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Vol 21, No. 07 - July 2017
Live Facebook chat on how to combat social exclusion
Humankind has achieved unprecedented social progress over the past several decades. Poverty has declined dramatically around the world, and people are healthier, more educated and better connected than ever before. However, progress has been uneven. Social and economic inequalities persist and, in many cases, have worsened. Virtually everywhere, some individuals and groups confront barriers that prevent them from fully participating in economic, social and political life.
- What are the different political, economic and cultural aspects of social exclusion?
- What can we do to combat social exclusion?
- How can we tackle discrimination?
These are some of the questions that the online community might be interested in asking the team behind the Report on the World Social Situation 2016 (RWSS2016) in UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) on 6 July when they will be hosting a Facebook chat.
The chat will allow for a global discussion on some of the key issues in the RWSS2016, themed: “Leaving no one behind: the imperative of inclusive development”.
“This chat will give people the opportunity to engage and raise awareness about social exclusion and advocate for more socially-inclusive policies and programmes” says Marta Roig, lead author of the report.
Taking place from 11 am to 12 pm EDT, the RWSS2016 team will be ready to discuss key aspects of social exclusion and policy imperatives for social inclusion. It is recognized in the report that promoting inclusion will take time and political determination. Raising awareness about the consequences of leaving some people behind and recommending actions that governments can take to avoid doing so can help generate political will.
“The Report on the World Social Situation 2016 contains an examination of the patterns of social exclusion and consideration of whether development processes have been inclusive, with particular attention paid to the links between exclusion, poverty and employment trends,” says Marta Roig, as she welcomes the online community to join the chat with her team and the authors of the report.
Join the Facebook chat and post your questions at http://bit.ly/EndExclusion or via Twitter using the hashtag #EndExclusion.
For more information and to access the Report on the World Social Situation 2016: http://bit.ly/RWSS2016.
Join Thomas Gass in Twitter chat on the SDGs
For the third year in a row, Thomas Gass, UN DESA’s Assistant Secretary- General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, invites the online community to join him in a Twitter chat to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their potential of addressing some of the most pressing global challenges, making our world a better place. Join him on 29 June from 11:00 to 12:30 pm EDT and share your questions and comments using #SDGsChat!
“We are at a crucial moment in our collective effort to build sustainable, equitable and inclusive societies,“ said Thomas Gass. “Billions of people continue to live in poverty and are denied a life of dignity. There are enormous disparities of opportunity, wealth and power, and an alarming number of people who suffer in ways that others do not.”
But the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 transformative Sustainable Development Goals bring hope and determination within the international community that with collective action, we can transform our world and make it better for everyone.
“A most significant change in paradigm brought about by the 2030 Agenda is the commitment to leave no one behind,” said Mr. Gass. “We are well beyond measuring poverty only in GDP terms. In a manner of speaking, the 169 targets underpinning the SDGs are 169 ways of explaining how no one is to be left behind.”
“I look forward to discuss with the online community what this means,” said Thomas Gass ahead of the Twitter chat.
The chat event takes place in the lead up to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which kicks off on 10 July under the theme “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world”. The chat offers an opportunity for participants to learn more about the Forum, the apex body for countries to review and follow up on SDGs implementation.
“For two years now, I have held Twitter chats to discuss the SDGs and their realization,” said Thomas Gass. “It is very inspiring to connect with so many people from across the world, to discuss what matters most to them and ways that they can take action within their own communities. I look forward to a new opportunity for dialogue on 29 June!”
To share questions or comments with Thomas Gass, join the chat on Wednesday, 29 June from 11:00 to 12:30 pm EDT and tweet to @ThomasGass using #SDGsChat. Questions can also be shared in advance with the event hashtag #SDGsChat.
Follow Thomas Gass on Twitter
Assessing progress to realize financing for development commitments
The second annual ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up (FfD Forum) will be convened from 22 to 25 May 2017. The FfD Forum was established by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to support the follow-up and review of FfD outcomes (Monterrey Consensus, Doha Declaration and Addis Agenda) and the means of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
This year’s Forum will feature ministerial and expert segments. The ministerial segment, to be held on 22 and 23 May, will begin with the special high-level meeting with the Bretton Woods institutions, WTO and UNCTAD. It will also feature, for the first time, ministerial round tables in response to the mandates contained in the Addis Agenda for the FfD follow-up process to promote the sharing of lessons learned from experiences at the national and regional levels.
The ministerial round tables will welcome ministers from developed and developing countries, high-level officials of international organizations and other stakeholders to dialogue and share the steps taken towards implementation of commitments contained in the Addis Agenda and other FfD outcomes.
