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, 28 March 2019 GUEST ARTICLES Governments and Corporates: Driving Each Other Forward on Ambitious Climate Action The science is clear. To hold temperature rise to 1.5°C we need to urgently, and rapidly, bend the curve of global emissions. I believe most of us already feel the urgency, as each year we ourselves now experience the impacts of climate change. As youth all over the world - the future generation and future voters - are calling for bold climate action, we are faced with another clear reminder of what is at stake. FEATURED High-level Event Considers Interlinkages Between Water and Climate 27 March 2019: A high-level event on interlinkages between water and climate action convened on the eve of the UN General Assembly (UNGA)-mandated meeting titled, ‘High-level Meeting: Climate Protection for All.’ The event discussed the interlinkages between SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 13 (climate action), with speakers focusing on links between water scarcity, displacement, ecosystem services, and climate change adaptation, among other issues. Monaco Blue Initiative Explores Requirements and Benefits of Marine Protected Areas 25 March 2019: Participants at the tenth edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) discussed topics related to marine protected areas (MPAs), including the ambition and actions needed to set the scene for the post-2020 period when the current target to conserve at least ten percent of coastal and marine areas is to be achieved, the importance of ecological and social networks for ensuring the effectiveness of MPAs, and the links between MPAs and the economy of the ocean. NEWS UNEP, Partners Launch Data Platform on Water-related Ecosystems 21 March 2019: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Google Earth, and the European Commission have launched a data platform on water-related ecosystems around the world. The platform enables better understanding of changes to water bodies by providing access to satellite data and enabling comparative analysis over time. The initiative seeks to improve monitoring of progress on SDG target 6.6 on protecting and restoring water-related ecosystems. Mongolia Launches NAP to Support Animal Husbandry, Water Management 20 March 2019: The Government of Mongolia has launched its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process to strengthen climate-resilient development, with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). UNEP Report Explores Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern 4 March 2019: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) published a report titled, ‘Frontiers 2018/19: Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern,’ focusing on the most novel environmental challenges. The publication covers five key emerging issues: synthetic biology; ecological connectivity; permafrost peatlands; nitrogen pollution; and maladaptation to climate change. CSW 63 Focuses on Social Protection, Public Services, Sustainable Infrastructure 23 March 2019: The 63rd session of the UN Commission of the Status of Women (CSW 63) agreed on a set of conclusions on social protection systems, access to public services, and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. These topics are all critical in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Beijing Platform for Action. CSW Data Panel Shares Challenges, Opportunities for Gender Statistics 19 March 2019: The Chair of the 63rd session of the UN Commission of the Status of Women (CSW 63) has issued a summary of an interactive expert panel on data challenges and opportunities. The panel convened during CSW 63 to discuss priorities for closing data gaps, and examined good practices and lessons learned for monitoring the SDGS for women and girls and to leave no one behind. Asia-Pacific Governments Discuss Science and Technology for Innovation 18 March 2019: The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is training government officials and non-profit professionals in possibilities for using new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and biometric recognition to drive sustainable development. In a four-day workshop in Sejong, Republic of Korea, participants from ten Asia-Pacific countries discussed the influence of emerging, "frontier" technologies on the changing nature of work, and the possibilities for governments themselves to use such technologies to address societal challenges. UNDP, World Bank Propose Indicators to Measure LGBTI Inclusion in Development 15 March 2019: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank have proposed 51 indicators, aligned with the SDGs' global indicators, as part of efforts to develop an "inclusion index" for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people. Next steps will include piloting the indicators in select countries. Fund for Education in Conflict Zones Receives USD 2.8 Million for PPP 5 March 2019: Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a global fund that enables children in conflict zones to receive an education, received a contribution of USD 2.8 million from the Dutch Postcode Lottery, its second-largest contribution to date. The donation will support a three-way public-private partnership (PPP) between the Lottery, ECW and Theirworld, an international organization that campaigns and raises funds to remove the barriers to education for children. Latin America SDG Audit Shows Need for Coordination and Integration March 2019: The Federal Court of Accounts of Brazil (TCU) led a coordinated audit on the preparedness of Latin American governments to implement the SDGs. The audit finds room for improvement in the coordination and integration of governmental actions, and it calls on Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to encourage their respective governments to fight “isolated and stagnant action,” and to adopt a culture of integrated SDG action. UNEP Report Finds “Good Progress” on 23% of Environment-related SDG Indicators March 2019: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has published a report analyzing progress for 93 environment-related SDG indicators. The report finds that “good progress” has been made for 23% of these indicators, and that it is “likely” that these targets will be met if the current trends persist. However, it warns that, for the other 77% of the environment-related indicators, there is either insufficient data to assess progress (68%) or it is unlikely that the target will be met without increased action (9%). CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS SEE MORE » 102nd Meeting of the CDM Executive Board (EB 102) 25-28 March 2019 | Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators - Ninth Meeting 25-28 March 2019 | Beirut, Beyrouth, Lebanon Land and Poverty Conference 2019: Catalyzing Innovation 25-29 March 2019 | Washington D.C., US Second Session of the Intergovernmental Conference on BBNJ 25 March - 5 April 2019 | New York City, US 13th Meeting of the CTCN Advisory Board 27-29 March 2019 | Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark Sixth Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) 27-29 March 2019 | Bangkok (Krung Thep), Thailand High-level Meeting: Climate Protection for All 28 March 2019 | New York City, US Annual Meeting of the Boards of Governors of the IDB and IIC 28-31 March 2019 | Chengdu, Sichuan, China First Global Conference on Synergies between the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement 1-3 April 2019 | Copenhagen, Kobenhavn, Denmark LatinoSan 2019 1-3 April 2019 | San Jose, Costa Rica OceanVisions2019: Climate Summit 1-4 April 2019 | Atlanta, GA, US 52nd Session of the Commission on Population and Development 1-5 April 2019 | New York City, US Sixth Mediterranean Forest Week 1-5 April 2019 | Mount Lebanon {greater region}, Lebanon Expert Group Meeting on SDG 10 2-3 April 2019 | Geneva, Geneve, Switzerland Expert Meeting on Leveraging Blended Finance for Forest Value Chains in Developing Countries 2-3 April 2019 | Rome, Lazio, Italy Third Meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group for SAICM 2-4 April 2019 | Montevideo, Uruguay 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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