10 May 2019: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has shared 295 good practices, success stories and lessons learned to inspire momentum for the next cycle of SDG implementation. The SDG “good practices” gathered over the past several months are now collated into an “evidence-based stocktaking” in preparation for the 2019 sessions of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

To compile the good practices, success stories and lessons learned on SDG implementation, in July 2018 DESA invited breakthroughs and success stories from governments, UN entities, international and regional organizations, and Major Groups and other Stakeholders. The submissions were analyzed by an inter-agency team coordinated by DESA, and results are now available online. Where applicable, DESA will share submissions as inputs to the July 2019 session of the HLPF.

Each good practice provides an introduction, states the objectives of the practice, and identifies key stakeholders and partnerships. The good practices also: share information on implementation, results, outputs and impacts; reflect on enabling factors and constraints as well as sustainability and replicability; and provide conclusions and other sources of information. Users can view the Goals and targets to which the practice contributes, and search for good practices by one or more SDGs. Users can also view the resources mobilized in support of each practice.

The database presents 108 good practices in support of SDG 1 (no poverty). The ‘State Program of Social Inclusion-More Income’ from Brazil shares efforts to support the socio-productive inclusion, by work, of people in poverty to reduce their economic and social vulnerability, and increase the income of the population in a state of poverty. In Colombia, ‘Financial Education for the Old Age Protection’ promotes habits and behaviors that generate positive attitudes, and motivate everyone to save for old age and encourage a culture of saving.

On SDG 15 (life on land), the platform features 87 good practices. A good practice titled ‘SDGs in the Artic High-Level Dialogue Series’ reports on high-level dialogues conducted as part of the Sustainable Development, Polar Research and Policy Initiative (PRPI), which seeks to encourage Arctic stakeholders globally to integrate a commitment to the SDGs within their discourse, decisions and agenda.

A good practice on ‘Ecological Preservation and Poverty Relief in Kezuo Houqi, Inner Mongolia,’ shares measures to control deforestation and increase forest cover. A good practice on Liwonde National Park and the Chikolongo Community in Malawi describes efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict while improving food security and nutrition, in support of SDG 2 (zero hunger). The description notes that in-depth participation of community members in the project allowed for social sustainability and local ownership.

Through sharing these good practices and lessons learned in SDG implementation, DESA aims to inspire UN Member States in their preparations for the UN high-level events of September. [UN Webpage on Good Practices] [SDG Knowledge Hub Guest Article on DESA Efforts to Take Stock of SDG Implementation] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Call for SDG Good Practices]