The objectives of the workshop and related training programmes are to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development and to identify the linkages and impacts of national policies and strategies through modelling frameworks. However, the availability and quality of statistics and data presents a great challenge for carrying out a meaningful modelling exercise that integrates different aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals. Given the ambitious scope of the Goals, data scarcity would significantly constrain countries’ ability to develop and maintain Sustainable Development Goals-based models. Therefore, further regional cooperation and stronger capacity support from development partners is necessary and urgent, especially in the context of countries with special needs.
The workshop will give policymakers from countries with special needs, the opportunity to learn about the current state of the art progress in making national level monitoring and policy simulation. It will be, among others, part of the initial ESCAP regional implementation plans for these countries for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the regional and national levels.