Budgeting for Sustainable Development

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development were adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at a historic United Nations Summit. The 2030 Agenda, being led by the United Nations, defines the global development framework that succeeds the UN Millennium Development Goals that came to an end in 2015.

The SDGs aim to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities, and tackle climate change while ensuring that no one is left behind. IBP believes fiscal transparency, participation, and accountability should be central to the sustainable development framework and how efforts to achieve the SDGs are financed. This belief guided our advocacy prior to the adoption of the SDGs and our ongoing efforts to engage governments, civil society, the U.N. and other international institutions and organizations to ensure fiscal transparency and participation feature in SDG monitoring frameworks.

Prior to the adoption of the SDGs, IBP collaborated with our civil society partners around the world to campaign for transparency, accountability, and participation to be at the heart of the sustainable development agenda. Our 2014 Budget Brief, “From Numbers to Nurses: Why Budget Transparency, Expenditure Monitoring, and Accountability are Vital to the Post-2015 Framework” shows that budget transparency, expenditure monitoring and accountability can contribute to increases in spending towards, and better results related to, development goals.

Positive developments from IBP’s early advocacy included securing a place for budget transparency and participation in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development Financing for Development. The Financing for Development agenda is critically important for effective and accountable financing for sustainable development through the SDGs and beyond.

You can find out more about our recommendations to governments and the UN in our blog post, “Open Budgets for the Sustainable Development Goals.” You can also learn more about our recent activities and read publications, statements, and submissions at the links below.

For more information or to join us in our sustainable development advocacy efforts, please contact Claire Schouten at [email protected].


Publications, Statements, and Activities

Submissions