Dear IAEG delegates and distinguished guests, 

It is my honor and privilege to welcome you to Oslo and to this crucial inter-agency and expert meeting on the SDG indicators. I am delighted that UNDP’s Global Policy Centre for Governance is co-hosting this meeting together with Statistics Norway. As the UN’s leading development agency, UNDP is deeply committed to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Central to this agenda is the effective measurement of progress, which is why the role of this Inter-Agency and  Expert Group is so vital.  

Today’s gathering underscores our collective commitment to advancing the 2030 Agenda, ensuring that the promises made are tracked with integrity, accuracy, and inclusivity.  The SDG indicators form the foundation of this critical work, providing us with the evidence we need to steer our efforts, measure impact, and address gaps.  

This meeting serves as an opportunity for us to strengthen international collaboration,  sharpen our methodologies, and address the complexities that arise in monitoring progress on the SDGs.  

 As we discuss the implications of recent global processes and events, emerging trends, innovative approaches like citizen generate data, and data gaps, let us keep in mind that the quality and reliability of SDG indicators will guide how effectively we can meet the needs of our people and our planet. 

With the 2030 deadline for the SDGs rapidly approaching and many targets off track (only 17% of targets have been achieved) we must collectively redouble our efforts. The Pact for the Future  is an important promise by Member States to ‘future proof’ the SDGs bringing  together commitments in areas where progress has been slow or where new challenges have emerged.   

The most effective approach to catch up is to focus on synergies between goals to ensure that progress in one area catalyses positive change across others.  Certain SDGs are indeed foundational and warrant greater emphasis for achieving broad, transformative impacts.  For example, It is widely recognized that SDG 16 and its targets promoting inclusive, accountable and effective governance are critical enablers or accelerators of progress across the 2030 Agenda.  

UNDP’s Global Policy Centre for Governance has a special focus on SDG 16 – helping to ensure that countries have access to tools, technical and financial support to monitor progress on governance, peace and justice targets. Many countries are prioritizing reporting on SDG 16 and this is reflected in an increase of data availability from almost no information, to 51% in 2024. It is also reflected in the significant increase in the number of countries that are prioritizing SDG 16 in their Voluntary National Review reports. This is also evident in the significant progress made in advancing international standards for governance statistics, driven by the efforts of the Praia Group on Governance Statistics, where this Centre continues to play a key supporting role. 

UNDP has for a long time championed a human lens to development thinking. This means defining what matters to people -- including their human rights, well-being, and agency -- and combining it with a forward-looking perspective that considers planetary pressures, to create new opportunities for all.  The world must re-design how we measure progress in the future to go beyond GDP and governance metrics are an important part of this.  

In closing, I would like to underscore that the work of this group is not just about numbers; it is about people, communities, and the planet. The indicators we discuss today are the tools that enable us to turn ambition into action and goals into reality. They help us ensure that development is not only sustainable but also equitable. 

UNDP, through the Global Policy Centre and other teams, remains deeply committed to supporting the work of this group and to strengthening our collective efforts to achieve the SDGs. Together, through rigorous data, thoughtful collaboration, and shared expertise, we can transform the promise of the SDGs into tangible outcomes for people everywhere. 

Let me end by saying – use this time together well – challenge each other, and put forward your views in a candid way. We need to be clear and foreward with each other – because only then can we solve these complicated development puzzles we have been entrusted.