We have received the following from International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), Global Organising Partner NGO Major Group:
UN DESA have announced that a series of “VNR Labs” (Voluntary National Review Labs”) will be held in New York during the ministerial segment of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) from 16 to 18 July 2018. The VNR Labs will be held in the morning, during lunch-time and in the evening. They seek to respond to the strong demand from Member States, various institutions and major groups and other stakeholders to take stock of the experience thus far with the Voluntary National Reviews. Eight informal reflection sessions will be organized by Divisions of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs to provide an informal platform to engage countries conducting a VNR in 2018 or having conducted one in the past, along with non-reporting countries, the UN System and other international organizations as well as major groups and other stakeholders. The Labs will allow participants to reflect jointly about how to further improve the VNR process at the HLPF. The link to the concept note is here.
There are 8 LABs:
LAB 1: Leveraging interlinkages - Monday 16 July 2018, 8-9 am
LAB 2: Leaving no one behind - Monday 16 July 2018, 1.15 - 2.45 pm
LAB 3: Leveraging data for evidence-based VNR - Monday 16 July 2018, 6.30 - 8 pm
LAB 4: Mobilizing and organizing institutions - Tuesday 17 July 2018, 8 - 9.30 am
LAB 5: Mobilizing resources - Tuesday 17 July 2018, 1.15 - 2.45 pm
LAB 6: Reflecting on the VNRs and moving ahead - Tuesday 17 July, 6.30 - 8 pm
LAB 7: Continuing the dialogue –Switzerland - Wednesday 18 July, 8 - 9.30 am
LAB 8: Continuing the dialogue – Jamaica - Wednesday 18 July, 1.15 - 2.45 pm
To allow for maximum participation across the eight sessions, we kindly invite you to express interest. Due to the size of the room, and to guarantee adequate time for discussion and exchange of best practices, participation in each VNR Lab is limited to one representative and one alternate per constituency for each lab
Please indicate your interest by completing the following details and return via email by 4 July:
Name:
Email:
Direct telephone number:
Position/Title:
Your organisation:
Mailing Address:
Yes I have a valid grounds pass during HLPF:
I am interested in nomination for LAB number:
I would like to be a Primary or Secondary participant:
The NGO MG Organising Partners will select participants to put forward for each LAB