Organization Economic Cooperation and Development

Highlights for Tuesday, 9 July 2019 On the first day of HLPF 2019, discussions focused on SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Posted by IISD Reporting Services on Tuesday, 9 July 2019 Four years after implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) started, the 2019 meeting of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) opened to take stock of progress, gaps, and obstacles. Inga Rhonda King, President, UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), highlighted why this HLPF session is particularly important in her opening address: it is the last meeting in the HLPF’s first cycle, marking the conclusion of the review of all 17 SDGs, discussion on four themes, and presentation of 142 voluntary national reviews; it will send messages to the SDG Summit in September 2019; it will start discussions on how HLPF did in the past four years, and what changes are needed; and it will reflect on collective progress in SDG implementation, globally, regionally, nationally, and locally. Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General of Economic and Social Affairs, introduced the UN Secretary-General’s SDG progress report, which notes that while there is progress, the global response has not been sufficient thus far. Speakers highlighted the need for more empowerment, courage, inclusivity, and equality.In the afternoon the HLPF reviewed SDG implementation and interrelations among goals, focusing on SDG 4 (quality education). A presentation on the progress made revealed a “global learning crisis”, with a low proficiency rate amongst school children in reading and mathematics despite increased enrollment rates, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Solutions proposed by speakers included not only reforms of the education sector, but a transformation of mindsets to make educational systems more inclusive; integration of the vision of SDGs, including global citizenship and sustainability, in curricula; and “dramatically” improving working conditions for teachers.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. Opening Plenary Panel speakers during the opening plenary that focused on 'How far we are from achieving the SDGs?' (L-R): Najat Maalla M'jid, UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Violence Against Children; Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General, Economic and Social Affairs; Valentin Rybakov, Vice-President, ECOSOC; Inga Rhonda King, President, ECOSOC; Emer Herity, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); Chris Skinner, Author and Commentator, UK; and Yolanda Joab Mori, One Young World Ambassador, Micronesia. Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General, Economic and Social Affairs Najat Maalla M'jid, UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Violence Against Children Chris Skinner, Author and Commentator, UK Inga Rhonda King, President, ECOSOC Yolanda Joab Mori, One Young World Ambassador, Micronesia Delegates applaud the statement by Yolanda Joab Mori who commented "We don’t need more power, we need more courage." Progress, Gaps, and Obstacles: Are We on Track for Leaving No One Behind? Panel speakers during the session 'Where do we stand?' (L-R): Robin Ogilvy, Special Representative and Permanent Observer of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to the UN; Marta Acosta, Auditor General, Costa Rica; Julio Santaella, President, National Institute of Statistics and Geography, Mexico; Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General, Economic and Social Affairs; Emer Herity, UN DESA; Moderator Minh-Thu Pham, Executive Director, UN Foundation; and Thomas Brooks, Chief Scientist, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Julio Santaella, President, National Institute of Statistics and Geography, Mexico Moderator Minh-Thu Pham, Executive Director, UN Foundation Using the interactive platform Sli.do to encourage participation from the audience, a word cloud was created highlighting the key issues that delegates think need to be discussed. Marta Acosta, Auditor General, Costa Rica Thomas Brooks, Chief Scientist, IUCN Robin Ogilvy, Special Representative and Permanent Observer of OECD to the UN Panel speakers for the session 'Who is at risk of being left behind?' (L-R): Stephen Chacha, Co-Founder, Tanzania Data Lab, and Africa Philanthropic Foundation; Jarkko Turunen, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Asia and Pacific Department, Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Inga Rhonda King, President, ECOSOC; Emer Herity, UN DESA, Secretariat; Moderator Nikhil Seth, Executive Director, UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR); and Sarah Charles, Senior Director for Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy, International Rescue Committee (IRC). Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary, ECLAC Moderator Nikhil Seth, Executive Director, UNITAR George Khoury, Vice-Chair, National Association for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (NARD), Lebanon Lucas Chancel, Co-Director, World Inequality Lab, and coordinator of the World Inequality Report 2018 Discussion on SDG 4 - Quality Education A video produced by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) was screened at the start of plenary to highlight the importance of all people, especially children, having access to quality education. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development John McLaughlin, Deputy Minister, Education and Early Childhood Development, Canada Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO Shashwat Sapkota, Statistics Division, UN DESA Moderator Henrietta Fore, Executive Director, UNICEF Lead discussants Susan Hopgood, President, Education International, and María José Monge, President, Monge Foundation, Costa Rica Lía Burbano Mosquera, speaking on behalf of LGBTI, NGOs, and UN Volunteers Kazuhiro Yoshida, Co-Chair, SDG-Education 2030 Steering Committee Manuele Bertoli, Switzerland Sam Barratt, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Around the Venue Delegates gather for the start of HLPF 2019. Inga Rhonda King, President, ECOSOC, speaks with delegates. Delegates review a document at the start of the afternoon session. Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General, Economic and Social Affairs Delegates from the Russian Federation Delegates from Zambia Members of the Women's Major Group wear blue scarves symbolizing "Austerity drop-out: life-long learning and education for all."

