Children and Youth

The World Urban Forum’s tenth session (WUF10) convened on Saturday, starting with a flag-raising ceremony in the morning. After a joint opening plenary, the Women’s Assembly, Business Assembly, Grassroots Assembly and the Urban Youth Assembly met in parallel throughout the day, while the World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments met in the afternoon.Opening the Assemblies, Mohamed Al Khadar Al Ahmed, Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport, encouraged the forum to engage in “masterpiecing” through an exchange of views and experiences throughout the week. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director, UN-Habitat, called for WUF10 to be an action-oriented and inclusive meeting, noting that implementation happens primarily at the local level.The Urban Youth Assembly produced a draft ‘WUF10 Children and Youth DeclarAction’ which calls on governments and local authorities to improve the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The Grassroots Assembly's recommendations focused on “the struggle for recognition, acceptance and learning from each other that governments and grassroots groups can do together” and suggested that achieving the SDGs and addressing climate change will require significant learning, to which grassroots groups have a strong potential to make contributions.The World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments considered: how urbanization shapes, and is shaped by, culture and innovation; how cities can maximize tradition and modernity to achieve sustainable outcomes; and the role of technology in shaping a new future for cities to achieve the global goals.The Women’s Assembly analyzed ways to plan gender-responsive cities and identified potential barriers to the effective engagement of women in culture and innovation.The Business Assembly explored four operational areas that enable businesses to contribute more effectively to the achievement of sustainable urbanization at scale, including through investment, co-creation, joint advocacy, and adopting norms and standards. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from WUF10. In addition, a summary report has also been produce in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Falah Al Ahbabi, Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport, and Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, preside over the flag-raising ceremony at the start of WUF10. Flag-bearers for the United Arab Emirates and United Nations flags at the opening of WUF10 Maimunah Mohd Sharif makes her opening remarks Violet Shivutse, Huairou Commission Arsalaan Ahmed, HSBC Amanah Siraj Sait, Co-Chair of the UN-Habitat Stakeholder Advisory Group Enterprise The audience during the opening session A traditional oud player entertains the audience. Participants take notes during the opening session. A member of the media during the opening of the Assemblies Urban Youth Assembly Panelists, moderators and partners pose for a group photo during the opening plenary of the Urban Youth Assembly. A view of the room during the opening plenary Moderator Kehkashan Basu Joyce Msuya, Deputy Executive Director, UNEP Juan Ramón Lazcano De la Concha, Vice Mayor, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands Participants listen to the discussion. Moderator Raphael Obonyo Joyce Msuya, UNEP, and climate activist Vanessa Nakate Christine Knudsen, UN-Habitat Senegalese rapper Didier Awadi Comments from the floor during the second segment of the 'Youth and the Decade of Action' high-level panel Stefan Germann, Botnar Foundation World Assembly of Local and Regional Governments A view of the room Carlos Martínez, Mayor of Soria Bernadia Irawati, United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific A participant takes a photo during the session. Arantza Leturiondo, Basque Country Xolani Sotashe, City of Cape Town Steven Weir, Habitat for Humanity Fréderic Vallier, Council of European Municipalities and Regions Erion Veliaj, Mayor of Tirana Grassroots Assembly A view of the room during a panel discussion Participants confer during the session Zuraida Kamaruddin, Minister for Housing and Local Government, Malaysia Participants convene in breakout sessions to discuss inclusion in development frameworks, meaningful partnerships, and diversity. Sheela Patel, Slum Dwellers International, makes a comment. Ann Wanjiru Mbuthia, Mlahra Community Organisation, Kenya, addresses participants. Moderator Beth Chitekwe-Biti Participants during the assembly Women's Assembly A view of the room Ana Lucy Bengochea Martínez, WAGUCHA and Community Practitioner's Platform, Honduras Moderator Kathryn Travers Around the Venue Delegates from Iran take a selfie.  

