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, 25 January 2018 GENERATION 2030 Growing Greener Cities: Urban Agriculture and the Impact on SDG 11 The focus of sustainable agriculture tends to be on rural areas and conventional solutions to development. As modernization engulfs both the developed and developing world, it is critical to address the importance of urban agriculture. Initiatives Summon Youth Engagement on Climate, Water and Technology January 2018: The voices and vision of youth are informing SDG-related discussions on technology, innovation, climate, and water. The World Bank Group Youth Summit 2017 brought together World Bank experts and innovative thinkers between the ages of 18 and 35, and awarded youth teams for projects related to technology and innovation. In the lead-up to the 8th World Water Forum, events such as the Rumo a Brasília (Towards Brasilia) 2018 are involving youth representatives in discussions on climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the need for young people to help solve water-related challenges. Also on water, the ‘Youth Voices → Policy Choices’ initiative will select youth representatives to present their vision on water to European elected officials at the 24th session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP 24), in December 2018. NEWS Governments Respond to Secretary-General’s Development System Reform Proposals 23 January 2018: UN Member States provided feedback to the detailed proposals for reforms to the UN development system advanced by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as presented in his second report on the matter released on 20 December 2017. In a meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), governments engaged in an interactive dialogue with the Secretary-General and debated the way forward. Eleven Global Corporations Pledge to Recycle All Packaging by 2025 22 January 2018: Eleven global corporations announced at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, that they will ensure all their packaging is reused, recycled or composted by the year 2025. The companies are working on this transition with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a UK-registered charity whose mission is to accelerate the shift to a circular economy. The companies that made the pledge are behind many household consumer brands and include: Amcor, Ecover, Evian, L’Oréal, Mars, Marks & Spencer, PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever, Walmart, and Werner & Mertz. RE100 Report Shows Corporate Progress Towards 100% Renewable Energy 22 January 2018: A report released by The Climate Group and CDP shows that multilateral corporations are making progress towards their 100% renewable energy pledges, as part of the RE100 initiative. External Team Advises UNGA President on Sustaining Peace, Strengthening UNGA 21 January 2018: UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Miroslav Lajčák met with a Team of External Advisors to discuss the UNGA’s work during its 72nd session, strengthening the UNGA, and the overall efficiency of the UN related to sustaining peace and preventing conflict. Global Goals Website Creates Target-level Icons 17 January 2018: In addition to icons for each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ‘The Global Goals for Sustainable Development’ website now includes icons for each of the SDG targets. The communication initiative notes that it is time to turn worldwide enthusiasm for the SDGs into action, and the targets are meant to guide engagement on a personal level. UN Agencies and Partners Explore Lasting Solutions to Somali Drought 17 January 2018: The office of the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Somalia launched the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan with a call for long-term solutions for drought, conflict and displacement. Various country programmes and partnerships have announced similar initiatives in recent months, aimed at reducing the vulnerability of drought-affected populations and contributing to improved resilience. Initiatives Highlight Innovations of Past and Present to Tackle Water-related Challenges January 2018: While the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is working to create a network of museums to understand the evolution and raise awareness of water use and conservation, an 'International Water Summit' (IWS) and preparations towards World Water Week have emphasized the future, in particular, technologies and linkages for meeting water-related challenges and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ITPGRFA Opens Fourth Call for Proposals under Benefit-sharing Fund 15 December 2017: The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) has opened a call for proposals for projects to be funded through its Benefit-sharing Fund, to enable farmers in developing countries to use and conserve adapted plant varieties. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » First Meeting of the Framework for Growth Working Group (G20 2018) 23-25 January 2018 | Yogyakarta (Java), Indonesia International EGM on Sustainable Development in Territories of Indigenous Peoples 23-25 January 2018 | New York City, US SAICM Regional Meeting for Asia Pacific 23-25 January 2018 | Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand Third GEF-7 Replenishment Meeting 23-25 January 2018 | Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil Second Africa-EU Symposium on Renewable Energy Research and Innovation (RERIS 2018) 23-26 January 2018 | Maseru, Lesotho World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018 23-26 January 2018 | Davos, Graubunden, Switzerland Central Asia Climate Change Conference 24-25 January 2018 | Almaty, Kazakhstan Expert Working Group for the Further Development of the E-Waste Technical Guidelines 24-25 January 2018 | Beijing, China Aligning Initiatives to Track Progress Towards a New Global Food System 25 January 2018 | Davos, Graubunden, Switzerland Expert Group Meeting: Advancing the 2030 Agenda: Interlinkages and Common Themes at the HLPF 2018 25-26 January 2018 | New York City, US Second Conference of the Parties to the Bamako Convention 28-30 January 2018 | Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire Forty-sixth Session of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf 29 January 2018 | New York City, US Data Gaps Initiative Meeting (DGI) (G20 2018) 29-30 January 2018 | Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina Workshop on Risk Mitigation in Renewable Energy Investments in Africa 29-30 January 2018 | Nairobi, Kenya SAICM Regional Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean 29-31 January 2018 | Panama City, Panama 56th Session of the Commission for Social Development 29 January - 7 February 2018 | 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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