[2024] Executive Training for Policymakers on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
Official Documents
Concept Note and Agenda (updated as of 4 May 2024)
Background
Taking urgent action on the 2030 Agenda and climate change
As we cross the midpoint towards 2030, the world is significantly behind in meeting the majority of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As noted by the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023, the challenge of reaching these ambitious goals has been exacerbated by the pandemic, rising living costs, armed conflicts, and natural disasters, which have erased progress on many goals and has resulted in increased poverty levels. Nevertheless, since 2016, there has been a significant accumulation of knowledge and evidence concerning the SDGs. National and local governments have demonstrated their ambition and commitment by formulating strategies and action plans. Additionally, there is a much-improved understanding of the synergies and interconnectedness among the goals, with governments and stakeholders now better equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to navigate trade-offs and recognize co-benefits in the pursuit of the SDGs.
One of the most critical areas is climate action, which overlaps with many of the sustainable development goals. In 2023, the world not only witnessed the shattering of temperature records but also saw global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) soar to new heights. In its flagship Emissions Gap Report 2023, the United Nations Environment Programme has attributed this escalation to the lack of significant emission reductions in high-income, high-emitting nations—historically responsible for the bulk of emissions—and the inability to control the rise of emissions in low- and middle-income countries, which now account for the majority of current emissions. Consequently, a call for unprecedented global action has emerged. High-income countries are urged to rapidly advance towards domestic emission cuts, aim for net-zero targets well before the timelines suggested by recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports, and simultaneously extend financial and technical aid to poorer nations. On the other hand, countries with lower incomes face the dual challenge of fulfilling immediate developmental needs while transitioning away from fossil fuel dependence, marking a critical juncture in global environmental efforts.
Aligning the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement– Integrating SDG Implementation and Climate Action
Nevertheless, research highlights the co-benefits of tackling climate change alongside progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The theme for the 2024 High-Level Political Forum, scheduled from 8-17 July 2024, underscores the imperative to “Reinforce the 2030 Agenda and eradicate poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient, and innovative solutions.” The HLPF will conduct an in-depth review of pivotal SDGs, including SDG 13 (climate action).
Aligning efforts under the 2030 Agenda with the objectives of the Paris Agreement can drive substantial and efficient progress across both fronts. The Global Stocktake (GST) at COP28 underlined that despite overall progress on mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation and support, Parties are not yet collectively on track towards achieving the purpose of the Paris Agreement and its long-term goals. The GST further emphasized that finance, capacity-building and technology transfer are critical enablers of climate action and underlined that just transitions can support more robust and equitable mitigation outcomes, with tailored approaches addressing different contexts. The next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), due in 2025, is a critical moment for enhancing climate commitments and improving Parties’ approach to the climate crisis.
Today, many countries have aligned their national development plans with the Sustainable Development Goals, however, national plans are not necessarily aligned with climate action and NDC commitments. More action is needed on the alignment between NDCs and national developments plans to harness the potential opportunities to accelerate progress on climate action.
Assessing the co-benefits and potential trade-offs between climate action and SDG progress is crucial in enhancing the efficiency of measures taken and to promote a just transition. With research undertaken by the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate showing that such alignment can lead to US$26 trillion in economic gains by 2030, produce over 65 million new green jobs, and prevent around 700,000 premature deaths compared to business as usual. Low-income and lower-middle income countries are particularly well placed to benefit using low carbon and climate-resilient approaches to meeting their development needs such as through building renewable energy infrastructure, switching to climate-smart agriculture or accelerating the use of ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions in land use practices can lead to myriad improvements in health, environmental and livelihood outcomes.
Moreover, as noted by the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023, attention to the systemic nature of SDG and climate action is necessary to avoid siloed approaches which lead to progress in one area leading to regression in another (e.g. forest safeguarding without consideration of local issues leading to increased poverty and social unrest or vehicles not meeting European emissions standards being shipped to the Global South). UN DESA along with UNFCCC has strengthened the global dialogue on climate and SDG synergies, particularly through the Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergies with the publication of global reports and findings on progress for integrating climate and SDGs at national level.
