SDSN at the 2023 UN General Assembly & SDG Summit
This past month marked a watershed moment for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as we officially reached the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda. World leaders convened in New York for the 78th UN General Assembly and the SDG Summit, resulting in a landmark political declaration where countries agreed to take concrete action and provide funding for universal health coverage, a historic agreement to strengthen international cooperation on pandemic preparedness, and the adoption of a political declaration that reaffirms Member States’ continued shared commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda. Yet, with country commitments to curb emissions and increase financing for the SDGs few and far between, all eyes will be on the upcoming COP28.
Alongside UNGA and the SDG Summit, SDSN's experts reflected on this critical moment and contributed their knowledge and recommendations to an op-ed series on how governments can achieve the SDGs in the next seven years and beyond. The SDSN also hosted key events to mobilize greater action and collaboration around sustainable development challenges with events at SDG Action Weekend on science, technology, and innovation for transformative change and science-policy-practice partnerships, the 11th annual International Conference on Sustainable Development, SDSN’s annual Leadership Council meeting, Network Chairs Meeting, and more. SDSN remains committed to mobilizing the world’s knowledge community to achieve the SDGs in the next seven years and beyond. See below for recordings and brief recaps of the events.
SDG Action Weekend: Catalyzing Transformative Change: Science, Academia, and the Journey to 2030
Host: SDSN's SDG Academy, UN DESA, The International Science Council, UNDP, the World Meteorological Organization, and Representatives of the Secretary-General’s 10-Member-Group of High-level Representatives of Civil Society, Private Sector and Scientific Community to support the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism
Watch the recording: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1p/k1prj5ljho
The objective of the event was to identify and promote concrete opportunities and partnerships for science and academia to accelerate transformations in high impact areas for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. By bringing together policymakers, researchers, academics, and other stakeholders, the event fostered dialogue, shared best practices and identified actionable strategies to advance the implementation of the SDGs. The event also helped advance commitments in the SDG Summit Political Declaration for bridging the science, technology, and innovation divides and supporting the responsible use of science, technology, and innovation as drivers of sustainable development.
SDG Action Weekend, Side Event: Accelerating Multilateralism with Transformations in Science Policy Practice Interfaces
Host: SDSN's SDG Academy, UNESCO, the International Science Council, the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN, and the Permanent Mission of New Zealand to the UN
This side event outlined the crucial role of the science-technology-policy-practice interfaces, including traditional knowledge, towards implementing effective capacity building partnerships to achieve the SDGs, and it highlighted the need for building capacity in LDCs and SIDS. It featured high-level remarks and presentations on how to develop a stronger Global Science Commons that normalizes open science, data, and OER for the SDGs, as well as how to incentivize science and innovation and build capacities in institutions in LDCs and SIDS by harnessing partnerships in the Science-Policy-Practice arena.
Educate a Child Lecture Series: Lessons from the Field
This inaugural event was a joint collaboration between the Education Above All Foundation, Mission 4.7, and the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University to build upon the global dialogue and momentum created by UNESCO’s Transforming Education Summit in September 2022. The lecture series was a space to explore the foundational, ethical, theoretical, and philosophical underpinnings of what Transformative Education entails with education ministers, world organization leaders, think tanks, academics, practitioners, and youth to set the agenda for Transformative Education leading up to COP 28.
11th Annual International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD)
Host: SDSN
The International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD), SDSN’s flagship conference, is the top academic international conference for discussing sustainable development issues and provides a forum for academia, government, civil society, UN agencies, and the private sector to come together to share practical solutions to achieve the SDGs. The conference’s parallel sessions included over 300 oral and poster presentations from researchers and development practitioners from across the world, presenting their work on topics ranging from gender equity to climate change to economic development, all focused on solutions to achieve the SDGs. In addition, ICSD’s plenaries allowed participants to hear thought provoking speeches and conversations from leaders in the field of sustainable development. Speakers and panelists included:
- H.E. President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Qu Dongyu, Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
- Donald Kaberuka, Chairman and Managing Partner, SouthBridge
- Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations
- Hiba Ahmed, Director General, Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development
- Gerd Müller, Director General, UNIDO
ICSD Side Event on SDG 5 Transformative Solutions for Achieving Gender Equality
Host: SDSN, GIZ, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Gender equality is a fundamental human right and a key driver of sustainable development. However, many challenges and gaps remain in achieving gender equality in different spheres of society, including education, health, economy, politics, and culture. Therefore, it is important to identify solutions and initiatives that can advance SDG 5 in the world, and the role of academia is crucial in this regard. SDSN’s vast network of academic institutions can contribute to this Goal by promoting equal access and opportunities in many disciplines that can foster social change and innovation. This session, hosted by SDSN and GIZ with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), showcased five gender-focused transformative initiatives selected from SDSN’s national and regional networks.