L-R: Joop Theunissen, UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs (DESA); Marc-André Dorel, DESA; Antonia Wulff, Co-Moderator; Workers and Trade Unions Major Group; Jordan Ann Chiara, DESA; Yaryna Shura, DESA; Dan Perell, Co-Moderator, Baha'i International Community and NGO Major Group; and Gwilym Roberts-Harry, DESA Highlights Key obstacles to achieving the SDGs include imbalance between public and private funding, lack of systemic thinking in governance and policy making, and insufficient support for grassroots CSOs. The reform of High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) should realize effective dialogue between CSOs and governments and create better opportunities to provide input. The UN and governments should provide more resources to grassroots organizations and consider CSOs and local organizations as partners, not beneficiaries. Organized by the Major Groups and other Stakeholders coordination mechanism, the Civil Society SDGs Forum provided an opportunity for dialogue between civil society and UN Member States, international organizations, and other stakeholders, to discuss possible responses to the challenges uncovered during the first four years of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Opening the Forum, co-moderator Antonia Wulff, Education International, Workers and Trade Unions Major Group, mentioned that the structural side of SDG implementation is not reflected enough in the governmental discussions. Co-moderator Dan Perell, Baha’I International Community, NGO Major Group, said knowledge and data are no longer the limiting factors, the missing ingredient is political will. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, noted that the SDG Summit outcome declaration highlights the role of partnerships among all stakeholders, observing that success will be measured also in the way in which the SDG implementation reaches and benefits the poorest, most vulnerable, and most marginalized segments of the population. Spatolisano concluded by emphasizing that CSO cooperation is proving its dynamism at a time when multilateralism is under attack. Systemic Analysis for the Current State of Implementation Emilia Luisa Reyes, Equidad de Genero, Women’s Major Group, highlighted the global imbalance between public and private capital, noting that far more private capital is being invested in fossil fuel production than public funding made available to the Green Climate Fund, and that women’s and feminist organizations receive only 1% of funding even though women subsidize the global economy with billions of dollars. Noting that these issues transcend national boundaries and negotiating groups, she encouraged participants to think more collectively. Gemma Santana, Director of 2030 Agenda, Office of the Presidency of Mexico, provided lessons learned from efforts to align national priorities and policy making with the SDGs, including: addressing issues as a system rather than its parts; moving from hierarchies to networks for implementation; recognizing that linear solutions are inadequate to address non-linear processes; and mapping systemic linkages between the SDGs. Roseline Kihumba, Helpage International, listed obstacles to improved inclusion of underprivileged groups, including: unequal representation and participation in decision making; discrimination and harassment, such as mandatory retirement ages and limits to medical insurance; ignoring demographic trends and their consequences for policies; lack of data disaggregated by gender, age, and abilities; lack of an integrated human life-cycle approach to decision making; and lack of high-level commitment to inclusion, equity, and equality. Participants underscored the calls for more investment by the private sector, systemic governance, inclusion, and combatting discrimination. They identified additional obstacles, including overstretched international institutions, insufficient participation, and continued work in silos. Several emphasized the need to empower women and girls and to guaranteeing girls’ reproductive health and rights as cornerstones of progress. Others noted difficulties for grassroots organizations to access funding, calling for a reorganization of global funding streams, with some stressing the need to engage regional and local governments and organizations. Key Proposals to Unlock Progress Annie Namala, People’s Assembly, highlighted the shrinking space for CSOs both at the UN and in countries. She called for making the SDG review process a peer-review process and strengthening the HLPF and the voluntary national reviews (VNR) processes. She identified key areas where governments should act in partnership with civil society: discrimination; disaggregated data, especially on vulnerable communities; and a people-centered approach to development. Maria Auma, Major Group for Children and Youth, said the failure to curb climate change and implement the SDGs is a crime against humanity. She called for acting now to save the planet’s ecosystems and for reforming the SDG follow-up framework to include major groups and other stakeholders at all levels of the review process. Adding that for “every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,” she said that the more governments disregard young people’s rights, the more they will rise up. Participants discussed, among other issues, the need for: governments to engage with civil