Children and Youth

Highlights for Thursday, 11 July 2019 A delegate takes notes on the third day of HLPF 2019 as discussions focused on perspectives of society, the science-policy interface, and a review of SDG 10 - reduced inequalities. Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Thursday, 11 July 2019 HLPF 2019 continued into its third day with a thematic review on empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality, focused on the perspectives of society. Interventions by women and stakeholders were noticeably predominant in this session, which addressed four issues: guiding principles for strengthening the follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda, including HLPF reform; integration with other crosscutting and thematic processes such as Financing for Development (FfD), Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Forum, Committee on World Food Security (CFS), and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction; strengthening the interplay between global and regional processes; and ensuring vibrant participation and effective dialogue in the voluntary national review (VNR) process at national and global levels. There were calls for further inclusivity and space for civil society involvement; moving away from tokenism and “tick-boxing”; and honest assessments of global and national processes, moving away from “rose tinted” messages to a more critical review of progress, with space for civil society to present alternative reports. The potential of using regional spaces for better civil society engagement was also recognized. A session on the science-policy interface followed, with a briefing from the independent group of scientists on the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR). Peter Messerli, GSDR Co-Chair, noted uneven progress in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and called for integrated approaches in implementation. The value of science in achieving the Goals, and identifying challenges beyond the Goals; the importance of making science accessible; and the need for scientific institutions to be involved in policy making and resource planning were emphasized. In the afternoon, a review of implementation and interrelations among SDGs focused on SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). A statistical snapshot of SDG 10 showed that income and other forms of inequality are on the rise. Globally, the bottom 40% receive less than 25% of overall income, and an increasing share of income going to the top 1% in many countries. Meanwhile, 50% of those affected by extreme poverty are children below 14 years. The principles of “leaving no one behind” and “nothing for us, without us” were evoked as essential for achieving SDG 10. 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. Thematic Review: Perspectives of Society Delegates during the session discussing perspectives of society. Donovan Guttieres, Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY) Kira Christianne Danganan Azucena, Vice-President, ECOSOC Warda Rina, Co-Chair, Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Engagement Mechanism Pooja Rangaprasad, Civil Society Financing for Development (FfD) Group Co-Moderators Paola Simonetti, Co-Chair, Major Groups and other Stakeholders (MGoS) Steering Group, and Katarina Popovic, Secretary-General, International Council for Adult Education Jose Viera, CEO, World Blind Union (WBU) Gisele Fernández Ludlow, Mexico Flore De Pauw, Youth Delegate, Belgium Emily Mattheisen, NGO Major Group Science-Policy Interface Panel speakers during the session, which included a briefing from the Independent Group of Scientists on the 2019 GSDR. Peter Messerli, Co-Chair, GSDR Heide Hackmann, CEO, International Science Council Endah Murniningtyas, Co-Chair, GSDR Nicola Barker-Murphy, Jamaica A slide shown during the presentation of the 2019 GSDR “sounds the alarm bell” to scale-up and accelerate SDG implementation. Moderator Romain Murenzi, Executive Director, World Academy of Sciences Meera Joshi, outgoing Commissioner, New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission Stephan Contius, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Virginia Murray, Public Health England Discussion on SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities Valentin Rybakov, Vice-President, ECOSOC, convened the session, which focused on: best practices for reducing inequality; changing the narrative around SDG 10 to capture the value of equality and inclusion for multiple stakeholders; the interlinkages between SDG 10 and other goals and targets that can be leveraged to reduce inequality; and which dimensions of inequality can be lowered most or least quickly, and which groups are the easiest and most difficult to reach. Benjamin Rae, Statistics Division, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Moderator Sarah Cliffe, New York University Martha Chen, Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) Network Justice Edwin Cameron, Constitutional Court of South Africa Máximo Torero Cullen, Assistant Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Eun Mee Kim, Dean, Ewha Womans University, Republic of Korea Mayra Lisseth Sorto, El Salvador Mikael Lånström, Finland Cho Tae-yul, Republic of Korea, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends of SDG 10 Prudence Kaoma, Zambia Nalini Singh, Executive Director, Fiji Women’s Rights Movement Jane Barratt, Secretary-General, International Federation on Ageing Around the Venue Delegates speak informally between sessions Ovais Sarmad, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Deputy Executive Secretary, speaks with Zitouni Ould-Dada, FAO Abdullah Abu Shawesh, State of Palestine In the exhibition area, Peace Boat US shares information on their work to build a culture of peace around the world by connecting people across borders and creating opportunities for learning, activism, cooperation, and sustainability, with a particular focus on SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 5 (gender equality), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals). A display by 'Bridge 47 - Building Global Citizenship' highlights their work advocating for SDG target 4.7, mobilizing global civil society to achieve a 'vision of life-long education that inspires hearts and minds'.

