Economist in Paraguay

Meet Sara Castro de Hallgren, the economist in the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Paraguay.  With a keen focus on evidence-based and data-driven policy insights, Sara is helping strengthen coordination to localise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the most vulnerable region of Paraguay - the Chaco Paraguayo. This is important because some of these vulnerable provinces in the western region of Paraguay are not included in national data, despite the fact that they host the majority of the country's indigenous population. The Chaco is a climate frontline due to climate related disasters such as drought and declining freshwater resources. In this respect, localizing the SDGs through monitoring and review mechanisms such as the Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) helps put municipalities in the driver's seat when it comes to mapping sustainable development progress and gaps faced on the ground. Sara has led the Resident Coordinator’s Office support for these VLRs which will be the first in Paraguay to improve multi-level governance.  As a first for the country, the process has resulted in strengthened vertical coordination with the national government on SDG monitoring and review, as well as a renewed commitment to localizing the SDGs to accelerate progress. Sara is also the focal point for transboundary cooperation on the Gran Chaco with the Resident Coordinator’s Offices in Bolivia and Argentina for more effective UN country team engagement and SDG localization across borders. Sara also leads the office's research using new approaches such as Geographic information system and behavioural economics to strengthen SDG localization.