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, 15 March 2018 POLICY BRIEFS Advancing National SDG Implementation: Assessing VNR Reports to Learn from SDG Experiences Learning from experience is essential to improve SDG implementation, and is a key component of the follow-up and review process for the 2030 Agenda. A collaborative report issued by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC) seeks to contribute to the global learning endeavor by assessing Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports submitted by countries at the 2017 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). FEATURED Tech Giants to Patrol Wildlife Trafficking Online 15 March 2018: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), TRAFFIC and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) have launched the ‘Global Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online’. Casting a wide net to stymie the sale of illegal wildlife wares, the collaboration aims to reduce online wildlife trafficking by 80% by 2020, an outcome in line with internationally agreed goals and mandates. Meanwhile, a growing herd of digital elephants is (safely) marching across social media platforms towards Botswana, where the second Giants Club Summit will be held. High Level Panel on Water Calls for Water Action 14 March 2018: The High Level Panel on Water (HLPW) released its outcome package, concluding its mandate with a call for a fundamental shift in the way the world manages water. Consisting of 11 Heads of State and Government and one Special Adviser, the Panel focused on accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goal on clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), as well as on the other SDGs that rely on the development and management of water resources, especially SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy); SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities); SDG 3 (good health and well-being); SDG 15 (life on land); SDG 2 (zero hunger); SDG 1 (no poverty); and SDG 13 (climate action). NEWS Co-facilitators Circulate Outline of UNDS Reform Resolution 13 March 2018: An outline of the draft resolution on UN development system reform has been circulated for governments' consideration. The co-facilitators for the "repositioning" negotiations, Sabri Boukadoum, Permanent Representative of Algeria, and Ib Petersen, Permanent Representative of Denmark, also provided a draft calendar of the informal consultation process. International Seabed Authority Council Discusses Exploitation of Deep Seabed Mineral Resources 12 March 2018: The Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) discussed the draft regulations on the exploitation of mineral resources in the deep seabed. It deliberated a payment mechanism, as well as the need to strengthen regulations on the implementation of the principle of common heritage of humankind, and the protection of the marine environment. Member States Prepare to Review Progress Against Tuberculosis, NCDs 14 March 2018: UN Member States are preparing to review progress on ending tuberculosis (TB) and preventing early deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Informal consultations are underway for a "comprehensive review" on NCDs in 2018, which would be the third high-level meeting of the UNGA on the issue. In addition, a high-level meeting on tuberculosis (TB) also is planned for 2018, and governments have reached agreement on the modalities for the meeting. Reports Launched on IWD2018 Assess Progress on Women’s Land Rights 13 March 2018: The need to guarantee women’s access to and ownership of land, property and other economic assets are incorporated into several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including: SDG 5 (gender equality) target 7; SDG 1 (no poverty) target 3; and SDG 2 (zero hunger) target 3. Despite these ambitions, various reports that were launched close to International Women’s Day 2018 highlight slow progress towards achieving gender parity in land ownership and control. Collegiate Inventors and Countries Announce Plans to Tackle Marine Litter 12 March: Bahrain and New Zealand announced their commitment to the UN CleanSeas Campaign, joining more than 40 countries around the world that have already agreed to tackle plastic pollution in the ocean. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP, or UN Environment) launched the campaign to reduce the use of non-recoverable and single-use plastics that pollute the marine environment. Education 2030 Committee Issues Recommendations on SDG 4 12 March 2018: The SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee has issued recommendations for achieving SDG 4 on education, calling to fund education as a public good. Also in March, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) reported that one in five children globally does not attend school, and that little progress has been made in improving school attendance over the past five years. World Summit Discusses Business Role in Ocean Agenda 9 March 2018: The fifth World Ocean Summit discussed the role of business in a sustainable ocean economy. At the Summit, a group of partners launched principles for sustainable fisheries investments, which aim to scale up investments in the sector and promote progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 14 on life below water. MPA Announcements Mark Progress towards SDG 14, Aichi Target 11 9 March 2018: The countries of Belize, Brazil and the Seychelles have announced commitments to increase their efforts to protect marine biodiversity, in line with global efforts to achieve progress on the Sustainable Development Goal on life below water (SDG 14) as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Aichi Target 11, which calls for by 2020, protecting at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10% of coastal and marine areas. UN General Assembly Highlights Role for Kimberley Process in 2030 Agenda 7 March 2018: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has welcomed progress made under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme on tackling illicit trade in diamonds and its role in armed conflict. Some governments noted linkages between diamond production and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Lancet Study Outlines Health Co-benefits of Implementing Paris Agreement 5 March 2018: A study titled, ‘Health co-benefits from air pollution and mitigation costs of the Paris Agreement: a modelling study,’ has found that substantial health gains can be achieved from climate change mitigation action. Published in Lancet Planet Health, a series that contributes to defining and advancing planetary health worldwide, the report concludes that pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C could make economic sense in some scenarios and countries if health co-benefits are considered. Central American Stakeholders Strengthen Regional Soil Partnership 26 February 2018: Five years since the establishment of their regional soil network, representatives from 15 Central American and Caribbean countries and Mexico met to assess progress and kick start implementation of a new biennial programme of work. The meeting agreed on a set of priority actions to reverse the degradation of soils, including through strengthening soil partnerships and ensuring greater impact at the regional level. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » Intergovernmental Negotiations on Migration Compact - March 2018 12-15 March 2018 | New York City, US Committee for Development Policy (CDP) 2018 Plenary Meeting 12-16 March 2018 | New York City, US Sixth International Marine Debris Conference (6IMDC) 12-16 March 2018 | San Diego, CA, US 62nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW 62) 12-23 March 2018 | Washington D.C., US Second Meeting of the SAICM Intersessional Process 13-15 March 2018 | Stockholm, Stockholms Lan, Sweden World Economic Forum on Latin America 13-15 March 2018 | Sao Paulo, Brazil 16th Meeting of the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) 13-16 March 2018 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany 47th Session of the IPCC 13-16 March 2018 | Paris, Ile-De-France, France 7th Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage (WI... 13-16 March 2018 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards Submissions Due 15 March 2018 | virtual Progressing National SDG Implementation: An Independent Assessment of the VNRs Submitted to HLPF 201... 15 March 2018 | virtual Third Global Conference on Health and Climate, Fiji 15-16 March 2018 | Nadi, Western, Fiji Giants Club Summit 15-17 March 2018 | Kasane, North-West, Botswana UNGA Informal Consultations on Repositioning of the UN Development System - Meeting 1 16 March 2018 | New York City, US Build Back Better Week 16-20 March 2018 | Netherlands Partnership for Action: Information Ecosystem on Land Governance 17-18 March 2018 | Washington D.C., 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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