UN Summits Week 2019
23-27 September 2019 | UN Headquarters, New York
SDG Summit
On the second and final day of the SDG Summit, five further “leaders dialogues” were held:
- Critical entry points for accelerating the achievement of the SDGs: Critical entry points described by the heads of state and government included fighting poverty and inequality; achieving sustainable cities and communities; promoting sustainable consumption and production; political commitment; financing; public administration systems; improved data collection; access to justice; and women’s rights.
- Measures to leverage progress across the SDGs: These included a “systematic change in thinking,” particularly in finance ministries; addressing climate change and protectionist policies; ensuring better financing for middle income countries (MICs); providing social assistance for households; providing employment; stemming illicit financial flows; awareness raising, to change mindsets and stimulate action by governments; and the transformational potential of SDG 5 (gender equality).
- Localizing the SDGs: Speakers highlighted the importance of localizing SDGs by building local ownership; addressing structural challenges, such as data limitations; including women and youth in decision-making; making adequate resources available; and recognizing the critical role of local governments, which act as first responders to which people can turn for predicable, accessible support.
- Partnerships for sustainable development: Speakers highlighted the mutual responsibility of governments and stakeholders; and the need for: addressing the root causes of vulnerability; public-private partnerships; online voluntary commitment platform; enhanced impact assessments; gender equality; meaningful and transformative partnerships to translate ambitions into action; international cooperation; and a UN treaty on business and human rights.
- The 2020-2030 vision: Speakers discussed the 21 SDG targets with a 2020 deadline, including on biodiversity and natural resource management; the need for additional finance on concessional terms; the role of robust partnerships with all stakeholders; addressing wealth concentration; ending fossil fuel subsidies; meaningful participation of marginalized groups; and the need to step up ambition as we enter the decade of delivery.
Further statements followed during a plenary session. The youth were scathing in their final assessment: “Leaders of the world, you made a bold commitment in 2015. But you are failing. We need a dramatic change of course in 2020. This is make or break for the planet.” A stirring rendering of spoken word by Ameer Brown reflected similar frustrations: “Those we look up to as masters of the masses/ have enslaved our every opinion/ Allowing us to drift from the problem and not fix it/ It’s a hard pill to swallow when we’re poverty stricken…”
For more details on the negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our report Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB meeting coverage, provided daily web coverage, reports of each of the Summits and High-level meetings, and a summary and analysis report of the UN Summits Week 2019.
Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth
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Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Leaders Dialogue 2: Accelerating the Achievement of the SDGs - Critical Entry Points
Leaders Dialogue 3: Measures to Leverage Progress Across the SDGs
Leaders Dialogue 4: Localizing the SDGs
Leaders Dialogue 5: Partnerships for Sustainable Development
Leaders Dialogue 6: The 2020-2030 Vision
Closing
Around the Venue
Tuesday, 24 September 2019
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a global call for a decade of action to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during the opening of the SDG Summit. “We must regain the trust of the people and respond to the experience of alienation generated by the current model of globalization,” he said.
The SDG Summit, which is also the first High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) to convene under the auspices of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) since the adoption of the SDGs, aims to review progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs, with just over a decade left until the target date of 2030. The opening session of the Summit on Tuesday afternoon adopted the HLPF political declaration (A/HLPF/2019/L.1).
A “fireside chat” on the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR 2019) followed. Presenting the report, Peter Messerli, Co-Chair of the independent group of scientists who produced the GSDR 2019, warned the Earth system is approaching tipping points which may be “irreversible or even unmanageable.” He listed the six “entry points” identified in the report for accelerated action: human well-being and capabilities; sustainable and just economies; food systems and nutrition patterns; energy decarbonization and universal access; urban and peri-urban development; and the global environmental commons.
Statements were then delivered on behalf of groups of Member States and participating states in a plenary session, including by the Group of 77 and China (G-77/China), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Caribbean Community (CARICOM), African States, EU, Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), and Like-Minded Group of Countries Supporters of Middle-Income Countries.
A “leaders dialogue” on megatrends impacting SDG achievement featured statements by heads of state and government, and of multilateral institutions. Five more dialogues will take place on the second day of the Summit.
Opening of the SDG Summit
Plenary
Leaders Dialogue 1 – Megatrends Impacting the Achievement of the SDGs
Around the Venue
DOWNLOAD ENB REPORTS
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| | | | UN Resources
- UN Summit Website
- Climate Action Summit Website
- SDG Summit Website
- FfD High-level Dialogue Website
- High-level Midterm Review of the SAMOA Pathway Website
IISD ENB Meeting Coverage
- Katowice Climate Change Conference - December 2018, 2-14 December 2018, Katowice, Poland
- 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2019), 9-19 July 2019, UN Headquarters, New York
- 3rd International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD3), 13-16 July 2015, UN Conference Centre (UNCC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- 3rd International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), 1-4 September 2014, Apia, Samoa
IISD Resources
- Subscription Page for IISD Reporting Services Peer-to-Peer Mailing Lists (including CLIMATE-L, SDG, SIDS-L, OCEANS-L, BIODIVERSITY-L, and Regional Updates)
- SDG Update Newsletter - A compilation of news, commentary and upcoming events published on the SDG Knowledge Hub
- SDG Knowledge Hub - An Online Resource Center for News and Commentary Regarding the Implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Linkages Update - International Environment and Sustainable Development News
Specific funding for IISD Reporting Services coverage of the UN Summits Week 2019 has been provided by the Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany (BMU) and the European Union (EU)