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, 14 March 2019 FEATURED Heads of State and Government Issue Call to Action for Women's Participation and Leadership 13 March 2019: Six female heads of state and government and several other women political leaders issued a Call to Action on eight areas of gender equality, and for enhancing women’s participation in power and leadership. The Call to Action was released following the UN General Assembly's high-level event on ‘Women in Power’ convened by the UNGA President. Leaders, Senior Officials Discuss Ways to Advance Women's Leadership 12 March 2019: Head of States, senior government leaders and officials from the UN system, the private sector and civil society discussed advancing women’s leadership during a high-level event hosted by UN General Assembly (UNGA) President María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés. Espinosa remarked that if women and girls, who comprise about half of the global population, are excluded from decision-making processes, the SDGs will not be met. She also noted that a majority of countries have never been governed by a woman, and if current trends continue, it will take 107 years to reach gender parity. International Women’s Day, CSW 63 Address Services, Infrastructure, Social Protection 11 March 2019: On International Women’s Day, leaders encouraged innovative ways of reimagining and rebuilding the world, to make it work for everyone. Following IWD, the 63rd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) opened with leaders calling for investments in public services, infrastructure and social protection to advance gender equality and women’s rights. NEWS At UNEA-4, States Endorse Resolution on Sustainable Infrastructure 12 March 2019: At the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) in Nairobi, Kenya, Member States agreed on a resolution on sustainable infrastructure that had been presented by Mongolia. The resolution urges the international community to adopt concerted efforts in order to prevent detrimental lock-in effects for the environment, while optimizing the cross-sectoral benefits that infrastructure development can yield across environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability, spatial scales, sectors, project phases and governance structures. SAICM OEWG3 Submission Highlights Pathways for Global Governance of Chemicals and Waste 12 March 2019: Opportunities for, and a broader structure of, international chemicals and waste governance are the focus of a submission made to the third meeting of the Open-ended Working Group (OEWG3) of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) on the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020. UNEP Guidelines Aim to Advance SDG Indicator 14.1.1 on Plastic Litter in Ocean 12 March 2019: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a report that provides practical guidelines and recommendations for reporting on the distribution and abundance of plastic litter and microplastics in marine environments. The report is one of several publications on the conservation and sustainable use of marine environments released by UNEP in conjunction with the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4). UNEP Report Recommends Policy and Management Actions to Address Plastics on Coral Reefs 12 March 2019: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a report that provides recommendations for policymakers on how to address and reduce the impact of plastics on shallow water coral reefs. The report is one of several publications on the conservation and sustainable use of marine environments released by UNEP in conjunction with the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4). UNEP Report Showcases Women’s Role in Management of Coastal and Marine Environments 12 March 2019: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a report that analyzes the gendered nature of the conservation, management and use of coastal and marine environments and shares good practices for elevating women’s roles in coastal and marine management. The report is one of several publications on the conservation and sustainable use of marine environments released by UNEP in conjunction with the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4). UNGA Forwards Outcome Document to BAPA+40 8 March 2019: UN Member States agreed on the outcome document of the second High-level UN Conference on South-South Cooperation, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (BAPA+40). The co-facilitators of the informal negotiations placed a final draft of the outcome under silence procedure, which ended on 8 March. UNEP Report Highlights Beijing’s Air Pollution Control Efforts as “Model for Other Cities” 9 March 2019: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau (BEE), China, have published a report that describes the evolution of Beijing’s air quality management programme, and recommends steps the city can take to continue improving its air quality. India Hosts National Dialogue on Phase-down of HFCs 7 March 2019: The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), in partnership with the Norwegian Environment Agency (NEA), hosted a national dialogue on phasing down hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in India that focused on incentives and regulations to help India realize its international commitments on the phase-down of HFCs. Countries to Resume Consultations on Aligning UNGA, ECOSOC with 2030 Agenda 7 March 2019: UN Member States will hold their first consultations of the 73rd UNGA session on coherence among the agendas of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and other UN bodies and forums in light of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, on 18 March 2019. The co-facilitators for these intergovernmental consultations have issued a preparatory note with guiding questions for discussion. JIU Suggests Ways to Improve UN's