1. Panelist Presentation at the “Starting Strong: The First 1000 Days of the Sustainable
Development Goals” Dialogue – April 2016
Nairobi, Kenya
Introduction
Organizers of the auspicious dialogue
Fellow distinguished panelist
Participants, representing various African States,
Observers and every other protocol observed
Permit me your esteem to extend gratitude, on behalf of the Government of Liberia and
participants from Liberia attending this occasion. We are delighted that we can be a part of this
dialogue: Starting Strong: The First 1000 Days of the Sustainable Development Goal” which is
here unfolding. Our gathering here today is a testimonial of the significance that African nations
place towards strengthening our collective and individual efforts in enhancing frameworks and
processes that would lead to facilitating an integrated and workable mechanism for the
subsequent implementation of the SDGs.With this belief, we are of the conviction that the Starting
Strong Dialogue presents, yet, another unique opportunity that we can all, once again, come
together in an effort to brainstorm on the way forward in implementing the SDGs. Weare reminded
about the objectives of this dialogue which is geared towards
1. Building a platform that will champion the implementation of the SDGs and build a sense
of urgency within respective countries and regions,
2. Engender thoughts and actions that will speed up early action thus avoiding the threat of
slow implementation that characterized the MDGs;
3. Engage in a knowledge sharing experience that would heighten the discussion on
integration (social, economic and environmental) in pursuit of the principles of the SDGs.
Against this background, we take keen interest in objective 3 of this dialogue that talks about
knowledge pooling and substantive evidence gathering aim at fostering integrated approaches to

2. SDGs implementation which takes into account ideas/actions centered upon social, economic
and environmental considerations. To this end, we are delighted to share our thoughts on these
issues and are more than delighted to indulge in this dialogue as a healthy learning process.
Integration in the context of the SDGs is a concept which seeks for a better balance between the
three pillars of the SDG which include social, environmental and economic considerations.
The desire to understanding how an integrated goal of the SDGs can be practicalized resonates
with the agreed mandates of the Rio +20 and other follow-up discussions and instruments of the
Rio+ 20 including the report of the intergovernmental Open Working Group (OWG) of the United
Nations General Assembly in 2013, the High Level Committee on the Post 2015 Development
Agenda of the African Union Assembly of Head of States and Governments, among other. These
outcome documents, in discussing the establishment of the goals on sustainable development,
pinpoint the weakness of the MDGs and highlight the significance of pursuing the concept of
integration in the achievement of the SDGs. This presentation will endeavor to demonstrate how
the goals of the SDGs can be achievable through the adaptation of an integrated agenda. The
presentation will seek to provide direction as to how we can ensure that in the mist of various
national priorities the integrated nature of the goals are maintained. Also embedded in this
presentation will be examples on how an integrated work on the SDGs looks like practically.
Cognizant of the fact that significant tradeoffs has to be made in the wake of implementation, we
will endeavor to outline a number of the trade-offs and understand how these trade-offs can be
dealt with without risking or compromisingthe relevance of the goals. Efforts will be made towards
focusing these discussions within local or national context, Liberia being a point of reference.
1. Maintaining the integrated nature of the goals within the framework of national
priorities and existing plans
The experience with the MDGs implementation teaches us that the achievement of the SDGs
cannot be done in isolation of an integrated approach. The Africa Regional Report on Sustainable
Development Goals sets the basis for the discussion on an integrated approach to sustainable
development by highlighting Africa’s development issues and priorities. This presentation
addresses the various dimensions of the SDGs within the context of the issues and priorities
which are crucial to the dialogue on an integrated nature of the goals. The report among other
things, outlined the challenges Africa faces with regards to the various dimensions of
sustainability. The report also fledges out those issues that are of priority to Africa along the path
of sustainability. As an example of what is considered as an issue under the economic dimension

3. of sustainability, Africa economic growth experience in the last decade indicates a sustained and
impressive economic growth1
. Economic growth rates in 2013 averaged 4%, doubling global
targets. About a quarter of the countries in the region had growth rates exceeding 7%, thus,
recording a number of African countries as being among the fastest growing economies in the
world. In our own case, Liberia, prior to the outbreak of the Ebola crisis was also listed in this
category. However this impressive economic growth rate, human and social development are
considered as being low among African countries. Africa is on record of having the lowest level
of social and human development a situation which has entrapped large segments of the
population in the quagmire of extreme poverty, coupled with rampant unemployment and gross
inequalities. Similar pictures can also be painted for other dimensions of sustainable development
which include social and environmental. Such illustration paints a picture of the disconnect
between the pillars of sustainable development and provides a justification as to the relevance of
adopting or maintaining an integrated agenda for sustainable development irrespective of national
priorities and existing plans. The Africa Regional Report on Sustainable Development Goals
makes an attempt to cluster sustainable development priorities on a regional basis. These
regional priorities which are aligned with the goals is an attempt to contextualize the goals with
respect to regions specific issues. It is a move away from the old order of a one-size-fits all
approach that characterized the implementation of the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs)
and provides the basis upon which nations can identify the problems common to their respective
regions and build synergies in terms of finding common solutions. Along this thinking it is quite
evident that individual nations have their own development blueprints. This raises the critical
question of integration of the global sustainable development agenda and yet at the same time
pursuing the implementation of our individual development blueprints.
There is no one best solution to this puzzle. A useful approach in dealing with this is to have the
goals domesticated to suit national context. Domesticating the goals will provide the opportunity
wherein through broad based participation with citizens, each county can have the goals
contextualized and prioritized based on their relative significance with regards to economic, social
and environmental conditions of the country. Another approach to maintaining the integrated
nature of the goal is to seek to ensure that our development are dispersed in a way wherein the
three dimensions of the sustainable development are taken into account. Other measure aim at
maintaining the integrated nature of the goals within the framework of national priorities and
existing plans will consider striking a balance between the application of a county level lens, that
1 Africa Regional Report on SustainableEconomic Growth