Although currently only 23 of the 173 NDCs explicitly refer to the SDGs, the majority of countries that do so are from the Global South, thereby giving a rich range of potential case studies for other low-income and lower-middle income countries to learn from. Kenya and Mexico are two of the countries that have pursued this approach. Kenya conducted an impact assessment of the National Climate Change Action Plan on the SDGs as well as aligning planning cycles of its NDC, National Development Plan and national SDG action plans. Mexico has analysed how existing NDCs impact the implementation of the SDGs, with all 169 SDG targets being evaluated regarding their potential connection to mitigation and adaptation activities. However, even if most NDCs could benefit from more explicit alignment with SDG targets, research has shown that climate action and the 2030 Agenda are strongly connected and that this connection is increasing over time.
2024 Executive Training Course for Policymakers on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
With an aim to build the capacity of public servants in developing countries to achieve the SDGs, around 70 participants gather every year in Incheon, Korea for the Executive Training Course for Policymakers on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Recognizing the interconnected nature of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, and as a follow up to the Political Declaration of the High-Level Political Forum (A/RES/78/1) on Sustainable Development convened under the auspices of the General Assembly in September 2023, as well as preparation for the review of SDG 13 at the High-Level Political Forum in July 2024, the 2024 edition of the Executive Training Course for Policymakers aims to assist UN Member States in adopting a systems-thinking approach to SDG planning and review and NDC 3.0 planning and implementation. Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) serve as periodic review tools for SDG implementation, however these review past progress, while NDCs are forward-looking. Most importantly, SDG planning processes, integrated with national plans, are the ideal central roadmap for integrating NDC commitments as well. A focus on building national capacity for integrated national planning on climate action’s role within sustainable development is therefore a broader goal of the course.
The United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) was established in 2011 in Incheon, Republic of Korea under the Division for SDGs of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). With support from the Government of Korea, UNOSD plays a crucial role in assisting Member States in achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through capacity building, knowledge sharing, policy advisory, and partnership. Among its notable initiatives, UNOSD organizes the annual Executive Training Course for Policymakers on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This training course is designed to equip policymakers from developing countries with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to effectively implement the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs at the national level.
Objectives
The main objective of the 2024 Executive Training Course is to enhance the knowledge, skills, mindsets, and overall capacities of member states in implementing sustainable development planning, policymaking, and policy shaping through an integrated approach. The course aims to achieve the following key objectives:
- Strengthen practical knowledge and skills for aligning and integrating SDG planning and climate action through Nationally Determined Contributions, including through a practical focus on investment, financing and data methods for integrated preparation and development of these instruments;
- Facilitate networking and the exchange of practices and case studies among public policymakers; and
- Foster peer-to-peer collaboration and enhance partnership-building capacities across government agencies and departments to ensure integrated and evidence-based policymaking and reporting on sustainable development and climate action.
Structure and Methodologies
The 2024 Executive Training Course for Policymakers on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will take place in-person in Incheon, Korea (with virtual engagement option for resource persons).
The course will centre around the theme of aligning SDG planning and NDCs in order to ensure that member states, with a particular focus on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are able to avoid siloed approaches that can lead to negative spillovers, understand tradeoffs and how to identify and utilize co-benefits. During the training, participants will examine the development of VNRs and NDCs, understand the interlinkages between them, and how to make the connections explicit and reflected in national sustainability planning.
The course will be structured around ensuring accelerated actions for the Decade of Action. Emphasizing the importance of a ‘whole-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ approach, the modules will build upon each other to equip participants with practical yet transformative policymaking skills for the SDGs and climate action. Each module will cover concepts and opportunities surrounding the interlinkages between VNRs and NDCs, complemented by concrete policy practices and country cases. It will consist of presentations by international experts, scholars, and practitioners followed by Q&A and discussions. It will also include group work on simulations and role playing that feed back to plenary sessions. Preparatory reading and assignments will be requested of participants. Finally, a half-day site visit to illustrate the Korean experience in implementing the SDGs and climate action is foreseen.
Target Audience
The 2024 Executive Training Course for Policymakers on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development targets senior national government officials from developing countries who are responsible for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and development of VNRs as well as those working on the climate change agenda and development of NDCs.
Language
The 2024 Executive Training Course for Policymakers on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will be conducted in English..
