POLICY COHERENCE AND PARTICIPATION IN INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS Policy coherence responds to the interdependence between sectors and different ministries or national entities and while respecting national policy space, strives for consistency with international rules. 82 There are two dimensions to policy coherence: one is internal, relating to coherence across sectors and at different levels within one state; and the other relates to the coherence between national frameworks and international commitments. The NMAAs of the case study countries reported being familiar with the Agenda 2030, however, no formal training was provided to their staff — only, in some cases, to senior management. Yet both NMAAs stated their strong commitment to the SDGs which they believe provide relevant entry points for the mine action sector. In addition, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Mine Action Centre (BHMAC) reported that mine action should be perceived as an enabler of wider sustainable development initiatives, and that mainstreaming efforts should be strengthened. 83 However, the BHMAC also reported that they were not part of any SDG nationalisation processes, including the preparation of the voluntary national review (VNR). 84 In the case of Lao PDR, the study found that participation in the 2030 Agenda processes, such as nationalisation efforts, institutional mechanisms and the preparation of the VNR, had a beneficial effect on the unexploded ordnance (UXO) sector. The National Regulatory Authority (NRA) advised that through participation in the SDG nationalisation process, they were able to successfully integrate UXO as a cross- cutting theme in other sectors as well as in the SDGs. 85 The NRA was actively engaged in the process of the preparation of the Lao PDR’s VNR 2018 report and provided relevant data from the UXO sector. The NRA was even invited to attend the high-level political forum (HLPF), which created an opportunity to raise awareness, and advocate for the sector at the international level in a relevant forum. 86 The SDGs have helped the UXO sector in Lao PDR to raise greater awareness, mobilise more funds, and increase coordination and collaboration with other sectors. In addition, they have allowed the country to bring the UXO problem before the international community by creating an additional SDG 18. The NRA reported that due to vast UXO contamination, the targets and indicators contained in SDG 18 also provided an opportunity to address the extensive problem of UXO contamination in a more strategic and organised way, by providing the UXO sector with a comprehensive framework within which to plan and operate. 87 The lack of sustained involvement on the part of BiH’s mine action sector in national SDG processes, as evidenced in the study, requires an understanding of the inherent complexities faced by the country. Given that the country has over 160 ministries and hundreds of specialised institutions at different administrative levels, as well as 145 local administrations, the work done to date is considerable; however, a lot of advocacy work on the engagement with and integration of Agenda 2030 in the regular institutional processes remains to be done. 88 It is assumed that the ongoing and unfinished nationalisation processes, coupled with national efforts being made to deepen the alignment between mine action and development, will result in the stronger integration and consistent participation of the BiH mine action sector in the future. Overall, the analysis showed that in the case study countries, interaction between the mine action sector and the SDGs took place primarily at the national level, making national mine action authorities more familiar with the SDGs and, therefore, able to integrate them. 89 However, there is a need to raise awareness among the provincial or local authorities responsible for mine action about the 2030 Agenda and to build and develop capacity on how these authorities can integrate the 2030 Agenda and use the SDG frameworks in their daily duties.
Part 2 – Are the Sustainable Development Goals being used by the mine action sector? 26
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