Highlights for Thursday, 4 July 2019 From L-R: Session Chair Asghar Fazel, ECO Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Iran; Mphatso Martha Kalemba, Malawi; Katia Karousakis, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Verona Collantes-Lebale, UN Women; Francis Ogwal, Uganda; and Basile van Havre, Canada On Thursday, participants to the Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity heard presentations on developing the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, and engaged in an interactive exercise on the post-2020 framework and what is needed to achieve the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity on "Living in harmony with nature." In the evening, participants enjoyed a concert in the Nidaros Cathedral.Francis Ogwal, Uganda, and Basile van Havre, Canada, Co-Chairs of the Open-ended Working Group on the post-2020 framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), presented on the ongoing consultation process and the Working Group's goals, targets, and milestones. They shared key messages emerging from regional consultations, including that the post-2020 framework should: be well articulated and easy to communicate; build on the current Strategic Plan; include specific, measurable, ambitious, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) targets; integrate the CBD protocols, and address synergies with other conventions and linkages with climate change; and address enablers, including means of implementation.Mphatso Martha Kalemba, Malawi, shared lessons learnt from efforts to implement the Aichi targets in her country. Katia Karousakis, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), highlighted calls for smarter post-2020 targets, building on the effective elements of the existing framework, and added that multi-country datasets could provide guidance on indicators. Verona Collantes-Lebale, UN Women, called for clear links to the SDGs, and drew attention to expert recommendations that the post-2020 framework must be rights-based, inclusive, and gender responsive, and promote effective participation in biodiversity conservation.Norbert Baerlocher, Switzerland, presented on the outcomes of the consultation workshop of the biodiversity-related conventions on the post-2020 framework (June 2019, Bern, Switzerland). Malta Qwathekane, South Africa, noted that a common agenda is essential for halting biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. Hamdallah Zedan, Egypt, indicated that the post-2020 framework can help foster coherent implementation of the Rio Conventions through collaborative work between focal points. Kerstin Stendahl, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Secretariat, presented on strategies and strategy processes in other sectors where there are biodiversity-related impacts and dependencies, with a focus on the IPCC and the chemicals and waste cluster. Akanksha Khatri, World Economic Forum (WEF) Centre for Global Public Goods, drew attention to WEF's 2019 Global Risks Report, which shows that societal and environmental risks are among those with the highest impact and highest likelihood of happening, and urged moving from a project-oriented to a platform approach. Participants discussed, among other issues: avoiding different sets of targets under the SDGs and the post-2020 framework; the importance of national-level coordination; and new technologies, including the need for transparency and a conversation on ethics and values. Introducing the interactive exercise, Neville Ash elaborated on possible ingredients for the post-2020 framework, including: vision and mission; review and accounting mechanisms; implementation mechanisms and enablers; and integration with the agendas of other multilateral environmental agreements. He also highlighted the need to address the overall structure of the framework, as well as targets relating to outcomes, benefits, drivers and enablers. Participants met in small groups to address these elements in the context of selected topics, including: sustainable production and consumption; mainstreaming; sustainable use; food and agriculture; and protected areas. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the 9th Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity. The summary report is now available in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Francis Ogwal, Uganda Mphatso Martha Kalemba, Malawi Georgina Catacora-Vargas, Bolivia Adefires Worku Gizaw, Ethiopia Session Chair Asghar Fazel, with facilitator Natasha Walker Session Chair Teona Karchava, Georgia, with Eva Degre, Norway Verona Collantes-Lebale, UN Women Katia Karousakis, OECD Mohamed Ali, Somalia Alexander Shestakov, CBD Secretariat Akanksha Khatri, World Economic Forum Kerstin Stendahl, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Secretariat (IPCC) Norbert Baerlocher, Switzerland Hamdallah Zedan, Egypt Interactive Session on the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework Jake Rice, Canada Neville Ash, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre Irene Hoffmann, Food and Agriculture of Organization of the UN (FAO)