Day 1 (7 May)
Opening and Welcoming Remarks
- Mr. Juwang Zhu, Acting Director, Division of Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) (Virtual)
- Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head of Office, UN Office for Sustainable Development, DSDG, UN DESA
Keynote Address
- Mr. Sang-hyup Kim, Chair of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, Republic of Korea
Overview of the Training
- Mrs. Sara Castro de Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD
Session 1: Overview of the SDGs and Climate Action Progress
Moderator: Mrs. Sara Castro de Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD
Presentations
- The 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals – Progress update
- Mr. Joop Theunissen, Deputy Chief, Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development, UNDESA (virtual)
- The Paris Agreement and its role in achieving the SDGs – Global Stocktake (GST1)
- Ms. Julie Amoroso-Garbin, Regional Lead, UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia and the Pacific
- Global Progress on Climate and SDG Synergies
- Ms. Bahareh Seyedi, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, DSDG, UNDESA (virtual)
Facilitated Discussion
Session 2: Overview of SDGs in National Planning and SDG Review - VNRs - Purpose, Process, and Importance
Moderator: Ms. Lichia Saner-Yiu, Consultant, UN DESA
Presenters
- Mr. Abdullahi Abdullkadri, Social Affairs Officer, Subregional Headquarters for the Caribbean, ECLAC
- Ms. Julie Amoroso-Garbin, Regional Lead, UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia and the Pacific
Acknowledgement of attending countries completing VNR at 2024 High-level Political Forum: Armenia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Eritrea, Kenya, Lao PDR, Mexico, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Q&A
Session 3: Overview of the Nationally Determined Contributions
Moderator: Ms. Lichia Saner-Yiu, Consultant, UN DESA
Presenters
- Ms. Juhi Bansal, Regional Expert for NDCs, LT-LEDS, UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia and the Pacific
- Ms. Raquel Smith Cordero Ortega, Division Chief, Climate Change Mainstreaming and Integration Division, Climate Change Service of Philippines
Q&A
Session 4: Identifying co-benefits and trade-offs between the SDG and Paris Agreement (with a focus on NDC)
Moderator: UNFCCC RCC
Presenters
- Ms. Xin Zhou, Research Leader, Integrated Sustainability Centre, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) (virtual)
- Mr. Adis Dzebo, Senior Research Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
- Ms. Aneta Nikolova, Environmental Affairs Officer, ESCAP
Q&A
Session 5: Group Work Part A - Identifying synergies approach for interlinkages between the NDCs and SDGs
Facilitator: Ms. Aneta Nikolova, Environmental Affairs Officer, ESCAP
Group Activity: Mapping SDGs and NDC targets for overlap and differences, based on own country experiences
Facilitator: ECLAC, ESCAP, IGES, NDC Partnership, SEI, UNFCCC RCC, UNOSD
Q&A
Session 6: Country examples of Aligning SDGs and NDC in national planning processes
Moderator: Mr. Adis Dzebo, Senior Research Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
Presenter: Presenters
- Mr. Frank Rutabingwa, Inter-Regional Adviser, UN Economic Commission for Africa (virtual)
- Mr. José Abraham Ortínez Álvarez, General Coordinator of Climate Change of Mexico, INECC and Ms. Ana Montano Medina, General Director for Sustainable Development Actions Oversight, Secretariat of Economy, Mexico
- Ms. Ressa Kombi, Senior Climate Change Officer, Climate Change Directorate, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Forestry and Mr. William Komu, Chief Economist, The National Treasury Economic Planning, State Department for Economic Planning, Kenya
Q&A
Day 2 (8 May)
Rapporteur – recap of Day 1 - Ms. Lichia Saner-Yiu, Consultant, UN DESA
Session 7: Group Work Part B – Assessing opportunities in aligning SDGs and NDCs
Facilitator: UNFCCC RCC / NDC Partnership
Group Activity: Mapping opportunities through alignment of VNRs and NDCs, based on own country experiences
Facilitator: Ms. Juhi Bansal, Regional Expert for NDCs, LT-LEDS, UNFCCC RCC Asia Pacific
Session 8: Open Plenary - Aligning SDGs and NDCs into National Planning
Facilitator: Mrs. Sara Castro-Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD, DSDG, UNDESA
Guiding Questions
- What role do NDCs play in national development plans and strategies?
- What role will NDC 3.0 play in enabling national sustainable development?
- Going forward, what are the barriers to aligning national plans and strategies with the SDGs and NDCs?
- How can VNRs also report on climate action progress?
