23 Mar 2016

The United Nations Statistical Commission has approved an indicator framework comprising of 230 indicators for use in the follow-up and review of progress at the global level towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The United Nations Statistical Commission held its 47^th session from March 8- 11 where all chief statisticians of the UN member states attended, including Statistics Botswana high level personnel. 

Giving a statement on SDGs in Gaborone upon their return, deputy statistician general, Dr Burton Mguni said the approved indicator framework comprises of 230 global indicators for use in the follow-up and review of progress at the global level towards achieving the 17 SDGs. 

Dr Mguni stated that the 17 SDGs and 169 targets were endorsed by a high level summit at the UN in September 2015, and that the related indicator framework was expected to be finalised at the just ended summit. 

He further highlighted that the Statistical Commission also recognised that for the implementation of the SDG indicator framework there would be need for capacity building in all countries, including small island states, least developed countries, land locked developing countries and other countries in special circumstances. 

“The framework provides that SDG indicators should be disaggregated where relevant, by income, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability and geographic location, or other characteristics in accordance with the fundamental principles of official statistics,” he said. 

He highlighted that in the case of Botswana indicators, national and district levels would need to be developed, adding that the national level SDGs should be linked to Vision 2036 and NDP11 aspirations and goals. 

Presenting on the ongoing Botswana Multi-Topic Household Survey (BMTHS), deputy statistician general, Mr Dabilani Buthali said the study provides comprehensive indicators to monitor and evaluate progress on the national strategies for poverty eradication, including the impact of programmes aimed at eradicating poverty. He said the survey comes handy for providing information that would enable monitoring of goals and targets 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. 

Mr Buthali said the data collection exercise would include interviewing and keeping of expenditure and consumption diaries by households, where Statistics Botswana data collectors interview households through the use of questionnaires, as was normally done in surveys and censuses. 

He noted that the BMTHS data collectors ask questions about demographic characteristics of the household, education, health, employment, income and expenditure. Ends