Highlights for Wednesday, 10 July 2019 "If women stop, the world stops." As discussions focused on SDG 8, decent work and economic growth, representatives from the Women's Major Group dress in red to remind delegates about the important role women play in the global workforce. Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Wednesday, 10 July 2019 HLPF 2019 continued on Wednesday at UN Headquarters in New York. A thematic review on empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality in the morning included two sessions, on the perspectives of small island developing states (SIDS), and of least developed countries (LDCs) and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). Speakers highlighted innovations, such as a peer review system for voluntary national reviews (VNRs); and challenges, such as high vulnerability and capacity needs, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They emphasized mutually reinforcing synergies between achieving the SDGs and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway; the Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA) for LLDCs; and the Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs.In the afternoon, a review of implementation and interrelations among SDGs focused on SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth). Progress on achieving this Goal was reported as being slow, and somewhat mixed: despite an increase in gross domestic product growth globally, the LDCs are falling short of their 7% target; 22% of the young people around the world are not in education, employment, or training; and the increase in labor productivity shows a high variation across regions.Several speakers discussed the impacts of the digital economy, describing it as a "double edged sword" that empowers people but can also have disruptive implications for the future of work. The need to reform educational curricula to ensure that skills match future needs was emphasized, as was the critical need to increase women’s participation in the labor market in general, and in the digital economy in particular.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. Thematic Review: Perspectives of Small Island Developing States Panel speakers discuss the main findings from the mid-term review of the SAMOA Pathway (L-R): Yvonne Hyde, CEO, Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum, Belize; Douglas Slater, Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat; Pat Breen, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market, and Data Protection, Ireland; Mona Juul, Vice-President, ECOSOC; Lesley Brough, ECOSOC Affairs Branch; Moderator Emele Duituturaga, former Executive Director, Pacific Islands Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (PIANGO); Rakesh Bhuckory, Minister Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Mauritius; and Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General, Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). Pat Breen, Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market, and Data Protection, Ireland Rakesh Bhuckory, Minister Counsellor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and International Trade, Mauritius Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Samoa Stacy Richards-Kennedy, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago Yvonne Hyde, CEO, Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum, Belize Lois Young, Belize, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Willy Missack, Pacific Climate Change Collaboration, Influencing, and Learning (PACCCIL) Thematic Review: Perspectives of Least Developed Countries and Landlocked Developing Countries Panel speakers discuss the implementation of the Istanbul Programme of Action for LDCs (L-R): Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, UN High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS; Saad Alfarargi, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development; Jerry Tardieu, Congressman, Haiti; Mona Juul, Vice-President, ECOSOC; Ziad Mahmassani, Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM); Moderator Hope Muli, Hivos, Kenya; Ricardo Fuentes-Nieva, Executive Director, Oxfam Mexico. Saad Alfarargi, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development Richard Ssewakiryanga, Co-Chair, Civil Society Organization (CSO) Partnership for Development Effectiveness Doma Tshering, Permanent Representative of Bhutan to the UN, and Co-Facilitator of the Political Declaration of the Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action (VPoA) for LLDCs Moderator Hope Muli, Hivos, Kenya Jerry Tardieu, Congressman, Haiti Perks Ligoya, Malawi Khomraj Koirala, Nepal Chika Mercedes Ibeh, Women's Major Group; Vladislav Kaim, Major Group for Children and Youth; and Enma Catu Raxjal, Indigenous Peoples Discussion on SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth Panel speakers during the session (L-R): Peter Robinson, President, US Council for International Business (USCIB); Darja Isaksson, Director-General, Vinnova, Sweden; Mamadou Diallo, Deputy Secretary-General, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); Valentin Rybakov, Vice-President, ECOSOC; Emer Herity, UN DESA; Moderator Moussa Oumarou, Deputy Director-General for Field Operations and Partnerships, International Labour Organization (ILO); and Fu Xiaolan, Professor and Founding Director, Technology and Management Centre for Development, Oxford University. Faryal Ahmed, Statistics Division, DESA Fu Xiaolan, Oxford University Using the interactive platform Sli.do, delegates highlight what they consider to be the most important challenges and opportunities facing employment in the years leading up to 2030. Mamadou Diallo, Deputy Secretary-General, ITUC Darja Isaksson, Director General, Vinnova, Sweden Lead Discussants Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Europe (ECE); and Matthias Thorns, Deputy Secretary-General, International Organization of Employers (IOE) Anne-Beth Skrede, Norway Rodrigo Carazo, Costa Rica Around the Venue Delegates share a moment at the start of a session. Delegates from Morocco Delegates from Italy Delegates from the Dominican Republic Delegates from Kuwait Delegates speak informally between sessions. Visitors to the UN watch the proceedings of HLPF from the observation window. Celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the ILO, an exhibition around UN Headquarters highlights the importance of ensuring social justice and decent work. In the SDG Media Hub, Red, the Angriest Bird, commits himself to climate action, to the delight of visitors to the UN.