Session 9: Entry points for realizing coherent implementation of NDCs and SDGs
Moderator: Ms. Juhi Bansal, Regional Expert for NDCs, LT-LEDS, UNFCCC RCC Asia Pacific
Presenters
- Finance: Mr. Adrián Flores-Aguilar, Climate Finance Associate, NDC Partnership
- Data/Information: Mr. Adis Dzebo, Senior Research Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)
- Stakeholder engagement: Ms. Miki Fukuda, Policy Researcher, Integrated Sustainability Centre, IGES
Q&A
Session 10: Financing the NDCs and SDGs
Moderator: Mr. Adrián Flores-Aguilar, Climate Finance Associate, NDC Partnership
Presenter
- Ms. Selina Wrighter, Head of Policy and Strategy, Green Climate Fund
Interactive Exercise
- Mr. Adrián Flores-Aguilar, Climate Finance Associate, NDC Partnership
Closing Remarks: Mr. Raymond Saner, Professor Emeritus, Business and Economics, Basel University
Session 11: Group discussion and Country presentations on financing
Facilitator: Mr. Raymond Saner, Professor Emeritus, Business and Economics, Basel University
- Ms. Deepitika Chand, Senior Climate Change Mitigation Officer, Climate Change Division, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Mr. Andrew Coriakula, Sustainable Development Specialist, Strategic Planning Office, Ministry of Finance, Fiji
- Mr. Stephen Ampem-Darko Ayiku, Principal Planning Analyst, National Development Planning Commission and Mr. Edward Bruce-Lyle, Senior Planning Analyst, National Development Planning Commission, Ghana
- Mr. Pascal Byarugaba, Program M&E Specialist, Secretariat-Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda and Mr. Francis Opolot, Principal Climate Change Officer, Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda
Day 3 (9 May)
Rapporteur – recap of Day 2 - Ms. Lichia Saner-Yiu, Consultant, UN DESA
Session 12: Data Gaps and Information needed for VNRs and NDCs
Moderator: Mr. Simon Gilby, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD, DSDG, UNDESA
Presenters
- Ms. Pelellagama Kapuge Sithila Subhodini, Additionary Secretary (Admin), Ministry of Environment and Mr. Chaminda Udakumbura, Director (Operations), Sustainable Development Council, Sri Lanka
- Ms. Wantanee Lalee, Director of International Convention and Cooperation Section, Department of Climate Change and Environment and Ms. Nutjarin Wongiam, Environmentalist, Department of Climate Change and Environment, Thailand
- Mr. Abdullahi Abdulkadri, Social Affairs Officer, Subregional headquarters for the Caribbean, ECLAC
- Ms. Juliet Braslow, Sustainable Development Officer, ESCAP
- Ms. Juhi Bansal, Regional Expert for NDCs, LT-LEDS, UNFCCC RCC Asia-Pacific
Q&A
Session 13: Stakeholder Engagement for aligning VNR and NDC
Moderator: Ms. Ana Thorlund, Governance and Public Administration Expert, United Nations Project Office on Governance (UNPOG), Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG), UNDESA
Presenters
- Ms. Miki Fukuda, Policy Researcher, Integrated Sustainability Centre, IGES
- Ms. Ani Kirakosyan, Assistant to the Minister, Ministry of Environment and Ms. Armine Hovhannisyan, Third Secretary at the UN and Sustainable Development Division, Department of Multilateral Policy and Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Armenia
- Ms. Amy Nicole Wilson Bautista, Regional Development Analyst, Ministry of Planning and Economic Policy and Ms. Rocío Chacón Torres, Head of Institutional Planning, Ministry of National Planning and Economic Policy (Mideplan), Costa Rica
Session 14: Country Action Plan Exercise on Financing, Data, Stakeholder Engagement for VNR and NDC Alignment
- Facilitator: Ms. Lichia Saner-Yiu, Consultant, UN DESA
Introduction and instructions for the exercise
Group Activity: Development of Action Plan for VNR and NDC Alignment
- Facilitator: ECLAC, ESCAP, IGES, NDC Partnership, SEI, UNFCCC RCC, UNOSD
Group Activity: Development of Action Plan for VNR and NDC Alignment (continued)
- Facilitator: ECLAC, ESCAP, IGES, NDC Partnership, SEI, UNFCCC RCC, UNOSD
Day 4 (10 May)
Rapporteur – recap of Day 2 - Ms. Lichia Saner-Yiu, Consultant, UN DESA
Session 15: Group Presentation of Action Plans for comment and feedback
- Moderator: Mr. Simon Gilby, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD
Course Evaluation
- Facilitator: Ms. Lichia Saner-Yiu, Consultant, UN DESA
Closing Session
- Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head, UN Office for Sustainable Development, DSDG, UNDESA
Site Visit
- Incheon I-start up Park, Songdo
- IFEZ Smart City Integrated Operation Center, 4th floor of G-tower
- Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) PR Center, 33rd floor of G-tower