UNOSSC Deputy Director Xiaojun Grace Wang’s remarks at the Commonwealth Learning Week

By May 4, 2021 May 4, 2021 News

While rapidly adapting to the new development landscape, indelibly changed by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Commonwealth Secretariat is working to maintain the efforts towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Secretariat’s ongoing reform process includes an organisation-wide digital transformation and an enhanced approach to monitoring and evaluation.

To reflect on the lessons learned over the past ten years in terms of organisational strategy, and how it can enhance its role as an effective global partner for the 2030 Agenda, between 27 and 29 April 2021, the Commonwealth Secretariat, in collaboration with the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI) of the World Bank Group, hosted the Virtual Commonwealth Learning Week.

Specifically, the week aimed to:

  • Highlight, share and discuss lessons and evidence towards more impactful programmes and actions;
  • Reflect on progress in national monitoring, evaluation and learning systems with a view to identifying enablers for evidence-informed policies and planning;
  • Facilitate peer engagements among stakeholders, staff and partners representing diverse professional, political and academic experiences and expertise to bridge the gap between lessons and learning for addressing the SDG implementation deficit; and
  • Challenge the Commonwealth community to learn, innovate and accelerate actions towards the 2030 SDGs.

During the event, Dr. Xiaojun Grace Wang, Deputy Director for Programme and Operations at the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), delivered video remarks on behalf of UNOSSC.

Her remarks focused on UNOSSC knowledge management services and initiatives, and highlighted UNOSSC’s perspective on the Commonwealth’s potential in adding value and addressing the Sustainable Development Goals gaps, and provided an outline of the Office’s knowledge management services and initiatives.