Unrealised potential: new report highlights scope for stronger focus on knowledge in the SDGs

Following a first part released on the International Day for the Universal Access to Information, IFLA has now released the full version of its report into how governments are working with information as they work to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. This underlines the potential value of a stronger and more coordinated approach to knowledge collection, management, sharing and use at the global level.

The United Nations 2030 Agenda promises to provide a roadmap for a comprehensive and integrated approach to achieving sustainable development, with access to information referred to as an example of a key underpinning factor. Nonetheless, references to knowledge and information remain scattered and partial, arguably not reflecting the full breadth of contributions that they make to effective policy-making for a better world.

In order to assess how broadly and deeply Member States have nonetheless integrated knowledge and information into their practical efforts to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this report analyses the 35 Voluntary National Reviews prepared and presented at this year’s UN High-Level Political Forum.

Based on an analysis of all references to knowledge, information and their cognates, the report looks first at how these apply to different clusters of SDGs (the first part, released in September), and then to different stages of the process of designing and implementing policy, as well as additional factors that impact this.

It finds first of all that in practice, there are knowledge and information dimensions to the implementation of every SDG, and that there are strong similarities in these dimensions both across the Goals and around the world.

Secondly, it shows that knowledge and information play a significant role throughout the policy process, from the identification of a need for action, through to management and sharing. Once policies are introduced, knowledge and information dissemination either forms a key lever for change – in particular behavioural change – and is critical if people and businesses are to know about the rules and opportunities that apply to them. Finally, there is a need to translate information – to package it in forms that mean that it can be understood and applied.

Furthermore, there are commonalities in treatment of the role of Indigenous and local knowledge, reflections on how knowledge and information can work for or against equity, and their contributions to resilience and democracy. The report also considers the role of information skills, information integrity and information infrastructures.

As recommendations, it proposes the following:

• In the context of reviews and discussions of each individual SDG, take time to look at the knowledge and information dimensions, looking for opportunities to identify gaps and areas where sharing and investment could help.
• Take a more joined-up approach to different activities related to knowledge and information across the SDGs, looking for opportunities to use shared infrastructures and resources, such as libraries and librarians.
• Re-evaluate how knowledge and information are being addressed internationally, building on existing practices and fora, filling in gaps and bringing in a sharper focus where needed.
• Drawing on the emphasis on better use of knowledge in the UN’s own plans under the UN 2.0 initiative, bring in a similar emphasis into the post-2030 agenda.