Click here to visit the IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub knowledgebase.  SDG UPDATE A compilation of items recently posted to the SDG Knowledge Hub Weekly Edition Articles from Wednesday, 29 May 2024 NEWS UN Secretary-General’s Report Assesses Progress Made on SDGs Since 2015 The UN has released the UN Secretary-General’s annual report on SDG progress. The report updates on progress made since 2015 against the global SDG indicator framework. It will inform discussions during the July 2024 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). ECOSOC Committee for Development Policy Contributes to HLPF 2024 The Committee for Development Policy (CDP) of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has published a report addressing the challenges and opportunities of innovation ecosystems for development, structural change, and equity. A contribution to the theme of ECOSOC’s 2024 session, the report will inform deliberations during the 2024 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July. Intellectual Property + Genetic Resources + Traditional Knowledge = Treaty Member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) adopted a new treaty addressing the interface between intellectual property (IP), genetic resources, and traditional knowledge. The treaty establishes a disclosure requirement for patent applicants who base their inventions on genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. Ministers Declare Will to Translate Water Commitments into Actions Ministers attending the 10th World Water Forum have issued an urgent call to translate commitments into policies, plans, and actions by conserving, protecting, and sustainably using water resources, including groundwater. The Forum sought to provide a global platform for exploring inclusive and innovative solutions for critical water-related issues to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs by 2030. World Entrepreneurs Call for Harnessing Power of Innovation for SDGs The 2024 World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum adopted a declaration calling on the international community “to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation in pursuit of the [SDGs], with a strong emphasis on including women, youth, persons with disabilities and productive families in these efforts.” Project to Scale Urban Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation in Africa The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) have launched a project that will use nature-based solutions (NbS) to undertake watershed restoration and climate change adaptation actions in cities in sub-Saharan Africa. The projects aims to improve the resilience of 2.2 million people in Dire Dawa (Ethiopia), Kigali (Rwanda), and Johannesburg (South Africa). Articles from Wednesday, 5 June 2024 GUEST ARTICLES Driving Transformative Adaptation to Extreme Heat By Lauren Anderson and Sheela Patel On this Heat Action Day, observed on 2 June, the climate-driven threat of extreme heat has jumped from the pages of assessment reports to the lived experience of millions. At the end of May, New Delhi recorded a record setting high temperature of 49°C, with northern Indian states reporting dozens of heat-related deaths. The monkeys and birds were even succumbing to heatstroke, falling out of trees. Conditions were not that much different in neighboring Pakistan, which also battled wildfires. A few weeks back, heat shut down the schools in South Sudan and Dhaka, Bangladesh. GENERATION 2030 Power of Youth: Driving SDG Progress Through Teenage Innovation By Charlotte Tucker, The Earth Foundation Today’s global youth population is the largest in history. There are 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24 years across the world, with forecasts suggesting the number of youth is expected to grow by 7% by 2030 (the target year of the SDGs). NEWS Co-facilitators of ECOSOC and HLPF Review Forward Resolution to UNGA The co-facilitators of the intergovernmental process to review the arrangements for the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) have submitted the draft resolution to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) for consideration. The UNGA is expected to discuss the resolution at its 88th plenary meeting on 7 June 2024. UN Report Calls for Holistic, Adaptable Policy Approaches to Achieve SDGs The UN has issued the UN Secretary-General’s report exploring the long-term impacts of current trends on the realization of the SDGs. The report calls for tangible and holistic responses at all levels that prioritize policies aimed at revitalizing inclusive, sustained, and sustainable economic growth while reversing geoeconomic fragmentation. SIDS4 Outcome Outlines Actions to Achieve SIDS’ Priorities by 2034 The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) approved its outcome document, ‘Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS: A Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity’ (ABAS). Negotiated during the preparatory process at UN Headquarters in New York, US, the document was adopted by acclamation without further discussion. CBD Subsidiary Bodies Face Challenges Posed by Expanding Agenda The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) and the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) made progress on the monitoring framework for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), including relevant indicators and mechanisms for planning, monitoring, reporting, and review. IISD Glossary Compiles Key Terms, Acronyms Used in Climate Change Talks The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has published clear, concise definitions of the key terms and acronyms used in UN climate talks and beyond. Compiled by the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) team ahead of the Bonn Climate Change Conference, the glossary is a resource for those who sometimes can get lost in the jargon and “acronym soup” of climate negotiations. Developed Countries Surpass USD 100 Billion in Climate Finance in 2022 The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released its latest climate finance data, according to which developed countries provided and mobilized USD 115.9 billion in climate finance for developing countries in 2022. This is the first time developed countries have met the USD 100 billion per year commitment, two years later than the initial target date of 2020. The commitment was later extended through to 2025. Index Offers Granular View of Progress Towards SDGs, Paris Agreement, GBF Researchers have released 2024 rankings of 180 countries on their progress in mitigating climate change, safeguarding ecosystems, and promoting environmental health, based on 58 indicators across 11 issue categories. The 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) tracks progress towards the SDGs, the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). UN-Water, Partners Estimate Water Requirements of Climate Mitigation The International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA) and the UN-Water Expert Group on Water and Climate Change have published a study estimating water requirements of climate change mitigation measures. The report identifies trends related to the water intensity of mitigation and adaptation options considered by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and recommends countries take these into account in their climate policies. UN Civil Society Town Hall Lays Agenda for Inclusive Summit of the Future By Wangu Mwangi, Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Team Leader In the last of a series of town halls organized as part of the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference (2024UNCSC), members of the planning committee and representatives of diverse civil society coalitions offered their reflections on the process and their expectations for the upcoming Summit of the Future (SoF) in September 2024. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » Second Global Meeting of National Focal Points for the Montevideo Programme 3-5 June 2024 | Nairobi, Kenya Second Session of the Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee of the Third UN Conference on LLDCs 3-5 June 2024 | New York City, US 26th Session of the Intergovernmental Council of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme 3-7 June 2024 | Paris, Ile-De-France, France 63rd meeting of the Standing Committee to the Convention on Wetlands 3-7 June 2024 | Gland, Vaud, Switzerland 60th Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies 3-13 June 2024 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing 2024 5 June 2024 | worldwide OECD Roundtable on Climate Finance 5 June 2024 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany World Environment Day 2024 5 June 2024 | worldwide June 2024 ECOSOC Management Segment 5-6 June 2024 | New York City, US High Level Event on Ocean Action: Immersed in Change 7-8 June 2024 | San Jose, Costa Rica World Oceans Day 8 June 2024 | worldwide 2024 OECD Forum on Gender Equality 10-11 June 2024 | Paris, Ile-De-France, France Third Dushanbe Water Action Decade Conference 10-13 June 2024 | Dushanbe, Kuhistoni Badakhshon, Tajikistan CIF Trust Fund Committee Meetings 10-14 June 2024 | Washington D.C., US G7 Summit 2024 13-15 June 2024 | Putignano, Puglia, Italy Launch of the 2024 Sustainable Development Report 17 June 2024 | Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2024 17 June 2024 | worldwide 67th Meeting of the GEF Council 17-20 June 2024 | Washington D.C., US OEWG 3: Science-Policy Panel to Contribute Further to the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste an... 17-21 June 2024 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland ECOSOC Meeting on the Transition from Relief to Development 2024 18 June 2024 | New York City, US Third UN Conference on LLDCs [postponed] 18-21 June 2024 | Kigali, Rwanda ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment 2024 19-21 June 2024 | New York City, US Funding for the IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub has been provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) The IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub is a knowledgebase tracking implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 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