The expert segment will take place from 24 to 25 May and will focus on all seven action areas of the Addis Agenda, and other issues as mandated by Member States. It will also feature a dedicated panel discussion on the IATF report, a dialogue with stakeholders, and a briefing on progress on initiatives mandated by the Addis Agenda.
Building on the broad participation of civil society and the business sector from the inaugural 2016 Forum, all stakeholders are encouraged to actively participate throughout the Forum. Registration is now open on the new FfD website. Participation by civil society in the round tables and other segments of the Forum will be coordinated by the CSO FfD Group. Likewise, the participation of the business sector in the Forum will be coordinated by the FfD Business Steering Committee.
The coverage of the four-day meeting will be available on webcast, and on social media using #FFDForum.
For more information:
ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up (FfD Forum)
Addis Ababa Action Agenda
Monterrey Consensus on Financing for Development
Doha Declaration on Financing for Development
Building strong institutions for effective implementation of the SDGs
The UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA) will meet from 24 to 28 April for its sixteenth session at UN Headquarters in New York. The twenty-four Committee members will hold discussions on the theme of “Ensuring effective implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through leadership, action and means”.
“Transforming public institutions is essential to support the type of inclusive and integrated policies needed to realize the SDGs,” Mr. Wu Hongbo, UN DESA’s Under-Secretary-General noted in last year’s CEPA session.
“Making progress on one SDG requires making progress on the other SDGs. These inter-dependencies require an unprecedented level of policy integration among the various ministries, between central and local institutions and between governmental and non-governmental actors”, Mr. Wu said.
Many Member States are well engaged in adapting their public institutions in order to implement the 2030 Agenda. They are creating inter-ministerial coordination bodies and mobilizing ministries, local authorities, parliaments and civil society. CEPA will discuss lessons from the current changes and provide advice from a public administration perspective.
This year, the Committee will focus on the following key issues: (1) Understanding the needs of local authorities and communities and supporting and equipping them for the implementation of the SDGs; (2) Institutional leadership and the SDGs; (3) Institutional arrangements for the SDGs; (4) Development of principles of effective governance; (5) Strategies for integrated action to achieve poverty eradication: implications for public institutions.
One sub-topic to be discussed under the theme of institutional arrangements for the SDGs is multi-stakeholder approach to comprehensive policy integration. To this end, dialogue with various stakeholders such as the civil society, businesses, citizens and the scientific community will be essential to localize national sustainable development strategies. The stakeholders can help to address the integrated and inclusive nature of the SDGs.
The Committee will adopt a report for the ECOSOC with conclusions and recommendations.
CEPA was established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2001 and is responsible for supporting the work of ECOSOC on public administration and governance among Member States in connection with the internationally agreed development goals, including the SDGs.
For more information:
UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA)
UN calls for commitments to safeguard the world’s oceans ahead of first major conference
Calling for concrete actions to protect the oceans, the United Nations has launched an online register to collect voluntary commitments made by UN Member States, businesses, civil society organizations, the UN System and other intergovernmental organizations that can meaningfully contribute to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.
The Government of Sweden, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Peace Boat group, a non-governmental organization, were the first to list their contributions on the Registry of Voluntary Commitments during its launch at the Preparatory Meeting of The Ocean Conference on 15 February.
Their commitments highlight efforts to protect the marine environment, curb marine pollution and address the impact of ocean acidification. Further commitments have been made since then, by the World Meterological Organization to improve weather forecasting in polar regions, and by CALAO Luxembourg ASBL to protect the biodiversity of Cabo Verde from marine debris.
“Between now and The Ocean Conference in June, we’re expecting hundreds of actionable voluntary commitments to be registered. They must comprehensively cover all targets for the implementation of SDG 14,” said the President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson of Fiji. “These voluntary commitments will be central to the global plan to reverse the cycle of decline into which human activity has put the Ocean.”
A list of voluntary commitments from all stakeholders in driving implementation of SDG 14 will be a central outcome of The Ocean Conference, which will take place from 5 to 9 June in New York. The Conference will support the implementation of SDG 14, which calls for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources. The Conference will also result in a declaration that will serve as a “Call to Action” to support the implementation of the Goal.
“This is a matter for all of humanity,” said the Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate and the Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, Isabella Lövin. “The Ocean Conference is the opportunity for all stakeholders to make their voluntary commitments to save our ocean.”