Administrative Efficiency and Effectiveness 5 March 2019: The Joint Inspection Unit of the UN System (JIU) has issued a report that reviews UN administrative efficiency. It provides ten recommendations for improvement through UN inter-agency cooperation. Recommendations for action are directed at the UN Secretary-General, the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) and the UN Sustainable Development Group, among other UN actors and entities. World Bank Issues SDG 5 Bond to Mobilize Finance, Unleash Economic Growth 4 March 2019: The World Bank Group’s International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) issued a sustainable development bond promoting investment in women and girls as a way to reduce poverty and build sustainable societies. The USD 4 million, three-year bond focused on SDG 5 (gender equality) has Impax Asset Management as the sole investor. Report Finds ‘Generation Less’ is Ready to Drive Sustainability as Consumers, Job-seekers March 2019: A report on "Generation Less" highlights a growing interest in sustainable supply chains and increasing demands for transparency, and identifies climate change as one of the most disruptive conditions for business, along with retaining talent and consumers. The report from Positive Luxury, which awards the Butterfly Seal to brands that meet sustainability criteria, examines key industry trends and how companies are responding. ECOSOC Publishes New Strategic Orientation of UN-Habitat for 2020-2025 27 February 2019: The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has issued a note by the Secretary-General outlining a new strategic orientation of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for the period 2020-2025. It is the first strategic plan for UN-Habitat following the adoption of the SDGs, including Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2015-2030, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the New Urban Agenda (NUA), among other global agendas. Swedish Partners Developing Tool to Align Business, Policy Decisions with 2030 Agenda 21 February 2019: The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and partners are developing an online tool to help industries, governments, civil society organizations and others align their long-term strategies with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and deliver the greatest positive social value. The aim of the 'Agenda 2030 Compass' is to ensure that products, services and infrastructure are sustainable throughout their lifecycles. SEI notes rising demand in these areas. UNFF Note Suggests Actions to Advance Forest Policy Coherence, SFM 15 February 2019: In preparation for the 14th session of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF), the UNFF Secretariat released a background note that finds that the strategic plan for forests and its global forest goals and targets provide a “solid foundation for advancing global forest policy coherence” within the UN system and across the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) member organizations. The report reflects on coherence and complementarity of forest-related programmes within the UN system and across the CPF, including as a contribution to the SDGs. UN Secretariat Publishes Note on Domestic Taxes for SDGs 11 February 2019: The role of taxation and domestic resource mobilization in achieving the SDGs is the focus of a Note by the UN Secretariat. Prepared for a meeting of the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, the Note underlines that fiscal policies “have a fundamental role” in promoting many aspects of sustainable development, especially the reduction of inequality (SDG 10), through both tax policies and expenditure, and the promotion of other policies and behaviors in support of the 2030 Agenda. CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » Sustainable Innovation Expo 10-15 March 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya Fourth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) 11-15 March 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya 63rd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women 11-22 March 2019 | New York City, US 33rd Meeting of the Adaptation Fund Board 12-15 March 2019 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Advancing the Biodiversity Agenda: Ministerial Roundtable on Main Outcomes of the 2018 UN Biodiversi... 14 March 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya One Planet Summit 14 March 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya UNEA-4 Leadership Dialogue 1: Environmental Challenges Related to Poverty and Natural Resources Mana... 14 March 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya UNEA-4 Leadership Dialogue 2: Life-cycle Approaches to Resource Efficiency, Energy, Chemicals and Wa... 15 March 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya UNEA-4 Leadership Dialogue 3: Innovative Business Development at a Time of Rapid Technological Chang... 15 March 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya Preparatory Meeting for the 20th Meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Ocean... 18 March 2019 | New York City, US Towards a Global Pact for the Environment: Second Substantive Session 18-20 March 2019 | Nairobi, Kenya Blue Oceans Conference 18-21 March 2019 | Monrovia, Montserrado, Liberia Africa Climate Week 2019 18-22 March 2019 | Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana High-level Conference on Oceans: The Future of the Blue Planet 19 March 2019 | Brussels, Belgium Sustainable Infrastructure: Valuing the Cost of Risks 19 March 2019 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland Expert Workshop: Integrating the SDGs in the Business Strategies and Governance of Port Authorities 19-20 March 2019 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland 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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