[2017] Sustainable Development Transition Forum
Description
In 2016 the UNOSD’s Sustainable Development Transition Forum (SDTF) convened 100 participants from governments, the United Nations system, policy think tanks, and academic institutions from around the world in Incheon, Republic of Korea to discuss experiences, approaches and challenges in mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDGs into national and sub-national development plans.
The 2017 SDTF will be convened from 30 October – 1 November 2017 in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The forum will build on its 2016 outcomes and insights and help create a bridge between the 2017 High Level Political Forum’s thematic focus of “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world” and the 2018 HLPF thematic focus of “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies” including the HLPF’s attention in 2018 to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Production and Consumption), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
Programme
Formal Opening
Welcome and Opening Reflections
- Dr. Jean D’Aragon (Senior Sustainable Development Expert, UNOSD)
- Dr. Jong Soo Yoon (Head of Office, UNOSD)
- Mr. Sungsoo Jun (Vice-Mayor, Incheon Metropolitan City)
- Ms. Grazyna Pulawska (Project Manager, Asia-Europe Foundation)
Introductory Presentation
- “Insights from the 2017 HLPF" - Mr. Friedrich Soltau (Senior Sustainable Development Officer, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA) & Ms. Riina Jussila (Sustainable Development Officer, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA)
Keynote Speech
- “Transforming Transformation: Contemplating the future of the HLPF" - Dr. Guenther Bachmann (Secretary General, German Council for Sustainable Development)
Day 1 (October 30, 2017)
Session 1: Transformation Towards Sustainable Societies
Chairperson and Opening Speaker: “What is transformation and how do we make it happen?” - Ms. Michelle Scobie (University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago)
Panelist:
- “Transformation and Acceleration and SDGs” - Dr. Balázs Horváth (Director, Seoul Policy Centre,United Nations Development Programme)
- “SDGs and Youth” - Ms. Sunghyun Cho (SDG Youth Ambassador, Republic of Korea)
- "Together, we can do so much more than we ever imagined"/ (Note) - Mr. Sybren Bosch (Associate Dutch Council for Environment and Infrastructure)
- “Towards Coherence—UN Agencies and Multilateral Projects” - Mr. Javier Surasky (Centro de Pensamiento Estratégico Internacional, Argentina)
Session 2: Mainstreaming and Monitoring the SDGs
Chairperson and Opening Speaker: Ms. Semee Yoon (Assistant Professor of Sustainable Development & Cooperation, Yonsei University)
Panelist (Country Cases):
- "Honduras" - Ms. Waleska Rosado Zelaya (Secretaria de Coordinacion General de Gobierno, Honduras)
- "Jordan" - Mr. Mohammed Al-Assaf (Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, Jordan)
- "Philippines" - Ms. Girlie Grace J. Casimiro (National Economic and Development Authority, Philippines) / Note of Presentation
- "Mauritius" - Ms. Bibi Waseefah Elahee Doomun (Lead Analyst, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Republic of Mauritius)
- "Germany" - Dr. Guenther Bachmann (Secretary General, German Council for Sustainable Development)
Day 2 (October 31, 2017)
Session 3: SDG 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities
Chairperson and Welcome Remarks: Ms. Birgitte Bryld (Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Division for Sustainable Development, UN DESA)
[Celebration of World Cities Day]
Opening Statement
- “Celebration of World Cities Day & SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities Session” - Ms. Birgitte Bryld (Senior Economic Affairs Officer, Divisionfor Sustainable Development, UN DESA)
- H.E. Marie Chatardová (President of the UN Economic and Social Council & Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations)
- Mr. Liu Zhenmin (UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs)
Session 3 - Panel 1: Progress and Key Challenges to Achieving SDG 11
Panelist:
- “SDG 11: Progress, Challenges and Links to the New Urban Agenda" - Dr. Ben C. Arimah (Head, Flagship Reports Unit, United Nations Human Settlements Programme)/ Note of Presentation
