The Road to the SDGs

T H E R O A D T O T H E S D G s | P R O G R E S S A N D A C H I E V E M E N T S is particularly true for staff members who have served the institution for long years and become programmed to work in a certain way. The issue is one of institutional culture, but we succeeded, with the grace of Allah, in making substantial changes to that culture in a short period of time. However, a great deal still remains to be done in this regard. Another difficulty I faced during the transformation lied in the new skills required to implement the new business model. IsDB is the engine to implement the programme, and it was imperative that all its parts move at the same speed and efficiency. Implementing the new business model required skills in fields like value chains; science; innovation; digital platforms; crowdsourcing; economic empowerment; product development; preserving the environment, promoting governance, transparency and work values; attracting and retaining top-notch calibre, application of functional and geographical decentralisation and ensuring sustainable financial growth. At the external level, the major difficulty was the dire need to build individual and institutional capacities in MCs. Improving access to market information was a priority in capacity building, as some countries lack important data on market dynamics in strategic industries where they have competitive advantages that can encourage investment and allow identification of investment opportunities and the nature of risks and profits in those industries. We also found that participation in the development of national plans was weak in some countries. That is why IsDB seeks to make the country programming process a participatory platform for all stakeholders in strategic industries, along with the government sector, the private sector and civil society internally and externally. This adds value and a further dimension to national planning. In some countries, poor private sector involvement in development requires reforming the investment environment, not only to attract investors but also to encourage the private sector to reinvest savings in local markets and improve productivity, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of MC products and sustained market growth. I also found it difficult to reach the neediest segments in MCs, mostly because some countries focus on the governmental sector, leaving out its two partners, namely civil society organisations (CSOs) and the tertiary non- profit sector, who are closest to remote areas and to the aspirations of the youth. Some CSOs focus on certain segments, such as women and environmental sustainability. With its new business model, IsDB is currently working on converging all such stakeholders under the single framework of country programming. It is also working on transferring global expertise in the area of market regulating policies to ensure that all stakeholders share the fruits and benefits of economic growth. QUESTION: The year 2020 was an exceptional one, marked with unprecedented events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What role did IsDB play to help MCs address the repercussions of the pandemic? ANSWER: It was indeed an exceptional year in which IsDB worked simultaneously on the following three tracks: u Launching the US$ 2.3 billion Strategic Preparedness and Response Programme (SPRP). u Participating in the G20 meetings, under the presidency of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. u Chairing 2020 meetings of the heads of MDBs. QUESTION: What are the details of each of those tracks? ANSWER: 1. Launching of the US$ 2.3 billion SPRP Although COVID-19, as a pandemic, is a health issue, it also had economic and social consequences. Hence, any solutions or assistance to address this pandemic must address the health aspect, the economic aspect and the social aspect, and must also cover the short, medium and long terms. From that perspective, IsDB designed the US$ 2.3 billion Strategic Preparedness and Response Programme (SPRP) with its 3R tracks (Response, Restore and Restart). On the Respond (addressing) track, IsDB provided immediate and urgent assistance focused on strengthening health systems to enable them to provide care for patients, build the capacity of health workers, provide screening and laboratory tools and transfer expertise. On the Restore (support) track, the IsDB Group focused on providing financial support for SMEs and trade to ensure continued supplies for the health and food security sectors. On the Restart (recovery) track, there are long-term measures to build strong and viable economies that can weather well pandemics and disasters by supporting economic recovery programmes and countercyclical spending. [ 11 ]