Host: Global Schools Program, Mission 4.7, and the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) at Columbia University
This side event at ICSD 2023 supported the theme: "The Midpoint of the SDGs: Global and Local Progress & Challenges." It aimed to highlight the efforts of SDSN’s Global Schools Program as well as other school communities and partners in localizing the SDGs and equipping students with tools to promote the SDGs at the local level. The event provided a platform for students from diverse regions to share their experiences, successes, and challenges in integrating the SDGs within their communities. Through a series of dynamic presentations and panel discussions, students showcased their innovative projects, campaigns, ideas, and initiatives that contribute to sustainable development and address the SDG targets.
ICSD Side Event: Critical Perspectives at the Midpoint of SDG 4: Progress, Promises, and Pitfalls
Host: SDSN’s SDG Academy, University of Hawaii, and Monash University
In anticipation of the publication of the special issue of the International Journal of Educational Development (IJED) titled ‘Critical Perspectives at the Midpoint of SDG 4: Progress, Promises and Pitfalls,’ the SDG Academy convened a pre-launch event in support of the SDG Summit at ICSD 2023. Authors from the special issue spoke broadly on their topics and shared their critical perspectives at this important moment in the UN’s development agenda. The six major themes discussed included inclusion in education; measurements and metrics for SDG 4; governance and state capacity; education as a cross-cutting theme; shocks, fragility and resilient education systems; and theoretical, historical, and onto-epistemic considerations and limitations.
ICSD Side Event: Think Globally, Act Systemically: Driving Sustainable Change at the UN SDG Summit
Host: SDSN, ARSINOE, and IMPETUS
This event aimed to address the interconnected nature of the world’s challenges by bringing together experts from various disciplines and methodologies, promoting cross-sectoral collaboration. Focusing on climate resilience, human and planetary health, and the decarbonization of cities, the event showcased how systems thinking can drive transformational change. The event featured three thematic panels that facilitated the exchange of perspectives and ideas, identifying crucial linkages and potential for collaboration.
ICSD Side Event: The Role of Multi-stakeholder Partnerships in Addressing Complex Challenges: A Case Study
Host: SDSN
This event explored the value of bringing together experts from various disciplines, sectors, and methodologies in multistakeholder partnerships to address complex challenges. SDG target 17.16 compels us to “Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources, to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries, in particular developing countries.” However, setting up and maintaining successful multi-stakeholder partnerships is a laborious task. With this event, we presented one successful case study from the SDSN Network to inspire action and provoke a conversation around the variables that can promote successful partnerships.
The Role of Education, Science and Technology on the Survival of the Amazon
Host: SDSN’s Science Panel for the Amazon and VALE
This session of the Science Summit at UNGA78 organized by the Science Panel for the Amazon together with VALE explored the importance of the Amazon to the region and to the world, the main threats it faces, and the importance of strengthening education, science and technology in the region. The event took place in the context of the SDGs, with a special focus on creating a dialogue between science and policy making with the presentation of some successful case studies.
No Time to Spare: Averting Fossil Fuel Expansion in Earth’s Most Bio-Culturally Diverse Ecosystems
Host: Earth Insight
The event featured international and local leaders from the Amazon, Congo, and Coral Triangle and focused on the fossil fuel expansion threats affecting some of Earth's most bio-culturally diverse ecosystems and posed solutions to address them before it is too late.
Host: SDSN
During UNGA, SDSN’s Network Program held the second annual Network Chairs meeting with chairs from across 45+ networks joining in New York and online to discuss sustainable development challenges and innovative solutions.
Supporting Bioeconomies of Healthy Standing Forests and Flowing Rivers
Host: SDSN’s Science Panel for the Amazon
At the time of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), this event aimed to highlight the potential for a bioeconomy of healthy standing forests and flowing rivers in the Amazon, leveraged by investments in the region. The Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA) presented a policy brief “Supporting Bio Economies of Healthy Standing Forests and Flowing Rivers,” outlining the need for a new bioeconomy in the Amazonian region and providing science-based, data-driven recommendations to conserve the forest, transform the Amazonian economy, and support Amazonian peoples.
Host: SDSN’s Science Panel for the Amazon
This session presented some of the key findings of the 2021 Assessment Report and 2022 Policy Briefs of the Science Panel for the Amazon (SPA). The session explored recent discussions of the Panel related to IPLCs, tipping points, nature-based solutions, and governance.