Public social expenditure is an important means of implementation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its effectiveness depends on how informed and efficient public expenditure choices are, given fiscal space and macroeconomic policy coherence. Currently, member States of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) do not have a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring public social expenditure and for linking it to macroeconomic policy coherence. As a result, budget allocations sometimes support multiple and overlapping social programs, and policies are often mismatched or inadequate for achieving social development priorities and realizing the SDGs. Given the pressure on public budgets across Arab countries, such expenditure management is unsustainable. A central question therefore is: what is the way to better link the public social expenditure with social development objectives and macro-fiscal sustainability toward achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs)? ESCWA has embarked on a project entitled “Social Expenditure Monitor (SEM): An Integrated Framework for Supporting Macro-Fiscal Policies and the SDGs”. A pioneering tool for Arab States, SEM will provide comprehensive mapping of public social expenditure to inform budgeting and social policy reforms. SEM is an enabling tool for rationalizing expenditure components to achieve different objectives: delivering quality public services; making “social investments” that promote inclusive development and social stability; enhancing economic growth and revenues over time. Setting the right mix of expenditures is important to drive the economy and society towards achieving the SDGs, as emphasized in the ESCWA 2017 report “Rethinking Fiscal Policy for the Arab Region” (E/ESCWA/EDID/2017/4). The main expected results of the project would be: Improved capacity of policy-makers to identify gaps toward improving efficiency and effectiveness of social expenditure; and improved macroeconomic and social policy coherence by supporting policy reforms toward optimizing the relationship between social expenditure, social development priorities and macro-fiscal sustainability. The expected result would be evidenced by each participating country having established social expenditure monitor and undertaken at least one policy reform or administrative measure, such as setting a fiscal rule or expenditure targeting reform, toward improving social development and macro policy coherence.