The Hungarian National Framework Strategy on Sustainable Development is containing all relevant implementation linkages to the SDG’s and its compliance was also analyzed in the 2015 Progress Report of the NFSSD.

During the preparatory process of the first as well as the current NSDS, all Ministries were involved. Every department was able to comment on the drafts of both documents at an early stage. During the preparation of the second NSDS, Ministries could choose to either join the preparatory working group or react on draft texts.

The process was coordinated by the Ministry of Rural Development. By organizing this process, Hungary attempted to ensure horizontal integration. To promote vertical integration, a broad range of stakeholders was involved in the preparation of the NSDS. Regional round tables were organized in order to include the regional and local levels. To further support vertical integration, the NFFT played a central role in the preparatory process of the NSDS.

Further, the Environmental Sustainability Directorate is operating in the Office of the President of the Republic, led by Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, former UN Ambassador. The directorate has national and international linkages to environmental sustainability related issues and is also involved in the work of the NFFT.

Monitoring of SDG implementation is performed through the SDG indicators and the bi-annual progress report of the NSDS.

The vertical integration for the Agenda 2030 is processed through the NFFT, as it has governmental and local governmental members and proposals on sustainable development strategies.

EU linkages

The National Sustainable Development Framework Strategy is taking into consideration the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development and it includes references from the EU SDS.

The National Council for Sustainable Development was established as an individual institution of the Hungarian Parliament, by five-party consensus, in the autumn of 2008. Its members including politicians, representatives of economic and scientific life, churches, trade unions and civil society. The chairperson of the Council is the current Speaker of the Parliament.

The guidance document for preparing the Hungarian NSDS points out that, during the decision-making process (e.g. legislative, investment, budget, institutions or governmental issues in a broader sense) all important social and environmental factors have to be considered beside the long-term effects.

All Government ministries were involved in the development of the old and the renewed NSDS and could comment on early drafts. In the renewing process all ministries had opportunity either to have delegate in a working group, on the other hand Ministry of Rural Development collected the written comments and sent to the Council.

The country’s VNR has been prepared through an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism set up in 2017, which has greatly enhanced both policy coherence for sustainable development and the achievement of the sustainable development framework. Based on this mechanism, a platform has been created which facilitates the involvement of non-governmental entities as well, including the Hungarian Central Statistical Office and other consultative stakeholders, the academia and the business sector. This coordination entity is involved in the national-level realization of the sustainable development framework, while the Inter-ministerial Coordinative Committee for International Development Cooperation continues to be responsible for the coordination of the implementation of the external dimensions of the 2030 Agenda.

The National Council for Sustainable Development [NFFT] conducts bi-annual Monitoring Report on the National Framework Strategy on Sustainable Development.

The first Monitoring Report (2013-2014) assesses the implementation of all relevant SDGs in Hungary and their compliance with the already existing Hungarian National Framework Strategy on Sustainable Development (Annex 2). The assessment resulted that all of the relevant SDGs has compliant Hungarian national targets or goals allocated in the National Framework Strategy on Sustainable Development of Hungary. The second evaluation report covers the period of 2015 – 2016 and was published at the end of 2017.

The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO) has developed a National Sustainability Basic Indicator System in tandem with NFFT (2016 Indicators).

HCSO has published reports on the indicators for sustainable development in relation to the National Framework Strategy for Sustainable Development biannually since 2007. The latest publication (in Hungarian) was issued in 2018

  In the preparation of the renewed NSDS many research institute and university department submitted opinions.

• NGOs are primarily engaged in SD policy through NFTT, which has been a highly active player for a decade.
• Coalition of Humanitarian and Environmental NGOs published 'Agenda 2030: Proposals for Successful Implementation in Hungary' in 09/2015. This report recommends the government to:
  • Ensure strategic coordination at governmental level, including for more efficient cooperation with social partners
  • Assess to what extent National Framework Strategy for SD already encompasses SDGs; 
  • Government must emphasise policy coherence for development
  • Appropriate indicators and methodologies must be adopted
  • Further awareness raising is required to engage stakeholders, especially in the fields of SD and development cooperation
• Civil Roundtable for Sustainable Development Goals
• HAND Association of NGOs for Development and Humanitarian Aid.
  • Participation to project: Coherent Europe for Sustainable Development: Action for Policies that Will Make a Difference
• National Society of Conservationists – Friends of the Earth Hungary.

V4SDG is a youth-led non-profit initiative aiming to promote action on the UN SDGs and consists of four states: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. V4SDG organized its first conference in Budapest on 23-24 May 2018.

Opinions were submitted via the homepage of the National Council for Sustainable Development or by e-mail.

Civil society and scientific research groups have significant activity – workshops, programmes - in connection with sustainable development, also include in different fields of interest eg. green economy, energy, agriculture, social dimensions. Civil society is very much involved in training and education about sustainable development.