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, 5 February 2019 GUEST ARTICLES Taking Stock of SDG Implementation: Good Practices and Lessons Learned for the Next Cycle This September, world leaders will be gathering at the United Nations to take stock of the first four years of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This will be the first time since its establishment in 2015 that Heads of State and Government will be reflecting on the advances, opportunities and lessons learned in making this ambitious global framework a reality. FEATURED UN-Water Meeting Considers Feedback on SDG 6 Synthesis Report 1 February 2019: The 30th UN-Water Meeting reviewed the consultation process that was undertaken during the final stages of the preparation of the SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2018, including recommendations for the next SDG 6 Synthesis Report. Participants also discussed a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for two high-level meetings on water and sanitation issues. Why Adaptation Finance Matters: Hundreds of Millions of People Exposed to Climate Change Risks 31 January 2019: The year 2018 concluded with the adoption of guidelines for implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and a warning by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that countries’ ambitions reflected in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) will not limit global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. In January 2019, world leaders, gathered at the World Economic Forum (WEF), were once again confronted with the urgency to deliver on ambition and implementation as per the ‘Global Risks Report 2019.’ Asia-Pacific Workshop Elicits Lessons for Preparing VNRs, Implementing SDGs 24 January 2019: The UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) held a conference to promote action towards achieving the SDGs in the Asia-Pacific region. UNITAR highlighted the high degree of representation of small island developing States (SIDS) in discussions on approaches to sustainable development in the region. NEWS WHO Board Considers Action on Health, Environment and Climate Change 1 February 2019: The World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Board discussed, during its 144th session, global action to address health-related impacts of climate change, a global action plan on climate change and health in small island developing States (SIDS), and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health care facilities and patient safety. UNGA-ECOSOC Briefing Discusses Coherence, HLPF, Financing for SDGs 31 January 2019: The Presidents of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) updated UN Member States on efforts to improve alignment between the work of the UNGA and ECOSOC, and on other common areas, including the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), financing for development (FfD) and youth. Delegations also shared their views and ideas on these processes. GEF LME:LEARN Releases Toolkits to Support Coastal, Marine Management 31 January 2019: The Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) LME:LEARN project has released five toolkits to support the marine community in managing Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs). The toolkits aim to promote best practices and innovative approaches in integrated coastal management, marine protected areas (MPAs), marine spatial planning (MSP) and coastal and marine climate change adaptation projects. UN-Water Report Presents Results of Public Dialogue on SDG 6 Progress 31 January 2019: UN-Water has published the results of a six-month public dialogue on its ‘SDG 6 Synthesis Report 2018 on Water and Sanitation,’ which reviewed global progress towards SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation). Dialogue participants called for more case examples of implementation, better access to national data, and information about how countries are drawing on SDG 6 to tailor their own national targets. IISD Reports on Indonesia’s “Ideal Position” for Energy Transition 31 January 2019: A report by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) finds that the Government of Indonesia has reduced dependence on fossil fuel production revenue, putting it in an ideal position to drive a low-carbon energy transition. World Bank Officials Highlight Data Challenges, Promising Trends for SDGs 30 January 2019: Two Wold Bank Group officials addressed ways to track progress on the SDGs, even while about two-thirds of the global indicators “have no data.” The op-ed by Mahmoud Mohieldin, Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, UN Relations and Partnerships, and Haishan Fu, Director, Development Economics Data Group, was published in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) newspaper the National. UNCCD CRIC Reviews Global Assessment of Land Degradation 30 January 2019: Delegates at the 17th session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reviewed the results of a global assessment of land degradation that was based on Earth observation data collected and analyzed in over 120 countries. The assessment indicates that 169 countries are affected by land degradation, desertification or drought. With regard to SDG target 15.3 (land degradation neutrality (LDN)), the assessment indicates that the proportion of degraded land for all land reported by country Parties is 19.2 percent. EC Reports on Policy Coherence for 2030 Agenda Implementation 28 January 2019: In its 2019 report on policy coherence for development, the European Commission (EC) notes that it has become increasingly challenging for governments to align their national priorities with development cooperation. The authors observe that this is a time of unprecedented global challenges, such as climate change and security considerations, “with the multilateral system continuously put to the test.” In this context, the report argues that the 2030 Agenda provides a clear plan of action towards a sustainable future, as it underscores the importance of interdependence and of coherence between policies. UN Report Highlights Environmental, Health Risks from E-Waste, Urges Circular Economy Shift 24 January 2019: Seven UN entities released a report calling for a new vision for e-waste based on the circular economy. The report highlights that annual e-waste production is worth over USD 62.5 billion, underscoring the significant opportunity in moving towards a circular economy. US Department of Defense Assesses Operations’ Vulnerabilities to Climate Change 18 January 2019: The US Department of Defense (DoD) has published a report on vulnerabilities of military installations to, and combatant commander requirements resulting from, climate change over the next 20 years. It reaffirms that the effects of a changing climate are a national security issue with potential impacts to DoD missions, operational plans and installations. Report Explores Ways to Share Risk, Mobilize Finance for Infrastructure PPPs 9 January 2019: A publication released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Korea Development Institute (KDA) focuses on risks and benefits of public-private partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure development in Asia. Drawing heavily on the Republic of Korea’s experiences, the report notes that PPPs’ risk-sharing characteristics make them a more attractive option than traditional public procurement processes, but their complexity is an obstacle to implementation. ADB, UNEP Report Examines Challenges in SDG Implementation on SDGs 12, 14 and 15 January 2019: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report that shares insights from a regional stocktake on SDG implementation in the region. The report also aims to present a compendium of tools to help developing countries implement the environmental dimensions of the SDGs. UNGA Adopts Decisions on Management, Scales of Assessments 22 December 2018: As it concluded the main part of the 73rd session, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted 16 texts recommended by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary). The approved drafts include decisions on management and on the scales of assessments for the regular budget and peacekeeping operations, which set out UN Member States’ “collective responsibilities to finance the Organization for 2019-2021,” as highlighted by UNGA President Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » Cities and Regions for Development Cooperation: Local and Regional Partnerships for Sustainable Urba... 4-5 February 2019 | Brussels, Belgium EMG Nexus Dialogue Series 2019: Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste 5 February 2019 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland Means of Implementing the Environmental Dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in ... 5-6 February 2019 | Amman, Jordan High-level Conference on Forests at the Heart of Sustainable Development 7 February 2019 | Brussels, Belgium 1st World Summit on Leaving No One Behind 7-8 February 2019 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland 5th International Symposium on Sustainability: How to Engage Society and Deploy Decarbonization 7-8 February 2019 | Venice, Veneto, Italy UNEP Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace MOOC 10 February 2019 | virtual World Government Summit 2019 10-12 February 2019 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates 51st Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum 11-12 February 2019 | Entebbe, Central, Uganda World Sustainable Development Summit 2019 11-13 February 2019 | New Delhi, Delhi, India 57th Session of the Commission for Social Development 11-21 February 2019 | New York City, US HFLD Conference on Climate Finance Mobilization 12-15 February 2019 | Paramaribo, Suriname World Symposium on Climate Change and Tourism 13-15 February 2019 | Bariloche, Rio Negro, Patagonia, Argentina Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition Research Conference on Carbon Pricing 14-15 February 2019 | New Delhi, Delhi, India 4th Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology 18-21 February 2019 | Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt AfricaSan5 18-22 February 2019 | Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa 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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