4. provides national target setting, and a universal lens that presents all countries as equals. The
outcome document of the Rio+20 sets an ambition of “leaving no one behind” which is affirmed
in its preamble. This provides a universal scope to the goals that is construed as paying less
attention to the inequalities of nations. While this global focus is necessary to engender healthy
competition there is another dimension which has to do with viewing the goals in terms of country’s
specific lens. This provides unique opportunities for tackling countries particular circumstances
and to further link national ambitions with global goals2
. Practicalizingthese interventions provides
the best options for countries to explore in this regard.
2. A practical overview of an integrated approach to the SDGs
Reechoing UNEP 2013, integration of the SDGs is thought of as a set of goals that encapsulate
economic, social and environmental considerations. In a practical sense, determining how this
concept is applicable to the SDG and how it appears in practice is a challenging task mainly for
countries that are still at the lower ring of the ladder in terms of current efforts. Liberia does not
provide the best case study scenario for a practical approach to the SDGs. Notwithstanding, our
involvement both at the global and regional level bears testimony to the fact about our
commitment to these processes. Liberia shares similar passions of other nations and is deeply
committedto the principles of fostering an integrated approach to tackling the SDGs.With respect
to the formative discussions around the SDGs, Liberia has played and continue to play her role
in various global and regional dialogue aimed at creating the post 2015 framework for sustainable
development. We believe that our involvement in these discussions places us in a comfortable
position wherein we can join ranks with other regional counterparts in charting a pathway towards
an integrated approach. At the moment we have taken initial strides in launching the 2030
Sustainable Development Agenda in collaboration with the United Nations Systems and the
Sustainable Development Solutions Network. This colorful event was geared towards endorsing
the SDGs at all levels in Liberia, creating awareness and mobilizing the support from a broader
spectrum of the Liberian populace including youths, women, elders, civil society, etc having
crucial roles to play in the domestication of the agenda. This effort provides the initial basis for
making the SDGs practical. On the question of how the an integrate SDG will look we wish to
proffer a number of measures which we believed when followed will paint a clear picture of how
an integrated SDG will look like
2 How and Why a Country’s lens Matters for SDGs

5. a. Aligning of the SDGs with national plans and programs. At the moment, Liberia is in
the process of undertaking a mid-term review of its development plan, the Agenda for
Transformation. Recognizing the significance of the SDGs based on our commitment
to this global initiative, part of the exercise to be undertaken in this mid-term review
process will be to reprogram and realign the objectives of our development plan to the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
b. Engage in policy reforms and ensure subsequent development policies are cognizant
of the need for synchronization among the various dimensions or pillars of the SDGs.
With this development policies can ensure that the targets under related goals are
harmonized such that there is an inter-link wherein the realization of a target under
one goal can contribute to the desire result of another goal. Targets should focus on
the interdependence between two or more issues so that they are tackled in an
integrated way thereby delivering the desired outcome for both
c. Establishment of an institutional framework that will oversee the implementation of the
SDG and provide direction on how to proceed in the implementation of the goals. In
this direction, Liberia has concluded the development of a concept on the outlook of
an institutional framework. In most respect, the institutional framework will comprise
of key service delivery institutions and the highest level of decision makers.
d. Prioritization of the countries prioritized goals in budgetary processes. This is key as it
will serve to bring about a sense of ownership of the agenda.
e. Incorporating the participation of all stakeholders in the process.
As we envisaged these measures which provide the practicality of how an integrated approach
will look, we are also mindful that there will be significant trade-offs in the process.
3. Managing the trade-offs in terms of an integrated approach
The Sustainable Development Goals are an offshoot of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) which build upon the progress of the MDGs. However it is arguable accepted that the
MDGs did not live fully up to its promise. Important trade-offs were not taken into consideration.
For example how was the objectives for decreasing infant mortality and improving water and
sanitation balance in implementation? The SDGs with its ambitious nature has set out to be more

6. integrated in nature and seems to recognize these complexities. It is based upon this rhetoric that
the SDGs will have to be mindful that when it comes to balancing the aspirations between
fostering social and economic development on one hand and environmental considerations on
the other hand, significant trade-offs has to be made. The management of the trade-offs will be
amongst the mostcritical task that will be carried out in the implementation of the goals. A number
of tradeoffs to be taken into consideration include:
 Improving food security versus risk to climate change threats which may have long
term effect on food security itself
 Social economic development versus global environmental sustainability
Given these trade—offs, a number of measures can be taken in the wake of achieving the SDGs.
 Policy integration: identifying targets that focus on the interdependence of two or
more issues which are tackled in an integrated fashion
 Leveraging enhance corporation among sector institutions and governments.