The Government of Sweden commits to expand its marine protected areas to reach the SDG 14 target in 2017; UNEP will campaign to stop plastic pollution in the ocean; and the Peace Boat group aims to launch the “Ecoship Project”, a 55,000 ton energy efficient vessel which will set sail in 2020 as a flagship for the SDGs.
“Only by mobilizing all actors, from Governments and the UN system, to major groups and other stakeholders, can we generate the actions needed to conserve and protect our oceans and seas for future generations,” said the Conference Secretary-General and UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Wu Hongbo. “The registry of voluntary commitments will be an important tool in this endeavor.”
More than three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, today some 30 percent of the world’s fish stocks are over exploited, reaching below the level at which they can produce sustainable yields.
Oceans also absorb about 30 percent of the carbon dioxide produced by humans, but there has been a 26 percent rise in ocean acidification since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Marine pollution, an overwhelming majority of which comes from land-based sources, is reaching alarming levels, with an average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter to be found on every square kilometre of ocean.
The Ocean Conference Registry of Voluntary Commitments
Join efforts to advance social justice
Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. Promoting gender equality, advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants, or removing barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability; these actions uphold the principles of social justice.
20 February is the World Day of Social Justice, when the world recognizes the importance of these principles. It is an occasion to look at what can be done to promote the activities and efforts that advance social justice and mobilize people and governments into concrete actions.
The adoption by the International Labour Organization of the Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization is just one recent example of the UN system’s commitment to social justice. This Declaration focuses on guaranteeing fair outcomes for all through employment, social protection, social dialogue, and fundamental principles and rights at work.
Since its proclamation in 2007 by the UN General Assembly, the United Nations has marked the World Day of Social Justice with various activities and panel discussions on a range of subjects concerning social justice. As the first observance of the day came in 2009, on the heels of the global financial crisis, its main theme was “Assessing Quality and Pace of Recovery”.
Over the years, the discussions tackled many other important questions related to social justice, such as human trafficking and forced labour, inclusive growth and decent work, achieving social protection for all, as well as transition to environmentally sustainable economies and societies.
One of the catalysts for promoting social justice is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and most specifically Goal 16, to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
With the world committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the promotion of principles of social justice can contribute towards the implementation of the 2030 Development Agenda for all segments of society.
For more information:
World Day of Social Justice
Steps to Sustainability: 2017
In 2017, UN DESA will celebrate 7 decades of assisting governments in economic and social affairs. Over the past year, we have dedicated ourselves to the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the universal blueprint for creating a world that is inclusive for all.
The start of the New Year is a great opportunity to reevaluate whether there are things we can do to contribute to the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
From across UN DESA’s divisions, we have received suggestions to implement in our daily lives to make 2017 our most sustainable year yet.
UN DESA’s Division on Sustainable Development made a proposal to eat less meat. Reducing our meat intake is one of the easiest ways to quickly reduce our carbon footprint, including water usage. If becoming fully vegetarian or even vegan is too much to expect, implementing “Meatless Mondays” is a great first step to reduce our meat consumption, plus a good way to discover new recipes.
In general, being a more responsible consumer is a big step towards being a more sustainable citizen. Before you make a purchase, ask yourself the questions: “Do I really need this? What will be the positive or negative impact of my purchase?” Knowing who you do business with can mean the difference between purchasing an item that was made by child laborers or as a part of a women empowerment programme. For more information on how to be a sustainable consumer, check out SDG 12.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2016. A milestone that paves the way to make the world truly inclusive to people with a disability, if everyone takes responsibility for their own community. UN DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development encourages everyone to become acutely aware of accessibility: Look around you. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes: What if you were blind, or deaf? Would you still be able to navigate places effectively? Is this place accessible for people in a wheelchair? Raise awareness and take action if the places you go are not truly inclusive to everyone.
In 2017, the UN is putting the world’s oceans in the spotlight at the UN Conference to Support the Implementation of SDG 14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. It is a good opportunity for all of us to take a good look at how we can make smarter choices for our oceans. A good way to protect the oceans is to use less plastic. Reuse plastic bags and containers, decline plastic cutlery when ordering takeout and bring your own bag to the supermarket for produce. Plastic pollution is one of the most devastating threats to our waters.
UN DESA’s Division for Public Administration and Development Management encourages us to look at 2017 as an opportunity to create more responsible public institutions. Always being honest and transparent at work is a solid step in the right direction.
As we look into how we will shape our 2017, taking into consideration what we want to give to future generations and how we can leave no one behind will make us all more responsible citizens, and set the world on a path to sustainable development for all.
For more information:
Sustainable Development Goals
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