society and other stakeholders in the UN fora, such as the CSO Forum; civil society to practice itself what it preaches to governments; finding ways of measuring progress that go beyond GDP and numbers to assess the improvement in people’s lives; progressive taxation and macroprudential regulation; binding legal agreements on corporations and human rights; and including and supporting the participation of indigenous peoples in the SDG implementation and civil society mechanisms. Other participants: cautioned that youth now have more access to violence than they have to education; highlighted the importance of volunteerism for SDG implementation; and called for including youth civil society organizations more prominently in the civil society forums and discussions. Institutional arrangements that can facilitate implementation Tove Maria Ryding, Civil Society Finance for Development (FfD) Group, stressed the need to ensure that civil society holds governments accountable for their commitments annually, starting from the national level. She advised civil society participants to push for legally binding agreements that include rights and rules under the UN, explaining that the role of the UN is to facilitate international negotiations and not flurry speeches. She warned participants not to let the new narrative on the multilateral crisis serve as excuse for governments not to deliver on their commitments. Cristina Gallach, High Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda, Spain, said the country established a Sustainable Development Council that includes representatives of civil society, the business sector, trade unions, and other stakeholders. The Council represents an effective mechanism for dialogue between the Spanish government and civil society on SDG implementation, Gallach noted, as the 50 members of the Council are further engaging and representing their networks. Joan Carling, Indigenous Peoples Major Group, said the HLPF needs to: become more substantive and discuss issues related to the structural barriers that prevent progress on the SDGs; create more space for equitable and inclusive participation, especially for rights-holders and those most left behind; focus more on policy coherence; strengthen coordination between national, regional, thematic, and global processes; and have an action-oriented outcome instead of a ministerial declaration, to reflect the discussions actually taking place at the HLPF. Mohammed Loutfy, Persons with Disabilities Stakeholder Group, recommended that the review of HLPF: stress the role of global processes to enhance follow-up steps; emphasize interlinkages; enhance effective dialogue between CSO and governments; and allocate resource to enable CSOs to participate in VNRs. One participant asked to clarify how CSO inputs are integrated in the HLPF Ministerial Declaration, with another suggesting that future CSO forums be held prior to HLPF to provide input. Participants also noted that marginalization cannot be addressed through established institutions and proposed realizing proportionate representation of marginalized groups at the HLPF. They also requested that CSOs should be full participants, rather than observers. Reflecting on the discussions, Micah Grzywnowicz, for the LGBTI Stakeholder Group, lamented the lack of action on leaving no one behind, while encouraging CSOs to help identifying groups being left behind. José Viera, for the Persons with Disabilities Major Group, encouraged CSOs to question themselves and determine what they want to do and what they are willing to undertake to change structural issues in participation. Frances Zainoeddin, for the Stakeholder Group on Ageing, lauded the successes of CSOs in supporting vulnerable people. Noting that CSOs are not only watchdogs, but also partners, she said they should be proud of what they are doing.  IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) meeting coverage, provided web coverage from the CSO Forum. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. View of the CSO Forum pleanary session Antonia Wulff, Co-Moderator, Workers and Trade Unions Major Group Dan Perell, Co-Moderator, Baha'i International Community and NGO Major Group Maria- Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, DESA Roseline Kihumba, Helpage International and Stakeholder Group on Ageing Emilia Luisa Reyes, Equidad de Genero and Women's Major Group Gemma Santana, Director of the 2030 Agenda, Office of the Presidency, Mexico Stirling Dean, United Institutions Buky Williams, ENERGIA and Women's Major Group Annie Namala, Peoples Assembly Maria Auma, Children and Youth Major Group Felipe Urbas Sinópoli, (on screen) making an intervention on behalf of the Children and Youth Major Group Roberto Suárez Santos, International Organisation of Employees Chanta Umuhoza, SPECTRA Young Feminist Tove Maria Ryding, Eurodad Joan Carling, Tebtebba and Indigenous Peoples Major Group Cristina Gallach, High Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda, Spain Jennifer Zhang, Columbia University Mohammed Loutfy, Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities Jose Viera, World Blind Union Micah Grzywnowicz, Stakeholder Group of LGBTI Frances Zainoeddin, Stakeholder Group on Ageing

