31 May 2016
UNGA President Highlights Proposals from SDGs Debate
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UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Mogens Lykketoft issued an informal summary of the High-Level Thematic Debate (HLTD) on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including his conclusions and observations from the event, as well as impressions and views shared by participants.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)23 May 2016: UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Mogens Lykketoft issued an informal summary of the High-Level Thematic Debate (HLTD) on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including his conclusions and observations from the event, as well as impressions and views shared by participants.

The High-Level Thematic Debate took place on 21 April 2016, in New York, US. Officials from approximately 136 UN Member States and other speakers stressed the need for an “enabling environment” to achieve the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Lykketoft’s summary notes key actions and proposals from the Debate, such as: an initiative to create disclosure standards on SDG impacts, building on climate-related financial disclosures; the creation of a global tax body hosted by the UN, to ensure universal participation of countries in setting new rules; and the creation of an advisory committee of experts from the “finance ecosystem” to assist governments and the UN system in unlocking private investment, especially from capital markets, in support of the SDGs.

Lykketoft also highlights that participants: noted the need for Member States to drive national responses to implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including through early action to establish methods of national coordination, to identify gaps in policy, institutions and capacity, and to map existing tools and reporting requirements to establish information needs; called for promoting multi-stakeholder partnerships that enable action at all levels, fostering engagement, investment and accountability for implementation of all SDGs; and said that the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) and its online platform represent an important opportunity to maximize the contribution of science, technology and innovation in the achievement of the SDGs. [Informal Summary of High-Level Thematic Debate] [IISD RS Story on HLTD]


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