The Governance Coordinator of Cepei was invited by the UN Office for Sustainable Development to participate in two sessions of the 2018 Sustainable Development Transition Forum (SDTF) to discuss about the relevance of the HLPF as a follow-up scenario for the implementation of the SDGs, and if there is a need to improve the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) contents.
The 2018 Sustainable Development Transition Forum (SDTF), which was held in Incheon, South Korea, between October 29 and 31, 2018, aimed to establish an interface between the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and the different state and non-state actors interested in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Each year, the Sustainable Development Transition Forum focuses on the general themes of the most recent HLPF, and the particular SDGs that were addressed in New York. It also analyzes cross-cutting issues that affect the achievement of most objectives, such as the eradication of poverty, gender equality, the fight against climate change and the promotion of sustainable patterns of consumption and production.
This year’s SDTF sought to foster an open dialogue on the lessons learned in the first four years of the SDGs implementation, both nationally and internationally, particularly with regard to the role of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). It provided a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas among the participants on how to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the coming years and how, specifically, to improve the role of the HLPF in the monitoring and reviewing progress on the national implementation of the Agenda.
The event brought together approximately 100 participants from governments, UN agencies, expert groups, development banks, academic institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector from around the world.
The Forum was organized by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) of UN DESA, Division of Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in partnership with the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF).
The Governance Coordinator of Cepei, Javier Surasky, was invited to facilitate the session “How can the High-Level Political Forum provide a more useful policy guide for the implementation of the SDGs?” Other participants that joined the session where: Marion Barthelemy, Director, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs; David Donoghue, Overseas Development Institute; former Ambassador of Ireland to United Nations, Co-Facilitator of negotiations on 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and Mark Elder, IGES, Japan. The main topic of discussion was: how relevant is the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the country level?
Likewise, the Governance Coordinator of Cepei, participated as a panelist in the session “National Voluntary Reviews (VNRs): what have we learned?”. Among the participants of the panel were: Dr. Sugath Yalegama, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development, Sri Lanka; Michael Muthara Mwangi, National Treasury and Planning, Government of Kenya; Kleina Kasanai, Advisor, Prime Minister’s Office, Albania; Marcellin Zohoun, Ministry of Planning and Development, Benin; and Sonya Indira Roopnauth, Director, Ministry of Finance, Guyana.
The discussion, moderated by Irena Zubcevic, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, revolved around the following topics: How could the content of the VNRs be improved in terms of analysis, to show the impact of policies and strategies for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda; What has been the national follow-up to VNR presentations; And how should the VNR process evolve in next four years.
Text source: UNOSD website
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Photos
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More photos of the event here