Youth

Highlights for Wednesday, 2 October 2019 Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, Germany On Wednesday morning, participants to the Marine Regions Forum met in parallel dialogue sessions. In the afternoon, the closing plenary convened under the theme “Accelerating progress, creating new pathways,” moderated by Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG - Think Tank for Sustainability, and Sébastien Treyer, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). Keynote presentations were delivered by Svenja Schulze, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, Germany, and Bernhardt Esau, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibia.A dialogue session on “Delivering the Ocean SDG: accelerating progress” explored options for expediting integrated implementation of SDG 14 and other ocean-related goals. Karina Barquet, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), presented the SDG Synergies Approach, including a methodology and tool aiming to track how targets influence each other in positive and negative ways. Jeremy Hills, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), presented a methodology for accelerating the delivery of SDGs, including intervention scenarios developed on the basis of identified interlinkages. Participants then conducted two roundtable exercises, one to explore interactions among different targets, and the second to plan policy interventions taking benefits from the identified interactions. A dialogue session titled “Towards coherent and connected marine protected area (MPA) networks: From challenges to possible solutions in high seas governance” heard from Carolina Hazin, BirdLife International, who presented on seabird research informing conservation action and ocean governance. She showed how a number of bird species spend significant time in areas beyond national jurisdiction, underscoring the need for a coherent network of MPAs within, across, and beyond national jurisdiction. Ben Boteler, IASS, emphasized that a coherent MPA network entails representativeness, replication, and connectivity, and that currently only 1.18 % of areas beyond national jurisdiction are covered by MPAs. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed examples of existing scientific bodies and science-policy interfaces, and issues related to the negotiations on marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).In a dialogue session on the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030, Martin Visbeck, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, highlighted the Decade’s objectives, and challenges related to under-financed ocean science, weak governance, and unevenly distributed capacity around the globe. Robert Glazer, Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, and Gaetano Leone, UN Environment - Barcelona Convention Secretariat, highlighted challenges in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean regions, respectively. Participants addressed issues including: building national capacities for implementation and action; communicating ocean science; and lack of access to the high seas by developing countries.A dialogue session on enhancing the role of regions in global ocean assessments heard from Ana Tejedor Arceredillo, European Environment Agency, on the European perspective; Kyle Fawkes, Future Earth Coasts, on the First Global Integrated Marine Assessment; and Val Cummins, Future Earth Coasts, on the Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).In the closing plenary, Svenja Schulze highlighted climate change-related threats to the oceans, and drew attention to MPA networks in the high seas as a tool to increase resilience. She further pointed to the “huge risks” related to deep-sea mining and the imperative for international regulation before any activity takes place. Bernhardt Esau called for a legally binding instrument to tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the high seas, and for eliminating harmful fisheries subsidies in the negotiations under the World Trade Organization (WTO).Alexander Müller and Sébastien Treyer then presented organizers’ draft conclusions, noting the Forum’s objective was to provide an informal space for a genuine exchange between stakeholder communities. They pointed to the role of regions in filling the gap between global agreements and local action, and emphasized the importance of the regional level in supporting national voices calling for conservation in face of adversity.A panel discussion featured: Jens Frølich Holte, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway; Maria Damanaki, Global Managing Director Oceans, The Nature Conservancy; Árni Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN; Angelique Pouponneau, Seychelles’ Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust; and Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany.The Marine Regions Forum closed at 3:41 pm. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided daily web coverage and a summary report from the Marine Regions Forum 2019. The summary report is 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 Plenary Session Bernhardt Esau, Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibia Alexander Müller, Managing Director, TMG - Think Tank for Sustainability From L-R: Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany (BMZ); Angelique Pouponneau, Seychelles’ Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust; Jens Frølich Holte, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway; Árni Mathiesen, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); and Maria Damanaki, The Nature Conservancy Sébastien Treyer, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) Maria Damanaki, The Nature Conservancy Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, BMZ Angelique Pouponneau, Seychelles’ Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust Árni Mathiesen, FAO Jens Frølich Holte, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway Yvonne Waweru, WIOMSA, Network of Women in Marine Science, presented the outcomes of the Youth Ocean Professionals debriefings Patrizia Nanz and Matthias Tang, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) Dialogue Sessions Gaetano Leone, UN Environment - Barcelona Convention Secretariat Martin Visbeck, GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Alex Benkenstein, South African Institute of International Affairs Jeremy Hills, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Manuel Castillo, ESCAP From L-R: Ingo Narberhaus, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Luise von Pogrell, IASS; Ekaterina Popova, National Oceanography Centre, UK; and Piers Dunstan, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Jérémie Fosse, Eco-Union María del Mar Otero, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Célia da Conceição Macamo, Mozambique Julien Rochette, IDDRI Beatrice Yannicelli, Strong High Seas Project Jihyun Lee, International Seabed Authority Secretariat Ralf Sonntag, Pew Charitable Trusts Anne-France Didier, Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, France Sabine Christiansen and Luise von Pogrell, IASS From L-R: Andreas Papaconstantinou, European Commission; Kristina Gjerde, IUCN; and Thembile Elphus Joyini, South African Permanent Mission to the UN The organizing team behind the 2019 Marine Regions Forum

L-R: Joop Theunissen, UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs (DESA); Marc-André Dorel, DESA; Antonia Wulff, Co-Moderator; Workers and Trade Unions Major Group; Jordan Ann Chiara, DESA; Yaryna Shura, DESA; Dan Perell, Co-Moderator, Baha'i International Community and NGO Major Group; and Gwilym Roberts-Harry, DESA Highlights Key obstacles to achieving the SDGs include imbalance between public and private funding, lack of systemic thinking in governance and policy making, and insufficient support for grassroots CSOs. The reform of High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) should realize effective dialogue between CSOs and governments and create better opportunities to provide input. The UN and governments should provide more resources to grassroots organizations and consider CSOs and local organizations as partners, not beneficiaries. Organized by the Major Groups and other Stakeholders coordination mechanism, the Civil Society SDGs Forum provided an opportunity for dialogue between civil society and UN Member States, international organizations, and other stakeholders, to discuss possible responses to the challenges uncovered during the first four years of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Opening the Forum, co-moderator Antonia Wulff, Education International, Workers and Trade Unions Major Group, mentioned that the structural side of SDG implementation is not reflected enough in the governmental discussions. Co-moderator Dan Perell, Baha’I International Community, NGO Major Group, said knowledge and data are no longer the limiting factors, the missing ingredient is political will. Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, noted that the SDG Summit outcome declaration highlights the role of partnerships among all stakeholders, observing that success will be measured also in the way in which the SDG implementation reaches and benefits the poorest, most vulnerable, and most marginalized segments of the population. Spatolisano concluded by emphasizing that CSO cooperation is proving its dynamism at a time when multilateralism is under attack. Systemic Analysis for the Current State of Implementation Emilia Luisa Reyes, Equidad de Genero, Women’s Major Group, highlighted the global imbalance between public and private capital, noting that far more private capital is being invested in fossil fuel production than public funding made available to the Green Climate Fund, and that women’s and feminist organizations receive only 1% of funding even though women subsidize the global economy with billions of dollars. Noting that these issues transcend national boundaries and negotiating groups, she encouraged participants to think more collectively. Gemma Santana, Director of 2030 Agenda, Office of the Presidency