Report Of The Asia Regional Workshop On Sdg 14 B And Its Associated Indicator 14 B 1

The Asia Regional Workshop on SDG 14.b and Its Associated Indicator 14.b.1 was organized to: (i) Raise awareness about SDG 14.b and the proposed indicator 14.b.1; (ii) Explore the indicator methodology and related issues on data and information sources, analysis, reporting and validation; this included the use of the e-learning platform specifically created for this proposed indicator; (iii) Share experiences and lessons learned regarding the reporting and validation process and identify reasons for non-reporting and non-validation; and (iv) Identify capacity development needs in relation to reporting and validation on SDG 14.b. The workshop was attended by approximately 60 participants from countries in South and Southeast Asia, invited panellists and FAO officers from Bangkok and Rome. Participating countries constituted Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (the), Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines (the), Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.

FAO is custodian agency for several SDG indicators, including SDG target 14.b that aims to “Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets”. The related indicator is SDG Indicator 14.b.1, “Progress by countries in adopting and implementing a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small-scale fisheries”. The 32nd Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) agreed that the data submitted as a result of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) survey could be applied by member states as a means to report on the SDG indicators. For SDG Indicator 14.b.1, specifically, variables were selected from three of the five CCRF survey questions relating to small-scale fisheries.

This workshop explored the Indicator methodology, data and information sources, analysis and reporting, including the use of an ad hoc e-learning platform and identified capacity development needs in relation to reporting on SDG 14.b.

During 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) jointly undertook a project to identify and assess research and data from four Southeast Asian countries related to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 14.4.1 – the proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels. The goals of this project were: (1) to increase the visibility of research and datasets by making them searchable on OpenASFA, a system for creating, storing and publishing abstracts and bibliographic references; and (2) to analyse knowledge strengths and gaps in the region and make recommendations for improving the accessibility of research and data. This document presents the final report of the project, including the methodology, results and recommendations for future work.

The main objective of this report is to assess regional and subregional progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets. It highlights areas of SDGs where the region has made progress and areas that need collective decisions for prioritizing acceleration or changing the trend. It also provides an effective communication tool that fosters inclusive regional consultations and effective engagement of the stakeholders including media and civil society. It uses cross-nationally comparable data from ESCAP database on the proposed SDGs indicator framework and when necessary uses supplementary statistics available at the regional and sub-regional levels.

Non-state actors’ role extends beyond provision of schooling to interventions at various education levels and influence spheres. Alongside its review of progress towards SDG 4, including emerging evidence on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, the 2021/2 Global Education Monitoring Report urges governments to see all institutions, students and teachers as part of a single system. Standards, information, incentives and accountability should help governments protect, respect and fulfil the right to education of all, without turning their eyes away from privilege or exploitation. Publicly funded education does not have to be publicly provided but disparity in education processes, student outcomes and teacher working conditions must be addressed. Efficiency and innovation, rather than being commercial secrets, should be diffused and practised by all. To that end, transparency and integrity in the public education policy process need to be maintained to block vested interests. The report’s rallying call – Who chooses? Who loses? – invites policymakers to question relationships with non-state actors in terms of fundamental choices: between equity and freedom of choice; between encouraging initiative and setting standards; between groups of varying means and needs; between immediate commitments under SDG 4 and those to be progressively realized (e.g. post-secondary education); and between education and other social sectors.