- “Key Issues and Challenges of SDG 11 Implementation in Relation to Urban Mobility and Sustainable Transport” - Mr. Choudhury Rudra Charan Mohanty (Environment Programme Coordinator, UN Centre for Regional Development, DSD, UN DESA)
- “Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) as a Public Policy Tool in localizing implementation of SDG 11- Case of Seoul” - Ms. Laurence Kwark (Secretary General, Global Social Economy Forum)
- “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development-Mexico” - Mr. Mario Chocoteco Hernandez (Deputy Director General of the 2030 Agenda for SD, Presidencia de la Republica)
Session 3 - Panel 2: Leveraging Synergies for Success
Panelist:
- “Cities, SDGs and Climate: making the links” - Dr. David O’Connor (Permanent Observer, IUCN to the UN)
- "Implementation of SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communites): The perspective of Tanzania" - Mr. Songelael Shilla (Minister Plenipotentiary Permanent Mission of Tanzania to the UN)
- “Progress of ICELI Strategic Plan 2021- Model for Collaboration in Achieving SDG 11 Outcomes" - Mr. Jeongmuk Kang (Manager, Policy & Knowledge Management Team, ICLEI Korea)/ Note of Presentation
Session 4: SDGs and Finance
Chairperson and Opening Speaker: Ms. Grazyna Pulawska (Project Manager, Asia-Europe Foundation)
Panelist:
- “European Union” - Marek Repovský (Political Counsellor, EU Delegation in Seoul)
- “SDGs and Finance” - Mr. Thierry Schwarz (Environment Consultant, Sciences Po)
- “Global Climate Finance and Green Climate Fund” - Mr. Sung-hwan Son (Advisory Ambassador, Green Climate Fund Cooperation)
- “The Potential of Islamic Finance in Achieving the SDGs” - Dr. Rami Ahmad (Special Envoy on SDGs, Senior Advisor to the President, Islamic Development Bank Group) and Mr. Zafarjon Khotamov (Senior Strategic Planning Expert, Group Strategic Planning Department, IDBG) / Note of Presentation
- “CSR/RBC/BHR/SDGs Cooperation for implementation in Poland” - Ms. Jacqueline Kacprzak
(Counsellor to the Minister, Coordinator, Unit of CSR and Stakeholders' Affairs, Minister's Office, Ministry of Economic Development, Poland) - “SDG Localization into Cambodian Context and Financing for Implementation” - H.E. Poch Sovanndy (Deputy Director General of Planning, Ministry of Planning, Cambodia)
Session 5: The SDG Nexus Exercise
Introduction: Mr. Darren Swanson (Novel Futures and IISD, Canada)
Video Presentation: Dr. Jiří Hlaváček (UN Environment, Kenya)
[Table Breakout Groups]
Facilitators: Dr. Steven Arquitt (Millennium Institute), Darren Swanson (Novel Futures and IISD), Mustafa Moinhuddin (IGES), and Zafarjon Khotamov (IDBG)
Closing Presentations:
- "The iSDG model: An interactive policy simulator for the Sustainable Development Goals" - Dr. Steven Arquitt (Millennium Institute, USA)
- “Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Interlinkages Analysis and Visualisation: A practical tool supporting SDG integration and policy coherence" - Mr. Mustafa Moinuddin (Senior Policy Researcher and Research Manager, IGES) & Mr. Xin Zhou (Principal Policy Researcher and Research Leader, IGES) / Note of Presentation
Day 3 (November 1, 2017)
Session 6: Transformation Towards Resilient Societies
Chairperson and Opening Speaker: Dr. Suh-Yong Chung (Director, Center for Climate and Sustainable Development Law and Policy of Seoul International Law Academy)
Panelist:
- “Transformation towards resilient societies in the Czech Republic” - Dr. Jiří Muchka (Minister Counsellor, Special Representative for ECOSOC, Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the UN)
- “Ambitiious City Promises: Engaging citizens. Driving climate action” - Mr. Merlin Lao (Program Manager, ICLEI East Asia Secretariat)/ Note of Presentation
- “Pathways for Building Resilience: Some Lessons Based on Research in Natural Resources Management” - Dr. Prabhakar Ventaka Rama Krishna Sivapuram (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan) / Note of Presentation
- “Transformation towards Resilient Societies” - Mr. Halarou OURO-DJALA (Ministry of Development Planning, Togo) / Note of Presentation
Closing Session
H. E. Marie Chatardová (President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council & Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations)
Closing Reflections and Remarks
Dr. Jong Soo Yoon (Head of Office, UNOSD)
Documentation
Pictures
You can find meeting pictures here.