Highlights for Wednesday, 11 September 2019 Group photo of CSO representatives with panelists from the open dialogue session In the morning, the Conference of the Parties (COP) held the second open dialogue session with civil society, focusing on intergenerational equity, land tenure, food security, green jobs, and migration. The session was organized around two rounds of discussions: intergenerational “testimonies for legacy” aimed at stimulating an exchange between older and younger generations on how to sustain the earth’s resources for future generations; and learning from civil society initiatives on the ground. Delegates watched a film about Yacouba Sawadogo’s contribution to restoring degraded land in the Sahel using traditional Za’i water efficient techniques. He described his motivation as “I don’t want to eat today and leave future generations with nothing to eat.” The dialogue closed with a performance by Senegalese musician Baaba Maal, who recalled the rich cultural traditions of the Sahel that pass on messages of peace and love, and the imperative to protect the land for future generations. In the afternoon, the contact group preparing draft decision texts by the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC) concluded its work. Meanwhile, the Committee of the Whole (COW) contact group on other matters finalized draft decisions on collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs) and the private sector, and continued consideration of decisions on drought and land tenure into the evening. The COW contact group on budget also worked through the afternoon and evening on the programme and budget for the biennium 2020-2021. Events on the sidelines of the plenary sessions included, ‘Towards Common Goals: Achieving impact in land-based approaches for sustainable development,’ convened by the UN Environment Programme, and ‘100 Landscapes for 1 Billion People: Towards a Strategy for Scaling Locally-Driven Landscape Regeneration,’ hosted by the UN Development Programme. The Rio Conventions Pavilion featured the Drought Preparedness Day, presenting successes and challenges of current drought tools, methodologies and policies, and featuring the UNCCD Drought Initiative and other important partnerships and frameworks in this area.For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB). IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB meeting coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from UNCCD COP 14. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from this session, which is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Testimonies for Legacy Jigmet Takpa, India; Carmen Margina, UNCCD Secretariat; Emmanuel Seck, Environment and Development Action (ENDA), Senegal; Marcos Montoiro, UNCCD Secretariat; and Yugratna Srivasta, UN Environment Programme Major Group for Children and Youth, India Participants during the opening dialogue Jigmet Takpa, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, India Yugratna Srivasta, UNEP-MGCY, India Alvaro Alfaro, Coordinator for the 15th Conference of Youth (COY 15), Chile Bhawani Shanker Kusum, Society for Rural Development, India Emmanuel Seck, ENDA, Senegal, and Marcos Montoiro, UNCCD Secretariat Kwon Byong Hyon, Future Forest, Republic of Korea Moses Chabuka, Neno Active Youth in Development, Malawi Participants during the dialogue Lessons from the Ground Oindrila Basu, International Forestry Students' Association, India Sophiko Akhobadze, Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus, Georgia Juan Riet, Interdisciplinary Center for Studies on Development, Uruguay  Mathilde Bourjac, Centre d'Actions et de Réalisations Internationales, France Luke Mendes, Holy See UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw R.B. Lal, India Baaba Maal closes the session on a high note. Participants watching the musical performance Baaba Maal, Senegal, performing during the open dialogue Commitee of the Whole Juan Carlos Mendoza, Managing Director, Global Mechanism; Marcos Montoiro, UNCCD Secretariat; and Pradeep Monga, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNCCD Secretariat Christina Blank, Switzerland Francisco Rilla, Ramsar Convention Secretariat Nathalie van Haren, Both ENDS Luo Jiajia, China Green Foundation Bernardo Macke, Brazil Juan Carlos Mendoza, Managing Director, Global Mechanism, and Sasha Alexander, UNCCD Secretariat Around the Venue

Events Covered on Wednesday, 17 July 2019 Marion Jansen, International Trade Centre (ITC) The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services on Wednesday, 17 July 2019: Key Conditions for the Completion of Fundamental Education in Cameroon: Reforms to be Undertaken Trade and Sustainable Development: Progress and the Way Forward Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Key Conditions for the Completion of Fundamental Education in Cameroon: Reforms to be Undertaken Presented by the Permanent Mission of Cameroon to the UN and UN-Cameroon Room view during the side event Key messages: Significant progress has been made in Cameroon with regard to the expansion of access and reduction of gender disparities in schools; A new education sector strategy, aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, is under elaboration. However, low retention of students and professors stand as impediments to the achievement of the universal education principle; and Education standards are affected by: qualitative and quantitative inadequacy of the required infrastructure; and insufficiency of teachers, notably to ensure inclusive education for children with disabilities. The event was convened to debate and gather suggestions for the completion of fundamental education reforms in Cameroon, fulfilling its commitment to the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs. Event Summary: Jean Tchoffo, Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development of Cameroon, moderated the panel. Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development of Cameroon, shared the experiences of his country in increasing universal access to primary education. He highlighted key aspects of education reforms, notably promoting free tuition for primary education and free distribution of revised textbooks. As main challenges, he underscored, in particular, the low retention rate and overall insufficiency of teachers. Underlining that education “is not just a matter for governments,” he urged for more partnerships and support from all stakeholders to promote universal education. Allegra Maria Del Pilar Baiocchi, UN Development and Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon, noted quality and inclusive education as a foundation for sustainable development. She explained how the UN has been supporting Cameroon by financing and stimulating: the establishment of institutional and legal frameworks; the adoption of evidence-based approach; the strengthening of curriculum, based on skills which match market needs; and the increase in the number and quality of teachers. She lamented security threats due to terrorism, noting that “education is under attack” in some areas in Cameroon, calling for more financial support to overcome these challenges. Joseph Oye, Sightsavers, spoke on inclusive education, highlighting actions to improve education for displaced children, refugees, and children with disabilities. He observed that civil society works to ensure equality and accessible education, noting that, in Cameroon, many organizations are working on SDG 4 (education). He stressed that his organization safeguards children’s education but that data gaps and the lack of teacher’s specialization, for example on children with disabilities, remain bottlenecks. He concluded that education is key for economic empowerment and more tolerant societies. During the ensuing discussion, panelists underlined that education has been increasingly perceived as an urgent matter and emphasized that data disaggregation is key. Baiocchi underscored education as a top priority for donors, on par with food access and emergencies, noting the creation of the global fund “Education cannot wait.” Mey closed the event recalling that policy development, implementation, and monitoring are critical steps toward education for all, emphasizing that data is essential for policy elaboration and that funding, as well as human resources, are crucial for policy implementation. Drawing attention to the strong integrative aspect of all SDGs, he stressed the importance of participatory approach to foster education, stating that education is a human right. Event conclusions: Overall, the event focused on access and quality of education, as well as on equity, in terms of inclusiveness. Many participants congratulated Cameroon for its proactive efforts to support education. Questions included doubts about details on gender-disaggregated data, notably related to female disabled students, and methods to enhance the implementation of the SDGs in an integrated manner. Why Does it Matter: The HLPF 2019 offers a chance to evaluate how countries are responding to the challenges of the SDGs’ implementation. Access to education was highlighted as a major challenge in Cameroon. The event demonstrated that reforms at multiple levels are still needed, notably to sensitize donors, governments and civil society about the urgency of investing in education. Panelists, shared relevant experiences, including on inclusive education, showcasing how Cameroon is promoting people empowerment and the reduction of inequities. Leaving no one behind; addressing trade-offs through policy integration; and pursuing global partnerships, as means of implementation, are key elements determining the success of the SDGs. Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning & Regional Development, Cameroon Jean Tchoffo, Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development of Cameroon Joseph Oye, Sightsavers Allegra Maria Del Pilar Baiocchi, UN Development and Humanitarian Coordinator in Cameroon Participants interacting during the Q&A session. CONTACT Serge Pamphile Mezang Akamba | mezangakamba@yahoo.fr MORE INFORMATION cm.one.un.org Trade and Sustainable Development: Progress and the Way Forward Joint event presented by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) From L-R: Yonov Frederick Agah, World Trade Organization (WTO); Isabelle Durant, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Marion Jansen, ITC; and Eduardo Porter, The New York Times Key messages: Trade is a means of implementation for the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Trade can contribute to developing countries’ endeavours to achieve sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, but more concerted actions are required; and The Geneva Trade Hub agencies (UNCTAD, ITC and WTO) are adopting a joint new website that will provide comprehensive and detailed information on the progress of the trade-related SDG targets. The objective of this side event was to discuss policy