16 July 2019
Research and Partnerships Contribute to Synergies Between 2030 Agenda, Agenda 2063 and Paris Agreement in Africa
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
story highlights

The event identified opportunities for research and partnerships among stakeholders, reinforcing SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals), in particular.

Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, emphasized the importance of investment in science and research to connect international goals.

The event concluded that sustainable development implementation requires investment in data collection to support operationalization of national development plans.

9 July 2019: An event held on the sidelines of the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) explored the interlinkages between the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs, the African Union’s ‘Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want’ and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The event titled, ‘Science to Power Sustainable Development Goals: 11 Years to Maximize on Synergies and Opportunities between the Paris Agreement and UN 2030 Agenda,’ identified opportunities for research and partnerships among stakeholders, reinforcing SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals), in particular. It also focused on ways to make progress on SDG 13 (climate action), and provided recommendations for African countries to ensure more inclusive policies.

The event, organized by the UN University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) and the UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), argued that transformative governance requires accelerating decarbonization, circularity and inclusiveness. Participants discussed mainstreaming climate change across the two Agendas, and challenges relating to water, energy, land degradation, and management of marine ecosystems.

The event concluded that: implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Agenda 2063 and the Paris Agreement remains uncoordinated between African countries; the SDGs provide an opportunity for African countries to maximize synergies; and sustainable development implementation requires investment in data collection to support operationalization of national development plans and networks that facilitate knowledge exchange.

During the event, Achim Steiner, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, emphasized the importance of investment in science and research to connect international goals, and a transformative approach to climate change.

Dirk Messner, UNU-EHS, highlighted six transformation arenas: human capacity and demography; consumption and production; decarbonization and energy; food, biosphere and water; smart cities; and digital revolution. He further underscored the four principles of transformative governance, decarbonization, circularity, and inclusiveness at local and global scales, stressing their importance for SDG implementation.

Sam Nujoma, Marine and Coastal Research Centre, University of Namibia, discussed how science has been powering SDG implementation in ocean systems, and solutions adopted in Namibia, including desalination using wave power.

IISD Reporting Services is providing coverage of selected side events during the 2019 HLPF. [IISD RS Coverage of the Side Event on Science to Power SDGs]


related events


related posts