As delivered Statement by Peter Thomson, the President of the UN General Assembly, at the Opening of the SDG High-Level Action Event on Education 28 June 2017 Ministers Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed Director-General Irina Bokova of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to today’s High-Level Event on Education! […]
On 28 June, a High-Level Event on Education was convened in partnership with key SDG 4 stakeholders to drive a new push for inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Sustainable Development Goal 4, education, is at the heart of the UN’s 2030 Agenda and essential for the success of all Sustainable Development Goals. National governments and the international community need to ensure quality education for all; smart, innovative measures to reach young learners, and education and training which are more relevant to addressing the social, environmental and economic challenges that face the world. Education on a basis of equality for girls and boys, women and men across all education systems and initiatives is also critical in achieving gender equality, reducing child mortality, delaying marriage and generating female leaders amongst other factors that contribute to societal progress.
Raising awareness of the new development agenda, fostering better understanding about the SDGs and their interconnectedness and promoting global citizenship, all play an instrumental role in making progress not only towards SDG 4, but also towards the entire Agenda 2030.
The event elaborated on how to advance the incorporation of the SDGs into the curricula of every school in the world.
The President’s High-Level SDG Action Event on Education highlighted the growing momentum around the implementation of SDG 4, including in the area of SDG Learning. It sought to galvanize the efforts of the world’s leading education stakeholders and to raise awareness about the obstacles and opportunities for achieving universal access to quality education and lifelong learning including through technical and vocational education and training.
The objectives of the meeting were:
The full-day high-level event was divided into four sections: opening segment, plenary debate, interactive panel discussions and a closing segment. The President of the General Assembly will present a summary of the discussions as an outcome of the event.
The high-level event included participation of the President of the General Assembly, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, High-level representatives from Member States and observers, women, young stakeholders, civil society, UN agencies, education experts, innovators and other relevant stakeholders.
The Office of the President of the General Assembly, worked with UNESCO, UNICEF, FAO, the Global Partnership for Education, the Global Commission on Education, and the Global Education 2030 Steering Committee, among others, in preparing this event. Member States are invited to contribute to the content of the event and to contact the OPGA in this regard.
Informal Breakfast Discussion Programme
Letter to Member States – Programme and Bios
Letter to Member States – High-Level SDG Action Event on Education
PRESS RELEASE President of the UN General Assembly to engage education leaders and global audience in discussions at High-level SDG Action Event on Education UNITED NATIONS, New York, 27 June 2017– Education leaders from around the world will convene at the United Nations on Wednesday to discuss ways to advance action on Sustainable Development Goal […]
On 17 May, building on the Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, the President of the General Assembly will convene a SDG Action Event on Innovation and Connectivity.
During the event, leading innovators from the major corporations of the world will interact with Member States on how emerging technologies can transform efforts aimed at the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development saw world leaders commit to 17 comprehensive, integrated and ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The world in which the SDGs were adopted is radically different from that of the Millennium Development Goals. Giant leaps in technological advances are converging to make the unthinkable possible. These advances are also raising questions on societal impact.
This Event on Innovation will provide leading innovators, thought-leaders, and technology companies an opportunity to engage with Member States and the UN system on how emerging technologies can be used to best effect and to ensure successful implementation of the SDGs. Specifically, it will seek to lay out the ground for achieving the following:
The SDG Action Event is open to all Member States, the UN system, and invited guests.
This meeting will allow the Member States and the UN system to embrace innovation and new opportunities available to drive implementation of the SDGs, and strengthen the engagement of leading innovative companies and individuals in revelent intergovernmental processes.
Summary – SDG Action Event on Innovation
SDG Action Event Innovation Final Programme
Informal briefing on SDG Action Event: Innovation
MEDIA ADVISORY The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development saw world leaders commit to 17 comprehensive, integrated and ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The world in which the SDGs were adopted is radically different from that of the Millennium Development Goals. Giant leaps in technological advances are converging to make the unthinkable […]
As delivered Opening remarks of H.E. Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly at High Level SDG Action Event “SDG Financing Lab” 18 April 2017 Honorable Ministers, Your Excellency, Ms. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, World Bank Group Senior Vice-President for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations, and […]
As part of his SDG Action Events to push for momentum on SDG implementation across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, on 18 April 2017, the President of the General Assembly is convening a high-level SDG Financing Lab.
This one-day event will highlight the critical importance of sustainable finance for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including climate action. It will focus on how to drive the transformation to align financial markets with sustainable development, as well as showcase concrete ways in which Member States can approach the financing of different SDGs.
Whereas the FFD Forum in May 2017 will review implementation of the entire Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), the overall objective of the PGA’s Financing Lab is to generate momentum for SDG implementation by growing support for the alignment of the global financial system with sustainable development and the SDGs, and strengthening the role of the UN in fostering sustainable finance, in line with Chapter II of the AAAA.