L-R: Jean D'Cunha, UN Women; Kirsi Madi, Director, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR); Amjad Mohamed-Saleem, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC); Adalah Atteereh, Minister of Environment, Palestine; Iman Rafei, Deputy Governor, Zgharta District, Lebanon; and Richard Asaba Bagonza, Kampala International University, Uganda The Africa-Arab Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) continued on Friday, 12 October in Tunis, Tunisia. IISD/RS covered a selection of sessions on: gender inclusive DRR; partnership for DRR; and DDR in a fragile and conflict context. The session on gender inclusive DRR underscored: the gender dimensions of climate change and how gender focused research can highlight the magnitude of risks faced by men and women; boys and girls; youth; people with disabilities; and other disadvantaged groups. During the session on partnership for DRR, participants considered the role of scientific evidence-based assessments for strengthening intergovernmental processes around DRR and how enhancing participatory, self-led meaningful engagement is key to successful partnerships. A special session on DRR in a fragile and conflict context addressed the global trend of increased vulnerability to disaster and how empowering women has led to environmental and social gains, reinforcing the need to empower local leadership in the absence of state leadership.In the afternoon, an Africa-Arab High-Level Session focused on enhancing coherence among DRR, climate change and SDGs for inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in Africa and Arab regions. Participants compared progress on integrating the Sendai Framework with the post-2015 processes such as the SDGs, and Paris Agreement within the Africa and Arab States, and identified common areas of interest for the two regions for future collaboration.Arab States and Africa plenary sessions provided participants an opportunity to reflect and comment on the draft Tunis declaration for the sixth high-level meeting on DRR. In the evening, participants attended a reception hosted by the Government of Tunisia. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, is provided daily coverage and a summary report from the Africa-Arab Platform on DRR. Photos by IISD/ENB | Natalia Mroz For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Working Session 5: Gender Inclusive DRR Kirsi Madi, Director, UNISDR Adalah Atteereh, Minister of Environment, Palestine Amjad Mohamed-Saleem, IFRC Richard Asaba Bagonza, Kampala International University, Uganda Iman Rafei, Deputy Governor, Zgharta District, Lebanon Jean D'Cunha, UN Women, addresses the room Working Session 6: Partnership for DRR L-R: Chadi Abdallah, National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS); Ibrahim Adam El Dukheri, Director-General, Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD); Dominique Kuitsouc, Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), African Union; Quamrul Chowdhury, Lead Climate Negotiator, LDC States; Reda Shmait, UN Major Group for Children and Youth (UN-MGCY); and Ailsa Holloway, Director, Periperi U Secretariat Ibrahim Adam El Dukheri, Director-General, AOAD Reda Shmait, UN-MGCY Quamrul Chowdhury, Lead Climate Negotiator, LDCs Ailsa Holloway, Periperi U Chadi Abdallah, CNRS Dominique Kuitsouc, ECCAS Disaster Risk Reduction in a Fragile and Conflict Context: National and Local Perspectives L-R: Nina Stuurman, International Organization for Migration (IOM); Katie Peters, ODI; Hamza Said Hamza, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Somalia; Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO; and Banak Dei Wal, Director General of Disaster Management, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, South Sudan Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO Nina Stuurman, IOM, and Katie Peters, ODI Banak Dei Wal, Director General of Disaster Management, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, South Sudan Hamza Said Hamza, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Somalia A participant intervenes during the discussion session A participant engages in discussions with panelists Africa-Arab Official Statements Damene Darota, Deputy Commissioner, Ethiopia Soltan Saad Al-Moraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Qatar Africa-Arab High-Level Session: Enhancing Coherence Among DRR, Climate Change and SDGs for Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Development in Africa and Arab Regions L-R: Jill De Villiers, Executive Producer, CNBC Africa; Khangeziwe Mabuza, Principal Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, eSwatini; Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG), UNISDR; Adalah Atteereh, Minister of Environment, Palestine; Sheikh Saleh Habimana, Ambassador of Rwanda to Tunisia; and Nada Al-Agizy, Director, Sustainable Development and International Cooperation, League of Arab States Khangeziwe Mabuza, Principal Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, eSwatini L-R: Jill De Villiers, CNBC Africa, and Khangeziwe Mabuza, Principal Secretary, Prime Minister Office, eSwatini Mami Mizutori, UNISDR Nada Al-Agizy, Director, Sustainable Development and International Cooperation, League of Arab States Sheikh Saleh Habimana, Ambassador of Rwanda to Tunisia Panelists pose for a photograph Tunis Declaration Draft Discussions A view of the room during consideration of the draft Tunis declaration by the Arab States Habib Ben Moussa, Ministry of Local Affairs and Environment, Tunisia and Amjad Abbashar, Chief, UNISDR Regional Office for Africa co-chaired the African drafting committee Around the Venue