of Mexico, provided lessons learned from efforts to align national priorities and policy making with the SDGs, including: addressing issues as a system rather than its parts; moving from hierarchies to networks for implementation; recognizing that linear solutions are inadequate to address non-linear processes; and mapping systemic linkages between the SDGs. Roseline Kihumba, Helpage International, listed obstacles to improved inclusion of underprivileged groups, including: unequal representation and participation in decision making; discrimination and harassment, such as mandatory retirement ages and limits to medical insurance; ignoring demographic trends and their consequences for policies; lack of data disaggregated by gender, age, and abilities; lack of an integrated human life-cycle approach to decision making; and lack of high-level commitment to inclusion, equity, and equality. Participants underscored the calls for more investment by the private sector, systemic governance, inclusion, and combatting discrimination. They identified additional obstacles, including overstretched international institutions, insufficient participation, and continued work in silos. Several emphasized the need to empower women and girls and to guaranteeing girls’ reproductive health and rights as cornerstones of progress. Others noted difficulties for grassroots organizations to access funding, calling for a reorganization of global funding streams, with some stressing the need to engage regional and local governments and organizations. Key Proposals to Unlock Progress Annie Namala, People’s Assembly, highlighted the shrinking space for CSOs both at the UN and in countries. She called for making the SDG review process a peer-review process and strengthening the HLPF and the voluntary national reviews (VNR) processes. She identified key areas where governments should act in partnership with civil society: discrimination; disaggregated data, especially on vulnerable communities; and a people-centered approach to development. Maria Auma, Major Group for Children and Youth, said the failure to curb climate change and implement the SDGs is a crime against humanity. She called for acting now to save the planet’s ecosystems and for reforming the SDG follow-up framework to include major groups and other stakeholders at all levels of the review process. Adding that for “every action there is an equal and opposite reaction,” she said that the more governments disregard young people’s rights, the more they will rise up. Participants discussed, among other issues, the need for: governments to engage with civil society and other stakeholders in the UN fora, such as the CSO Forum; civil society to practice itself what it preaches to governments; finding ways of measuring progress that go beyond GDP and numbers to assess the improvement in people’s lives; progressive taxation and macroprudential regulation; binding legal agreements on corporations and human rights; and including and supporting the participation of indigenous peoples in the SDG implementation and civil society mechanisms. Other participants: cautioned that youth now have more access to violence than they have to education; highlighted the importance of volunteerism for SDG implementation; and called for including youth civil society organizations more prominently in the civil society forums and discussions. Institutional arrangements that can facilitate implementation Tove Maria Ryding, Civil Society Finance for Development (FfD) Group, stressed the need to ensure that civil society holds governments accountable for their commitments annually, starting from the national level. She advised civil society participants to push for legally binding agreements that include rights and rules under the UN, explaining that the role of the UN is to facilitate international negotiations and not flurry speeches. She warned participants not to let the new narrative on the multilateral crisis serve as excuse for governments not to deliver on their commitments. Cristina Gallach, High Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda, Spain, said the country established a Sustainable Development Council that includes representatives of civil society, the business sector, trade unions, and other stakeholders. The Council represents an effective mechanism for dialogue between the Spanish government and civil society on SDG implementation, Gallach noted, as the 50 members of the Council are further engaging and representing their networks. Joan Carling, Indigenous Peoples Major Group, said the HLPF needs to: become more substantive and discuss issues related to the structural barriers that prevent progress on the SDGs; create more space for equitable and inclusive participation, especially for rights-holders and those most left behind; focus more on policy coherence; strengthen coordination between national, regional, thematic, and global processes; and have an action-oriented outcome instead of a ministerial declaration, to reflect the discussions actually taking place at the HLPF. Mohammed Loutfy, Persons