By providing a platform to take stock of what is currently being done in SDG Financing, the SDG Financing Lab aims to increase awareness among Member States of the significant business opportunities provided by the SDGs, and of different strategies to partner with the private sector in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Lab will offer opportunities for interaction between Member States and private sector actors involved in SDG implementation, with a view to fostering new partnerships and implementation initiatives.
This one-day event will comprise an opening ceremony, to be followed by two panel discussions that will set the scene for thinking and action around SDG financing. The morning will be concluded with a high-level intergovernmental plenary debate. In the afternoon, three parallel workshops will showcase concrete approaches to financing specific groups of SDGs. A summary of the takeaways from each Workshop will be discussed in a final plenary session, which will be followed by a short closing segment.
The SDG Lab will be open to all Member States, as well as accredited civil society and private sector organizations. Public and private financial sector actors will also be invited. Member State participation at ministerial level is encouraged. Speakers will include government officials, UN system representatives, CEOs, investors, international organizations, as well as representatives from civil society and academia.
At the request of the Office of the President of the General Assembly (OPGA), the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) is facilitating a process to identify four civil society or social entrepreneur speakers, as well as stakeholders wishing to attend the event as observers.
Civil society or social entrepreneur speakers to be identified for the following four roles through this process:
UN-NGLS will facilitate a stakeholder Selection Committee for the evaluation and short-listing of the civil society and social entrepreneur candidates for the speaking roles, to be presented to OPGA for their consideration. The Committee will ensure regional and gender balance, and diversity of age and expertise in the overall set of candidates. The President of the General Assembly will make the final selection of the speakers for this event.
DEADLINES:
22 March 2017 – Apply for stakeholder Selection Committee
23 March 2017 – Apply for stakeholder speaking roles
12 April 2017 – Apply to attend the event as an observer
All applications received to speak at the event, or attend as an observer can be viewed here
Concept note and programme – SDG Financing Lab
SDG Financing Lab Programme with speakers [10 April 2017]
Revised concept note and programme
UN Environment Inquiry into the design of a sustainable financial system (website) / (latest report)
Links in the Chain of Sustainable Finance (website) / (full report)
New Climate Economy (website) / (Report 2016 Executive Summary)
Business and Sustainable Development Commission (website) / (Better Business, Better World Executive Summary)
As part of the universal push to strengthen momentum on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the President of the 71st Session of he UN General Assembly, H.E. Mr.Peter Thomson is convened a three-day retreat, entitled “Catalysing New Partnerships to Accelerate Financing of Sustainable Infrastructure”. The event was held from 12 – 14 June 2017 at the Pocantico Conference Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund , New York.
As delivered Closing Remarks by Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly, at High Level SDG Action Event on “Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Agenda” 23 March 2017 Excellencies, Distinguished guests Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for your active engagement during this High-Level SDG Action Event on “Climate […]
As delivered Statement by Peter Thomson, the President of the General Assembly, at Luncheon on Sustainable Consumption and Production 23 March 2017 Honourable Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, welcome. I am very glad that you could join this luncheon. I think almost all of you have participated this morning in our Climate […]
On 23 March, the President of the General Assembly will convene a High-Level Event entitled “Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Agenda” in collaboration with the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This event will provide an opportunity to highlight synergies between Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda and to gather representatives of Governments, International Organizations, the Private Sector and other stakeholders who are advancing solutions to implementation of the SDG and Climate Change agreements.
Member States, intergovernmental organizations and entities that have observer status with the General Assembly, and United Nations system entities wishing to speak are kindly requested to inscribe with the List of Speakers, General Assembly Affairs Branch (Mr. Carlos Galindo (email galindo[at]un.org; with copy to email gaspeakerslist[at]un.org)).
UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) facilitated a process to identify civil society speakers (one for the stakeholder session and one for the panel discussion), and other civil society attendees wishing to be considered as observers for this event. UN-NGLS facilitated a civil society Selection Committee for the evaluation and short-listing of candidates for the speaking roles, to be presented to OPGA for their consideration. The Committee ensured regional and gender balance, and diversity of age and expertise in the overall set of candidates. The President of the General Assembly made the final selection of the speakers for this event. Application is closed.
All applications received to speak at the event, or attend as an observer can be viewed here
All Member State statements can be found here
Ségolène Royal – Minister of the Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs, responsible for International Climate Relations
Governor Jay Inslee of the State of Washington
Hoesung Lee, IPCC
IPCC PowerPoint presentation
Summary of SDG Action Event: Climate and Sustainable Development
SDG Action Event: Climate Change & SDGs
SDG Action Events Climate Change and SDGs
Hashtags to be used during the day are #globalgoals, #SDGs, #climateaction #ParisAgreement
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