The HLPF held a dialogue with civil society representatives during the morning. Twelve VNRs were presented during morning and afternoon sessions.
Some noted that, with the Major Groups celebrating their 30th anniversary at the UN, it was only fitting that Tuesday morning’s discussions began by spotlighting the role of civil society in helping to deliver the 2030 Agenda.
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Panelists stressed, inter alia, “there is no peace without sustainable development and no sustainable development without peace.” They also noted the need for: Member States to fulfil their UN funding commitments and to prevent “corporate capture such as UN Women’s partnering with Blackrock”; integrating volunteering into national plans; and political will, courage, and cooperation to achieve the SDGs.
Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGoS) Coordination Mechanism Co-Chair, Ajay Jha, Director, Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society, India, concluded the discussion noting that “the world is burning” and expressed concern that the UN conference rooms do not reflect this urgency. He called for unprecedented efforts to implement the SDGs, a stronger UN and multilateralism, and implementation of right-based approaches.
VNRs were presented by eSwatini, The Gambia, Belarus, Greece, Mali, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Eritrea, Argentina, Ghana, Latvia, the Philippines, and Switzerland. Most VNR presentations focused on the SDGs under review by this HLPF on education, gender, the ocean, biodiversity, land and forests, and partnerships.
Following the presentations, some commented on the hard-hitting questions from observers. Inquiries on a presenting country’s status as a tax haven, the need for another to safeguard labor rights, another’s need to strengthen its protection of human rights, and another’s lack of disaggregated data in its reporting helped showcase the vital watchdog function of civil society in holding governments to account in their implementation and monitoring of the SDGs.
All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For HLPF 2022, please use: Photo by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth.
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Vision of Civil Society: Leaving No One Behind in Recovering Better
Delegates gather for the session on the vision of civil society
Mabel Bianco, President, Foundation for Studies and Research on Women, and Co-Chair, Coordination Mechanism of Major Groups and other Stakeholders
Ajay Jha, Director, Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON), India, and Co-Chair, Coordination Mechanism of Major Groups and other Stakeholders
Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs
Wezzie Chimwala, Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO)
Wali Haider, Focal Point, Farmers' Major Group at UNEP, and Co-Chair, Asia Pacific CSO Regional Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM)
Emilia Reyes, Gender Equality, Citizenship, Work and Family
Svetlana Slesarenok, Founder and Director, Black Sea Women’s Club, Ukraine
Saad Alfarargi, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development
Brahim Bilal Ramdhane, Stakeholder Group for Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent
Denison Jayasooria, Head of the Secretariat, All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on SDGs (APPGM-SDG)
Delegates take photos of the speakers
Delegates applaud the notion of including civil society in achieving the SDGs
Robin Creswick Fenley, Stakeholder Group on Ageing
Hua Chenghang, China
Songelael Shilla, Tanzania
Marielos de Rueda, Guatemala
Voluntary National Reviews
12 countries presented their VNRs throughout the day
A slide from Latvia's VNR highlights that sustainable development is not achievable without peace
Anita Muižniece, Minister for Education and Science, Latvia
Enrique Manalo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines
A slide from the Philippines' VNR highlights their development vision for 2040
Jacques Ducrest, State Secretary and Delegate, Federal Council for the 2030 Agenda, Switzerland
Marisol Merquel, President of the National Council for the Coordination of Social Policies, Argentina
A slide from Ghana's VNR highlights their progress with achieving SDG 1 - no poverty
George Gyan-Baffour, Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission, Ghana
Delegates listen to the VNR presentations
Delegates take note of the efforts made to achieve the SDGs
Mariam Wallet Aboubakrine, Indigenous Peoples Major Group
Bjørg Sandkjær, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway
Fatou Kinteh, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Welfare, The Gambia
A slide highlights the efforts The Gambia has made to achieve SDG 4 - quality education
Irina Velichko, Head of the Directorate General for Multilateral Diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belarus
A slide highlights the progress Belarus is making in achieving the SDGs
A slide highlights the key challenges faced by eSwatini in achieving their SDG targets
Sifiso Gabriel Mamba, Chief Economist, eSwatini
A slide highlights the progress made by Greece in achieving the SDGs
Akis Skertsos, Minister of State Responsible for the Coordination of Government Policies, Greece
Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mali
A slide highlights Mali's progress in achieving SDG 17 - partnerships for the goals
A slide highlights the UAE's achievement in progressing on several SDGs
Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office and Vice Chairperson of the National Committee on SDGs, UAE
A video presentation during Eritrea's VNR highlights the impact climate change has on achieving the SDGs
Sofia Tesfamariam, Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the UN
Constantinos Machairas, NGO Major Group
Luis Madera, Dominican Republic
Around the Venue
Queen Mother Delois Blakely, activist and humanitarian
Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, speaks with delegates
Valentina Lungu, Latvia, and Pille Tsopp-Pagan, Estonia
Delegates consult throughout the day
