I. Background

Leaving no one behind (LNOB) is the central, transformative promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The United Nations approach to “leaving no one behind” entails reaching the poorest of the poor by combating discrimination and rising inequalities within and among countries, as well as addressing their root causes. LNOB means moving beyond assessing average and aggregate progress, towards ensuring progress for all population groups at a disaggregated level.

To support governments and the United Nations system in the Asia-Pacific region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has developed a user-friendly diagnostic tool called Leave No One Behind (LNOB) platform. The tool is used to improve the understanding of how various circumstances intersect and create inequalities in access to basic opportunities covered by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Building on empirical methodologies such as Classification and Regress Trees (CART) and D-index, it uses data and statistics at national and subnational level to identify groups left furthest behind and the circumstances holding them back.

In this Expert Group Meeting, ESCAP covered how the UNESCAP tool works and can be used to strengthen policy interventions for a more equal and inclusive Cambodia.

II. Objectives

In this event, participants would:

• Use the ESCAP LNOB platform and navigate the tool to identify the furthest behind and understand the analysis and visual findings 
• Understand the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) methodology and Dissimilarity Index (D-Index) that summarize inequality in a particular development area 
• Provide input on how the LNOB analysis can be adapted to best serve individual country requirements
• Provide feedback on the ways to enhance its visibility and use by Governments 

III. Target Audience

The event gathered 54 key stakeholders in relevant line ministries and development partners from UN agencies.

IV. Organization and Participation

This event was organized physically in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 14 March 2023. The meeting was conducted in English with translation in Khmer. The programme of the event is on the programme tab.