Thirty-six major changes to the global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were approved and adopted by the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC).

Sustainable Development Goals

• The UN General Assembly in its 70^thSession considered and adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the next 15 years.
• The 17 SDGs came into force with effect from 1^stJanuary, 2016.
• Though not legally binding, the SDGs have become de facto international obligations and have potential to reorient domestic spending priorities of the countries during the next fifteen years.
• Countries are expected to take ownership and establish a national framework for achieving these Goals.
• Implementation and success will rely on countries’ own sustainable development policies, plans and programmes.

About the changes

• These changes are based on the ‘2020 comprehensive review’ conducted by the UN Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs).
• The revised global framework will have 231 indicators, approximately the same number as in the original framework, the statement said.
• The global indicator framework was adopted by the UN General Assembly on July 6, 2017.

Eight additional indicators were added across six SDG goals — 2, 3, 4, 10, 13 and 16.

These include:

• Indicator 13.2.2 on the total greenhouse gas emissions per year for the SDG target 13.2 to integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.
• Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15-49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage) under the target 2.2 to end forms of malnutrition by 2030.
• A new indicator on reducing the percentage of bloodstream infections due to selected antimicrobial-resistant organisms has been added under the Global health goal (SDG 3).
• Indicator 10.7.3 on the number of migrants killed while attempting to cross maritime, land and air borders.
• Indicator 10.7.4 on the proportion of the population who are refugees, by country of origin.

Six indicators across six SDG goals — 1, 4, 8, 11, 13 and 17 — have been deleted.

 These include:

• Indicator 1.a.1 on the proportion of domestically-generated resources allocated by the government directly to poverty reduction programmes.
• Indicator 4.2.1 on the proportion of children under five years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex.
• The portion of the indicator that measures progress for children between 0 and 23 months of age, which is currently in tier III was proposed for deletion by the IAEG.
• Under the SDG goal on combating climate change, the indicator 13.3.2, quantifying the number of countries that have communicated the strengthening of capacity-building for implementing adaptation, mitigation and technology transfer, and development actions has been deleted.

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