areas that require the attention of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in the coming years and to formulate recommendations on ways to accelerate progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At this event, the Geneva Trade Hub agencies also announced their joint new website initiative on trade-related SDG targets, which will be online by the end of the year. Event summary: Eduardo Porter, The New York Times, moderated the panel. Yonov Frederick Agah, WTO, informed that the WTO published a report titled “Mainstreaming trade to attain the SDGs” to help Member States understand the role trade plays for the implementation of the SDGs. Highlighting that multilateral reform is key for more inclusive, equitable, and transparent engagement toward SDGs, he explained areas of WTO reform that can potentially contribute to achieving sustainable development by: addressing impasses in the appellate body; improving the regulatory work of the WTO for improved transparency and notification of trade policies; and advancing negotiations in the WTO, in particular on fisheries subsidies, as they impact social and environmental policies. Isabelle Durant, UNCTAD, said it is misplaced to classify trade as unfair noting that during the last 30 years globalization produced inequalities, but it also reduced the number of people globally suffering from hunger. To increase the positive role of trade, she highlighted that it is necessary to: adopt better regulations and policies; strengthen multilateralism; reinforce dispute settlement mechanisms; and address climate change effects on trade. Noting that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can make a positive impact on 60% of the individual SDG targets, Marion Jansen, ITC, shared information on how the ITC assists SMEs to reduce the negative perception of trade by facilitating their access to  market, finance, and new technologies. She also highlighted that ITC helps strengthen the financial and managerial capacity of women entrepreneurs. Modest Mero, Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the UN in Geneva, underscored the need to mainstream trade into national and sector strategies to achieve the SDGs, highlighting the growth of inequalities due to globalization. Mauricio Trujillo, UN Major Group for Children and Youth, highlighted the need to revise current economic models and put economic reforms in place to achieve the SDGs, suggesting changing the incentives that evaluate economic growth, such as the gross domestic product (GDP). He recommended further attention to equity and human rights in trade regulations. Noting the absence of a representative of the private sector on the panel, he proposed that trade rules take into account the effects of digitalization, calling for mutual cooperation to ensure action against climate change and sustainable development. In the ensuing debate, panelists highlighted that: a regional approach for the SMEs facilitates their insertion into the global trading system; there is urgency to promote a “systemic change”; there’s a need to support fair competition in trade and explore solutions for better regulations, in particular, for global financial markets and data; there is also urgency to fill the gaps and complete the existing agendas of the WTO to rebalance social inequalities. Event conclusions: The discussion focused on how trade can contribute to equitable and sustainable development. Participants recalled how some countries, such as China, have benefited from a free trade to achieve a middle-income status. However, current trade controversies provide a reminder that trade “brings losers as well,” creating anger and conflicts among nations. Panelists revived discussions about current global institutional architectures and highlighted how the Geneva Trade Hub agencies have collaborated and invested in measures, such as trade related indicators to achieve the SDGs. Participants agreed that it is key to strengthen the multilateral systems to continue supporting SDGs and to combat poverty, in particular. Raúl Torres, WTO, and Miho Shirotori, UNCTAD Eduardo Porter, The New York Times Isabelle Durant, UNCTAD Yonov Frederick Agah, WTO Marion Jansen, ITC Mauricio Trujillo, UN Major Group for Children and Youth Modest Mero, Permanent Representative of Tanzania to the UN CONTACT Raúl Torres | raul.torres@wto.org MORE INFORMATION www.wto.org

Highlights for Friday, 12 July 2019 As HLPF focused on SDG 13 (climate action), members of civil society demonstrate outside the UN Headquarters, saying 'we need you to wake up, we need you to rise up.' Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Friday, 12 July 2019 As the first week of HLPF 2019 drew to a close, two sessions reviewed the implementation and interrelations among Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), on SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). In the discussion on SDG 13, Luis Alfonso de Alba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Action Summit, pleaded with governments to bring ambitious plans to the Summit, to deliver a 45% reduction of emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Carolina Schmidt, Minister of Environment, Chile, and President-designate of the 2019 Climate Conference identified seven priorities for the Conference: ambition in implementation; rules for the carbon market mechanisms; climate finance; science for climate solutions; adaptation and loss and damage; forests and food security; and oceans and climate change. Gender will be a crosscutting theme for all the issues, she said. In the discussion on SDG 16, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) reported no substantial progress on SDG 16 targets in recent years, with thousands at greater risk of intentional murder, aggression, and sexual violence. Women comprise 70% of the victims of violence, and murders of human rights defenders increased by 2 victims per week in 2018 compared to 2017. Speakers called for involving women, youth, and children in policy-making related to SDG 16; promoting non-discriminatory policies; instituting and enacting policies to protect human right defenders; and putting technology at the center of enhancing institutional capacity.A brief session in the morning also discussed the 2019 report of the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Forum, which called for strengthened capacity and policies for development of STI roadmaps, and for tackling the fragmented nature of official development assistance for STI. Speakers said the UN General Assembly should be requested to report on progress of the Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM); member states should include STI in their voluntary national reviews (VNRs); and indigenous knowledge and citizen science should be considered as part of STI.For more details on the day's events and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and daily reports from HLPF 2019. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary and analysis report from the meeting, which is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Discussion on SDG 13 – Climate Action Plenary is filled to capacity as delegates participate in the discussion on SDG 13 (climate action). Luis Alfonso de Alba, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Action Summit Carolina Schmidt, Minister of the Environment, Chile, and COP 25 President Moderator Ovais Sarmad, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Deputy Executive Secretary Leena Srivastava, Co-Chair, UN Secretary-General’s Science Advisory Group for Climate Summit Omar Hilale, Vice-President, ECOSOC Javier Manzanares, Deputy Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF) Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner, New York City Mayor’s Office for International Affairs Zhao Dong, Chairman, Xiamen Airlines, China Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) Dimakatso Sekhoto, World Farmers' Organization (WFO), and Farmers Major Group Johanna Lissinger Peitz, Sweden Mainassara Assouman, Niger Amatlain Elizabeth Kabua, Permanent Representative of the Marshall Islands to the UN Report of the STI Forum Panel speakers discussed key findings and recommendations for the STI Forum, international collaborations needed, and how to best mobilize STI to improve the lives of those furtherest behind. Marie Chatardová, Co-Chair, STI Forum Elizabeth Thompson, Co-Chair, STI Forum Yushi Torigoe, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Kazuhiko Takeuchi, President, Institute for Global Environment Strategies, Japan Vaughan Turekian, Co-Chair, 10-Member Advisory Group to the STI Forum Paul Maseli, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Paulo Gadelha, 10-Member Group to the STI Forum Hasina Efunyemi, Women's Major Group Discussion on SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions The session included discussions on: policy reforms; local actions and strategies to strengthen the resilience of communities and institutions to best deliver on SDG 16; and how SDG 16 targets and indicators can leverage human rights norms, standards, and analytical approaches to inform the measurement, monitoring, and implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Vibeke Oestreich Nielsen, Statistics Division, UN DESA Laura Chinchilla, former President of Costa Rica, and Vice President, Club de Madrid Emanuela del Re, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Italy Gabriela Cuevas Barron, President, Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Ahona Paul, Cambodia, and Charles Young, Jamaica, Children and Youth Representatives on ending violence against children Maria Fernanda Rodriguez, Vice-Minister of Justice, Argentina Abdoulie Janneh, Executive Director, Mo Ibrahim Foundation Widya Sadnovic, Indonesia Marina de Paiva, NGO Major Group Lead Discussants Edward Thomas Porokwa, Executive Director, Pastoralists Indigenous NGO’s Forum, and Harib Al Amimi, President, State Audit Institution, UAE Climate Strike As discussions about climate action continue inside the UN Headquarters, members of civil society join in the Fridays for Future movement and demonstrate outside, calling on global leaders to take immediate action to solve the climate crisis. Around the Venue Carolina Schmidt, Minister of the Environment, Chile; Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary; and Omar Hilale, Vice-President, ECOSOC Omar Hilale, Vice-President, ECOSOC, consults with Marie Chatardová, Co-Chair, STI Forum Laura Chinchilla, former President of Costa Rica (left), speaks with delegates Ayman Cherkaoui, Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment Delegates between sessions A delegate visits the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) website to keep track of the meeting's proceedings