Click here to visit the IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub knowledgebase.  SDG UPDATE A compilation of items recently posted to the SDG Knowledge Hub Thursday, 12 October 2017 GUEST ARTICLES Access and Benefit-Sharing: SDG Commitment and Challenge for the Food and Agriculture Sector Two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - SDG 2 on zero hunger and SDG 15 on life on land - contain targets calling for the promotion of access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed. FEATURED Reports on Triple Threat of Malnutrition Show Increasing Hunger and Obesity Worldwide 11 October 2017: The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) High-level Panel of Experts (HLPE) launched a report titled, ‘Nutrition and food systems,’ calling for “radical transformations” of global food systems. The report was launched on the same day that the World Health Organization (WHO) and Imperial College London released a study showing a tenfold global increase in the number of obese children (aged five to 19 years) over the last forty years. Second Committee Considers Role of AI in Advancing SDGs 11 October 2017: Governments and innovators discussed the benefits and risks associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) as well as its impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), during a joint meeting of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Second Committee Concludes Sustainable Development Debate 10 October 2017: The UN General Assembly’s Second Committee (Economic and Financial) concluded its debate on its agenda item on sustainable development. Member States stressed the importance of: strong educational systems that promote sustainable development; enhanced cooperation in support of the most vulnerable countries; ratification and expedited implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change; and localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at grassroots levels. NEWS Partnership to Address Climate Displacement, Dominica to Become the First Climate-Resilient Nation 11 October 2017: The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Displacement Solutions, an organization working on rights-based land solutions to climate displacement, outlining a framework for collaboration on climate resilience. In related news, following reports of unprecedented devastation caused by a series of hurricanes in the Caribbean, Dominica announced that it intends to become the first climate-resilient nation in the world. WHO Establishes Commission on NCDs 10 October 2017: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the establishment of a high-level global commission on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The commission aims to identify innovative opportunities to tackle NCDs and extend the life expectancy of millions of people. European Council Calls for Mobilization of Public and Private Finance for Climate-resilient Development 10 October 2017: The European Council adopted a set of conclusions setting out the EU position on climate change finance ahead of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UNFCCC, which will take place in Bonn, Germany, from 6-17 November 2017. ESCAP Warns of Disaster Risk Outpacing Resilience in Asia-Pacific 10 October 2017: Natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity in the Asia-Pacific region, while disaster risk is outpacing disaster resilience, according to a report published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The region, the most disaster-prone in the world, has seen typhoons and monsoons affect upwards of 41 million people with the greatest impacts in countries with the least capacity to prepare or respond. Titled ‘Disaster Resilience for Sustainable Development: Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2017,’ the publication aims to help policymakers better understand disaster risk and resilience so that they can undertake the most appropriate actions. ILO Report Highlights Slow Reductions in Working Poverty, Events Discuss Making Decent Work a Reality 9 October 2017: The International Labour Organization (ILO) has released the 2017 edition of its ‘World Employment and Social Outlook (WESO)’ which finds that slow reductions in working poverty threaten the prospects for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 1 (end poverty). ILO’s Future of Work initiative has held a number of events to advance discussion and understanding on the changing world of work, including a side event with the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Second Committee. CDP Report: Chemical Companies Must Do More to Meet Climate Goals 5 October 2017: The CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) has published a report titled, ‘Catalyst for Change,’ which shows that, while major chemical companies are making progress on climate risk, rapid process innovations will be required for them to align themselves with the goal of keeping the global temperature rise below 2°C above preindustrial levels reflected in the Paris Agreement on climate change. Water Scarcity Discussed at UN, Projects Addressing Scarcity in India and Greece 3 October 2017: Discussions during the opening week of the UN General Assembly addressed the impacts of climate change, pollution, and growing water demand on the availability of water. To help alleviate water scarcity, the Global Water Partnership (GWP) is supporting the construction of local storage reservoirs and water-saving campaigns in the Greek islands, while the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a research center of CGIAR, is creating "constructed wetlands" in India. OECD Development Centre Calls for New Toolbox to Promote Development 3 October 2017: Increasingly complex development challenges demand new policy tools, according to policymakers attending a meeting organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The Fourth High-level Meeting of the OECD Development Centre Governing Board focused on policy areas critical for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Informal Meeting for Heads of Delegation Considers Expectations for COP 23 October 2017: The UNFCCC Secretariat has issued a summary report from an informal meeting for the Heads of delegation of the Parties to the UNFCCC, held in preparation for the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UNFCCC. COP 23 will take place in Bonn, Germany, from 6-17 November 2017. IGES Updates NDC Database October 2017: The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) has updated its NDC database, which compiles and summarizes the main elements of countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The database features NDC information on, inter alia: climate mitigation and adaptation pledges; finance and technology transfer requirements for developing countries to achieve their targets; and the use of various market mechanisms by each country. OECD Education Report Highlights Increasing Tertiary Enrollment October 2017: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has released its annual report on the state of education globally, which finds increasing enrollment in tertiary education alongside a failure among individuals to enroll in the fields that offer the greatest employment opportunities. The report also features an assessment of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among OECD and partner countries, highlighting disparities across countries. Reports Focus on Role of Universities in Achieving SDGs September 2017: The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has published two reports that address the role of universities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The first discusses how universities, higher education institutions and the academic sector in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific can accelerate their contributions to the SDGs. The second showcases innovative solutions and initiatives undertaken by SDSN’s national and regional networks. UNESCO, WWAP Report Investigates Water Scarcity-Migration Links 22 September 2017: The World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have published a report titled, ‘Migration and Its Interdependencies with Water Scarcity, Gender and Youth Employment.’ It finds close links between the impacts of water scarcity and migration patterns in regional hotspots including in the African, Mediterranean, South Asian and East Asian regions. The report also shows that water availability and quality impacts both youth employment and social stability. Second Committee Emphasizes Climate Change During Sustainable Development Debate 9 October 2017: The UN General Assembly’s Second Committee (Economic and Financial) considered agenda item 19 on Sustainable Development and its sub-items, with Member States responding to UN system reports on related issues. Governments highlighted the need for, inter alia: addressing climate change, as it undermines poverty eradication and sustainable development; infrastructure support; technology transfer, including for Middle Income Countries (MICs); and multi-stakeholder partnerships for securing needed resources. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » Climate Engineering Conference 2017 (CEC17) 9-12 October 2017 | Berlin, Germany ESCAP Disaster Resilience Week 9-12 October 2017 | Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand Forty-fourth Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 44) 9-13 October 2017 | Rome, Lazio, Italy Fourth European Forest Week and Las2017 - Joint Session of EFC and COFFI 9-13 October 2017 | Warsaw, Poland Leading in Sustainable Development 9-13 October 2017 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany 2017 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund 9-15 October 2017 | Washington D.C., US 30th Meeting of the Adaptation Fund Board 10-13 October 2017 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany 15th Conference of Ministers and Heads of Planning of Latin America and the Caribbean AND 16th Meeti... 11-13 October 2017 | Lima, Peru Second ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF2) 11-13 October 2017 | Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico Sixth Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage a... 11-13 October 2017 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Science, Technology, and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals: Harnessing Inclusive Inno... 12 October 2017 | New York City, US Sixth Informal Thematic Session on Irregular Migration 12-13 October 2017 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland International Day for Disaster Reduction 13 October 2017 | worldwide 2017 Arctic Circle Assembly 13-15 October 2017 | Reykjavik, Iceland Small States Forum 2017 - From Roadmap to Action 14 October 2017 | Washington D.C., US Third International Workshop on the Socioeconomic Impacts of Ocean Acidification 15-17 October 2017 | Monaco 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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