with Disabilities Stakeholder Group, recommended that the review of HLPF: stress the role of global processes to enhance follow-up steps; emphasize interlinkages; enhance effective dialogue between CSO and governments; and allocate resource to enable CSOs to participate in VNRs. One participant asked to clarify how CSO inputs are integrated in the HLPF Ministerial Declaration, with another suggesting that future CSO forums be held prior to HLPF to provide input. Participants also noted that marginalization cannot be addressed through established institutions and proposed realizing proportionate representation of marginalized groups at the HLPF. They also requested that CSOs should be full participants, rather than observers. Reflecting on the discussions, Micah Grzywnowicz, for the LGBTI Stakeholder Group, lamented the lack of action on leaving no one behind, while encouraging CSOs to help identifying groups being left behind. José Viera, for the Persons with Disabilities Major Group, encouraged CSOs to question themselves and determine what they want to do and what they are willing to undertake to change structural issues in participation. Frances Zainoeddin, for the Stakeholder Group on Ageing, lauded the successes of CSOs in supporting vulnerable people. Noting that CSOs are not only watchdogs, but also partners, she said they should be proud of what they are doing.  IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) meeting coverage, provided web coverage from the CSO Forum. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. View of the CSO Forum pleanary session Antonia Wulff, Co-Moderator, Workers and Trade Unions Major Group Dan Perell, Co-Moderator, Baha'i International Community and NGO Major Group Maria- Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, DESA Roseline Kihumba, Helpage International and Stakeholder Group on Ageing Emilia Luisa Reyes, Equidad de Genero and Women's Major Group Gemma Santana, Director of the 2030 Agenda, Office of the Presidency, Mexico Stirling Dean, United Institutions Buky Williams, ENERGIA and Women's Major Group Annie Namala, Peoples Assembly Maria Auma, Children and Youth Major Group Felipe Urbas Sinópoli, (on screen) making an intervention on behalf of the Children and Youth Major Group Roberto Suárez Santos, International Organisation of Employees Chanta Umuhoza, SPECTRA Young Feminist Tove Maria Ryding, Eurodad Joan Carling, Tebtebba and Indigenous Peoples Major Group Cristina Gallach, High Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda, Spain Jennifer Zhang, Columbia University Mohammed Loutfy, Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities Jose Viera, World Blind Union Micah Grzywnowicz, Stakeholder Group of LGBTI Frances Zainoeddin, Stakeholder Group on Ageing

The event organized by the UN University (UNU), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and the X.SDG Lab presented Japan’s revised guiding principles for SDG implementation, which resulted from a multi-stakeholder conference. It also highlighted the SDG implementation experiences of Canada and Germany, as well as efforts by Japanese companies and cities to contribute to achieving the Goals. L-R: Norichika Kanie, Keio University; Masatada Kobayashi, Co-Founder and Chief Well-being Officer, Rakuten; Chikako Miyata, All Nippon Airways (ANA); Aya Yoshida, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan; Emmanuel Mulbah Johnson, Assistant Minister for Youth Development, Liberia; Stefan Jungcurt, IISD; and Nobuo Inohana, City of Shizuoka, Japan Highlights Japan will use the insights from a recent multi-stakeholder consultation to revise its guiding principles and deepen its efforts on SDG implementation. While Canada is focused more on the social aspects of the SDGs, Germany places emphasis on the environmental aspects, with less emphasis on issues like gender equality and poverty eradication. Major Japanese companies are reviewing their practices to contribute to SDG implementation. Norichika Kanie, Keio University, said Keio University released a white paper on SDGs for Japan and held a conference on revising the SDG implementation guiding principles, which brought together more than 200 stakeholders. To date, he noted, the review of Japan’s domestic policies has revealed that extending Japan’s existing policies will not lead to the SDGs achievement. He further mentioned that Japan’s newly identified eight guiding principles for SDG implementation are: Empowering all people; Achieving good health and longevity; Creating market growth, revitalizing rural areas, and promoting technological innovation; Promoting sustainable and resilient land use, and quality infrastructure; Energy conservation, renewable energy, climate change measures, and sound material-cycle society; Conserving the environment, including biodiversity, forests, and oceans; Achieving peaceful, safe, and secure societies; and Strengthening the means and frameworks for SDG implementation. Aya Yoshida, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan, said since 2016, the Prime Minister has organized a meeting