. I thank you for your attention. 5