Click here to visit the IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub knowledgebase.  SDG UPDATE A compilation of items recently posted to the SDG Knowledge Hub Tuesday, 19 December 2017 POLICY BRIEFS SDG Knowledge Weekly: Trade in the Context of the 2030 Agenda This week’s brief looks at trade in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, following the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11), which convened from 10-13 December 2017, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This meeting of the WTO’s highest decision-making body opened just over a month after the 70th anniversary of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the WTO’s predecessor. GENERATION 2030 Regional Commissions Launch Toolbox on Youth Policy 23 November 2017: The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), together with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), have jointly launched the Youth Policy Toolbox. The Toolbox is an online repository of knowledge, experiences, and good practices that aims to enhance information sharing, communication, and collaboration among policymakers and young people. FEATURED Multi-stakeholder Hearing Calls for Holistic Approach to Migration 18 December 2017: UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Miroslav Lajcak held an interactive, multi-stakeholder hearing as part of the preparatory process for the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Participants flagged recommendations to integrate migrants in policy-making processes, for small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) to strengthen their connections with policy-makers in order to maximize the potential of migrants, and to address communication and information gaps, both for and about migrants. Governments Discuss Aligning UNGA and 2030 Agendas 15 December 2017: UN Member States recently discussed aligning the work of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) with the 2030 Agenda, with some stressing the importance of alignment, and others noting that the Assembly's work goes beyond the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs. UNGA President Miroslav Lajcak said he will appoint co-facilitators “very soon” to lead the process of identifying proposals to address gaps and duplication between the UNGA and the 2030 Agendas. GSDR Experts Discuss Paths to SDG Achievement 12 December 2017: The independent group of scientists (IGS) to draft the 2019 edition of the quadrennial Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) met in Helsinki, Finland, to identify paths that could bring the changes required to achieve the SDGs. Prior to the meeting, on 1 December 2017, the IGS closed its call for inputs from scientific communities, policy makers, and communities holding indigenous knowledge and other knowledge systems. NEWS CBD Intersessional Bodies Address Scientific Issues, Traditional Knowledge Contribution to Biodiversity Policy 16 December 2017: The Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) intersessional bodies on scientific advice and traditional knowledge met in Montreal, Canada, to lay the foundation for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and biodiversity's contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. GMG Launches Handbook on Migration Data 18 December 2017: The Global Migration Group (GMG) launched a handbook that provides guidance to producers and users of international migration data, aiming to contribute to the monitoring of the SDGs. Launched on International Migrants Day, the handbook is designed to help develop country-level capacity in the production and use of migration data for development, especially in developing countries. Governments Agree on Peace and Security Reform Resolution 15 December 2017: UN Member States have agreed on a final draft resolution on ‘Restructuring of the UN peace and security pillar,’ UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak announced following an unbroken silence procedure. The draft resolution will be considered during a plenary of the UNGA on 20 December 2017. UNGA Adopts Resolutions on 2019 Health Summit and Universal Health Coverage Day 14 December 2017: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution calling for all people to have equal access to health services, and agreeing to hold a high-level meeting on universal health coverage in 2019. Another UNGA resolution establishes 12 December as 'Universal Health Coverage Day.' Meanwhile, the Government of Japan is contributing US$2.9 billion towards the promotion of universal healthcare in developing countries, and a high-level forum in Tokyo, Japan, on 14 December highlighted human security concerns related to health and well-being, including the threat of war on the Korean Peninsula. African Initiatives Promote Low-Carbon Shipping, Infrastructure Development 13 December 2017: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the EU launched the African Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC-Africa), part of a project to establish a global network of centers to address climate change and promote low-carbon shipping. Also on the theme of cooperation, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Week 2017 highlighted continental free trade and the creation of a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). UNEP Report Finds Growing Momentum for Green, Sustainable Finance 12 December 2017: During the One Planet Summit, five cities committed to harness their financial expertise to support action on sustainable development and climate change. Also on sustainable finance, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report titled, ‘Accelerating financial sector action on sustainable development,’ that finds “clear” momentum towards a sustainable financial system, with over 20 financial centers now active in sustainable, green finance. UNDP, UNEP Announce Pro-Poor SDGs Project 7 December 2017: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced a joint project on pro-poor environmental action for the SDGs. The five-year project will support “equitable and pro-poor sustainable development” in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), including through the inclusion of sustainability in investment management systems. Together 2030 Reviews Head of State Messages on SDGs 6 December 2017: The civil society initiative Together 2030 has reviewed government statements on sustainable development, as delivered during the General Debate of the 72nd Session of UN General Assembly (UNGA). The report finds a prevalence of strong political will in support of 2030 Agenda, taking the form of measures such as mobilizing finance and strengthening global partnerships. Fifth Committee Discusses Secretary-General’s Management Reform Proposals 4 December 2017: UN Secretary-General Antonió Guterres has presented his proposal for a "sweeping management reform" to the UN General Assembly's (UNGA) Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). Member States stressed that the reforms must be based on lessons learned from past efforts, and improve risk management. Business-UN Collaborations Aim to Advance SDGs December 2017: Working in partnership with the UN, businesses are undertaking efforts to contribute to the SDGs. The Global Compact Local Network in Latin America is emphasizing multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder collaboration, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has partnered with others to implement market-based green solutions. GWP and Partners Support National Consultations on IWRM December 2017: The Global Water Partnership (GWP), together with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is organizing stakeholder workshops to support national reporting on the Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), target 6.5. The target calls for, by 2030, the implementation of integrated water resources management (IWRM), including through transboundary cooperation. OECD's Water Governance Initiative Discusses Pricing and Indicators 21 November 2017: At the 10th meeting of its Water Governance Initiative, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) updated members and stakeholders on the contribution of the Initiative to several global policy agendas including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate targets under the Paris Agreement, and the forthcoming 8th World Water Forum. WTO Puts Off Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies 13 December 2017: The Eleventh Ministerial Conference (MC11) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) put off agreement on a draft text on subsidy prohibitions relating to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and overfished stocks, among other decisions. The Ministerial Conference adopted a decision to “continue to engage constructively in the fisheries subsidies negotiations,” with the aim of adopting an agreement in 2019. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » Morning Dialogue Series with UNGA President - Third Session 19 December 2017 | New York City, US Symposium: SDG 14 Pacific Commitments: 2018 Action Agenda 19 December 2017 | Suva, Central, Fiji Global Landscapes Forum 19-20 December 2017 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Online Platforms for Sustainable Development 1 January 2018 | Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand Subregional Workshop on the Management of Mercury Containing Lamps 9-11 January 2018 | Tunis, Tunisia UN Secretary-General's Briefing on Migration Report 11 January 2018 | New York City, US UNGA President's Briefing on 2018 Priorities 12 January 2018 | New York City, US Eighth Session of the Assembly of IRENA 13-14 January 2018 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates International Forum on Migration Statistics 2018 15-16 January 2018 | Paris, Ile-De-France, France International Water Summit 2018 15-18 January 2018 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates World Future Energy Summit 2018 15-18 January 2018 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates UN Secretary-General's Briefing on 2018 Priorities 16 January 2018 | New York City, US 2018 Gaidar Forum 16-18 January 2018 | Moscow, Moskva, Russian Federation ESCWA Workshop on SDG Indicators 16-18 January 2018 | Beirut, Beyrouth, Lebanon Workshop on Sustainable Rural Bioenergy Solutions in Africa 19 January 2018 | Nairobi, Kenya Workshop on the Environmentally Sound Management of E-wastes 20-23 January 2018 | Beijing, China 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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