with all Ministers twice a year to discuss SDG implementation, and that the government will use the insights from multi-stakeholder consultations to deepen Japan’s efforts to implement the SDGs. Stefan Jungcurt, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), mentioned that the Canadian government established an SDG unit under the Department for Economic and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in 2018, and allocated funding for Statistics Canada to help the national statistical office evaluate Canada’s performance on the SDGs and their targets. He said the Canadian government also provided funding to civil society organizations to conduct consultations on needs and priorities regarding the SDGs, which led to a report titled ‘Towards Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy.’ The publication will serve as the base for Canada’s national strategy for SDG implementation to be launched in the beginning of 2020. Speaking briefly on the situation of SDG implementation in Germany as well, Jungcurt mentioned that while Canada is focused more on the social aspects of the SDGs, Germany places emphasis on the environmental aspects, with less emphasis on issues like gender equality or poverty eradication. Chikako Miyata, All Nippon Airways (ANA), said ANA reviewed how the company’s practices can contribute to SDG implementation and found that it could support human rights aspects of the Goals through strengthening measures for tracing and preventing human trafficking on flights and supporting the rights of migrant workers in Japan. She added that, in order to promote awareness of the SDGs, during the 74th UN General Assembly (UNGA) high-level week, all ANA flight attendants and staff will wear the SDGs safety pins. Masatada Kobayashi, Rakuten, said Rakuten has also reviewed how the company’s practices can contribute to SDG implementation and chose to focus on four areas: accelerating social innovation; realizing sustainable consumption; making the local community sustainable; and investing in disaster relief and humanitarian aid. He noted that, in order to realize sustainable consumption, Rakuten introduced socially and environmentally conscious products to over 100 million Rakuten users and promoted articles aimed at mainstreaming the concept of “sustainable shopping.” Nobuo Inohana, Shizuoka City, said that starting 2018, Shizuoka began incorporating SDGs into five priority projects: creating the activity base of a historical culture (SDG 16 on peace, justice, and strong institutions); creating the activity base of a maritime culture (SDG 14 on life below water); creating the activity base of an education culture (SDG 4 on quality education); promoting a city of health and longevity (SDG 3 on good health and well-being); and promoting the city as a theater (SDG 8 on decent growth and economic growth). He noted that the city is working on the conservation of the regional maritime environment and the development of human resources for research on marine biodiversity. Inohana added that, in partnership with the private sector and academic institutions, Shizuoka is also promoting maritime-related industries to attract an influx of non-resident population and contribute to the revitalization of the regional economy. In the ensuing discussion, Emmanuel Mulbah Johnson, Assistant Minister for Youth Development, Liberia, thanked participants for the knowledge-sharing facilitated by the event and called for support to create employment opportunities for the youth in Liberia. Other participants addressed issues related to, inter alia: how to balance profitability and sustainability; ways to promote SDG implementation in countries where companies operate beyond their headquarters; and SDG “domestication” for Africa. IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) meeting coverage, provided web coverage from the side event on Essence for Successful Actions towards Achieving the SDGs. Photos by IISD/ENB | Francis Dejon For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Cosmo Takagi, Keio University, moderated the event Norichika Kanie, Keio University Aya Yoshida, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan Stefan Jungcurt, IISD Chikako Miyata, All Nippon Airways (ANA) Nobuo Inohana, City of Shizuoka, Japan Masatada Kobayashi, Co-Founder and Chief Well-being Officer, Rakuten L-R: Norichika Kanie, Keio University; Masatada Kobayashi, Co-Founder and Chief Well-being Officer, Rakuten; Aya Yoshida, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan; Stefan Jungcurt, IISD; and Nobuo Inohana, City of Shizuoka, Japan Chikako Miyata, ANA, responding to questions from participants. Emmanuel Mulbah Johnson, Assitant Minister for Youth Development, Liberia Masatada Kobayashi, Co-Founder and Chief Well-being Officer, Rakuten, answering questions from event participants. L-R: Hiroshi Ishida, Caux Round Table; Chikako Miyata, ANA; and Stefan Jungcurt, IISD CONTACT Cosmo Takagi | cosmo@sfc.keio.ac.jp MORE INFORMATION https://ungaguide.com/listing/essence-for-successful-actions-towards-achieving-the-sdgs/