Foreword

The simultaneous occurrence of multiple crises has created a more complex operating environment for governments, while overstretching human, financial and other resources. Moreover, most - if not all - of these crises have a strong transboundary and global dimension. At the same time, the necessary focus on urgent short-term crisis management has an inherent risk and could undermine the ability of governments to deliver on long-term goals and global commitments. Yet, the world has less than seven years to deliver on the 2030 Agenda and internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This report aims to showcase tools and practices that can help countries address immediate pressures while maintaining longer term global commitments. It underlines that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a framework for ensuring that national actions are aligned and contribute towards positive global outcomes. It emphasises that policy coherence will be key to balance short-term domestic needs with long-term goals and international commitments including the SDGs, and to tackle global challenges that affect us all. It explores ways in which policy coherence principles and practices can be leveraged to address global challenges through whole-of-government approaches. For example, applying principles of policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD) can support countries in their efforts towards more sustainable ocean economy strategies by connecting sectoral policy silos, addressing transboundary impacts, managing sustainably ocean resources and regulating ocean activities.

This report is part of the OECD work on policy coherence for sustainable development that supports governments in connecting policy silos to address global challenges and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis is based on years of research into countries’ practices, institutional set up and use of governance tools for enhancing policy coherence for sustainable development. It also builds on the results of a 2022 survey, which was circulated among all adherents to the OECD Council Recommendation on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD Recommendation) to gain additional insights on recent trends, opportunities and challenges facing countries on their journey towards 2030 and beyond. It aims to provide a baseline of countries’ status in implementing the PCSD recommendation.