[2018] Expert Group Meeting on Promoting Integrated Approaches to Sustainable Development
Description
In this inception Experts Group Meeting (EGM) organized jointly by the UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the UN Environment Programme (UN Environment), representatives of Governments, non-governmental organizations and the UN system are expected to explore integrated approaches to sustainable development, with specific focus on the crosscutting environmental dimension, at two levels: 1) across all the SDGs, taking into account the complex web of interactions among the SDGs in a systemic manner; and 2) within each SDG, considering the implications of taking action in one dimension on other dimensions. It is premised that better understanding the interlinkages and interactions among the SDGs and within each SDG, underpinned by the knowledge shared on the importance of having a healthy environment, will pave the way for effective integrated approaches, while enhancing the capacity of policymakers to prioritize and make more coherent implementation strategies.
The recent report of the Secretary-General on “Repositioning the UN development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda: our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet” (December 2017) has highlighted that there are significant gaps in the environment-related SDGs, namely SDG6 on water and sanitation, SDG 7 on energy, SDG12 on sustainable consumption and production, SDG 13 on climate, SDG 14 on oceans and SDG 15 on terrestrial ecosystems. Special attention will be devoted to addressing these gaps, taking into account, among others, the contributions of the multilateral environmental agreements in which global environmental goals are embedded. In addition, some of the pathways or policy tools available to strengthen the environmental foundations for integrated approaches – such as policy coherence and integrated financing for sustainable development– will also be considered.
Programme
Formal Opening
Introduction to the EGM
Mr. Adil Najam (Professor, International Relations and Earth & Environment, Boston University)
Welcome remarks
- Mr. Jong-Soo Yoon (Head, UN Office for Sustainable Development)
- Ms. Elizabeth Mrema (Director, Law Division, UN Environment)
Day 1 (July 19, 2018)
Session 1: Setting the context: How do participants define an integrated approach? Why is the environment important?
Presentations:
- Mr. Shantanu Mukherjee (Chief, Policy and Analysis Branch, Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs)
- “The experience of the Poverty-Environment Initiative as precursor of an integrated approach to environmental mainstreaming for sustainable development” - Ms. Victoria Luque (Programme Management Officer, UN Development Programme-UN Environment Poverty Environment Initiative)
- "Mainstresaming P-E-G-& CC into development processes: Taking integration agenda to sub national level" - Mr. Servus Amo Sagday (Assistant Director, Poverty Eradication Division, and National Coordinator for the SDGs, Ministry of Finance and Planning, United Republic of Tanzania)
Session 2: A system view: Interlinkages and interactions among the SDGs and within each SDG
Presentations:
- “SDG interactions: from science to implementation”
- “Environment as an enabler to deliver on the SDGs: from institutional framework to policy implementation” - Ms. Luminita Ghita (Head, Sustainable Development Unit, Directorate of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environment, Romania)
- “UN Environment Management Group nexus approach – Showcasing the work and perspectives of the UN system in addressing the environment in an integrated approach” - Mr. Hossein Fadaei (Head, Secretariat of the UN Environment Management Group)
- “Advancing the 2030 Agenda through Integrated Signature Solutions and Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) for the 2030 Agenda” - Ms. Rosemary Kalapurakal (Lead Advisor, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UN Development Programme)
Day 2 (July 20, 2018)
Session 3: Policy coherence for sustainable development
Presentations:
- “The framework for policy coherence for sustainable development – A tool to promote, implement and track progress on mutually supporting policies for the SDGs” - Mr. Ernesto Soria Morales (Senior Policy Analyst, Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
- "The importance of monitoring and integrated analysis, including monitoring of policy coherence" - Ms. Jillian Campbell (Statistician, Science Division, UN Environment)
Session 4: Addressing the gaps in environment-related SDGs, including through the implementation of the multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) and their goals
Presentations:
- "SDGs amd Climate Change" - Mr. Suh-Yong Jung(Professor, Korea University)
- “The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions and their contribution to the sound management of chemicals and wastes” - Mr. Rolph Payet (Executive Secretary, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions)
Session 5: Group exercise: Opportunities and challenges to taking an integrated approach and promoting policy coherence
Facilitators:
Ms. Eunhae Jeong (Senior Development Management Expert, UNOSD)
Presentations:
- "Towards coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of the Sustainable Development Goals" - Ms. Diane Klaimi (Programme Management Officer, Law Division, UN Environment)
Formal Closing
Session 6: Wrap-up Where do we go from here?
Documentation