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 November 2018 POLICY BRIEFS SDG Knowledge Weekly: Data, Indicators and Statistics for Sustainable Development This issue of SDG Knowledge Weekly looks at blogs, reports and case studies launched in the wake of the second UN World Data Forum, held from 22-24 October 2018 in Dubai, UAE. The knowledge pieces focus on data and indicators to monitor and measure SDG progress, partnerships to accelerate implementation, and linkages to the business world, where corporate metrics can offer additional insights. Monthly Forecast November 2018: Biennial UN Conference Reviewing Progress on 2020 Aichi Targets, Considering 2050 Vision for Biodiversity As is usually the case towards the end of the year, November’s agenda is packed with regular annual sessions of UN agencies, multilateral environmental agreement (MEA) bodies, various high-level meetings and assorted multistakeholder gatherings. FEATURED Coral Reef Coalition Launches at 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference 14 November 2018: Eight international organizations have launched a partnership to save coral reefs at the 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference. The coalition aims to mobilize global leadership on coral reefs to save coral reef ecosystems from near-extinction by mid-century. IEA Flagship Report Urges Government Action to Advance Energy-related SDGs, Paris Agreement 13 November 2018: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has issued its flagship publication titled, ‘World Energy Outlook 2018’ (WEO 2018), which analyzes global energy trends to 2040 for all fuels, regions and technologies, and outlines possible futures under three scenarios: the Current Policies Scenario, the New Policies Scenario and the Sustainable Development Scenario. The report finds that government policy choices are key to determining “the world’s energy destiny.” Finance to Close Global Energy Access Gaps to Meet SDG 7 Insufficient, SEforALL Report Warns 12 November 2018: Financial commitments to achieve universal access to electricity and clean cooking are still falling “far short” of what is required to meet global energy goals by 2030, according to report released by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), which analyzes finance flows for electricity and clean cooking access in African and Asian countries with the greatest access gaps. DESA Synthesis Notes Improvements on SDG National Reviews at HLPF 12 November 2018: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has released the third annual synthesis of voluntary national reviews (VNRs). Based on a review of the 2018 VNRs, the report finds that the benchmark for the reviews “is being raised every year.” It states that policy coherence still presents a key challenge, and awareness of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs remains relatively modest for many countries. Investment Forum Convenes Private Sector Actors, Launches Reports and Toolbox 26 October 2018: The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) convened the 2018 World Investment Forum, with discussions addressing: regional issues; investment in an industrialized, globalized world; blockchain; sovereign wealth funds; and SDG-relevant sectors such as gender and agriculture. More than 6,000 participants from 160 countries attended the 2018 gathering, which marked the ten-year anniversary of the Forum. NEWS European Commission, IOC-UNESCO Launch Marine Spatial Planning Initiative 13 November 2018: The European Commission (EC) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO) have launched a joint initiative to promote transboundary maritime spatial planning (MSP). The initiative aims to contribute to tripling the area of territorial waters that benefit from an effectively implemented MSP system. Government Initiative Aims to Increase Support for Sustainable Forest Management 8 November 2018: Government officials and representatives from the wood products and construction sectors and civil society have supported the ‘Vancouver Invitation on Forest Products for a Better Future.’ The Vancouver Invitation is a statement of intent that aims to create a larger community of stakeholders in support of sustainable forest management (SFM), maintaining forests and creating sustainable forest value chains for achieving the SDGs. App Helps Achieve SDGs 11, 12 by Improving Sustainability of Housing Projects 7 November 2018: The UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the One Planet Network have launched an app to help improve the sustainability of new housing projects and increase the affordability of green housing. The SHERPA for Sustainable Housing Projects app was developed with the recognition that housing is an essential component of sustainable urbanization, an economic driver of cities and a fundamental human right. Global Forum on Human Settlements Calls for Urban Innovation to Achieve SDG 11, NUA 31 October 2018: Participants at the 2018 Global Forum on Human Settlements (GFHS) have committed to support sustainable and resilient cities through innovation, green growth and policies that maximize the benefits of local actions and help achieve the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda (NUA). IMO Adopts Action Plan on Marine Litter 30 October 2018: The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) adopted an action plan that enhances existing regulations and introduces measures to reduce and prevent marine plastic litter entering the oceans through ship-based activities. The action plan is in line with IMO’s commitment to support achievement of SDG 14 (life below water). African Data Revolution Report Previewed at UN World Data Forum 24 October 2018: The 2018 Africa Data Revolution Report (ADRR) focuses on Open Government Data (OGD) and their role in the region. A summary and the key recommendations of the report were released during the second UN World Data Forum summarizes key findings and recommendations, while the full report is expected to be available in December 2018. Second Committee Takes Up Development Reform, Improving Partnerships 23 October 2018: The repositioned UN development system must be independent, predictable, impartial and guided by national ownership, said delegates at debates in the UN General Assembly's (UNGA) Second Committee (Economic and Financial). They also emphasized that while global partnerships are instrumental in harnessing investment, transferring technology, generating employment and promoting training, they must be tempered by adherence to UN values and the principles of the UN Global Compact. Special Rapporteur Presents Report on Human Rights to Water and Sanitation 19 October 2018: UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Leo Heller, presented his report to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), recommending measures to ensure that countries and stakeholders can realize the human rights to water and sanitation. UNECE Aligns Monitoring of ICPD and 2030 Agenda Commitments 10 October 2018: The members of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) adopted a regional monitoring framework that integrates its commitments on population and development with relevant SDG targets and indicators. Delegates expressed support for the framework at a regional review conference leading up to the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), noting the importance of the ICPD Programme of Action for achieving the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. UNDP Report Spotlights Successful Adaptation Projects in Africa, Urges Creative Financing October 2018: The true costs of adaptation in Africa are expected to be much higher than originally projected and will require creative financing and significant private sector engagement, according to a report published by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which calls for mainstreaming, scaling up and accelerating adaptation support across the continent. Global Governance Group Focuses on Decent Work, Trade Tensions 28 September 2018: The Global Governance Group (3G) held its 11th ministerial meeting, bringing together UN leaders with members of the G20 "troika" – Argentina, Germany and Japan – in an annual dialogue to promote cooperation. UN General Assembly (UNGA) President María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés welcomed the G20’s focus on the future of work, which she noted corresponds with the Assembly’s prioritization of decent work (SDG 8) for the 73rd session. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » Barcelona Resilience Week 11-16 November 2018 | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain Ninth International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development 12-15 November 2018 | Kiev, Kyyiv, Ukraine Pathways to Resilience in Climate-affected SIDS: Promises, Actions and Results 13-15 November 2018 | New York City, US Global Business and Biodiversity Forum 14-15 November 2018 | Sharm el-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt Workshop on Reporting on Global Forest Goals and Targets of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030 14-16 November 2018 | Rome, Lazio, Italy World Ocean Council 6th Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) 14-16 November 2018 | Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region), China 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference 14-29 November 2018 | Sharm el-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt EMG Nexus Dialogue Series 2018: Law for Environmental Sustainability 19 November 2018 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland World Toilet Day 2018 19 November 2018 | worldwide UN World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC) 19-21 November 2018 | China Second Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (COP2) 19-23 November 2018 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland Asia-Pacific Day for the Ocean 20 November 2018 | Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand Africities 8 Summit 20-24 November 2018 | Marrakesh, Marrakech, Morocco 2018 European Forum on DRR 21-23 November 2018 | Rome, Lazio, Italy International Symposium on Agricultural Innovation for Family Farmers 21-23 November 2018 | Rome, Lazio, Italy 2018 CVF Virtual Climate Summit 22 November 2018 | virtual 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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