Six Youth Speakers Selected for UN PGA's High-level SDG Action Event on Education - 28 June 2017 at UNHQ

At the request of the Office of the President of the General Assembly (OPGA), UN-NGLS conducted a process to identify civil society and social entrepreneur youth speakers for the High-level SDG Action Event on Education, taking place 28 June at UN Headquarters. UN-NGLS facilitated a Stakeholder Selection Committee to review applications for the speaking roles and create a regionally and gender balanced short-list of candidates for the President of the General Assembly to consider…

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2017 HLPF: [reminder] first round of consultations on the zero draft Ministerial Declaration

There will be a first round of informal consultations on the attached zero draft Ministerial Declaration today, Thursday, 15 June, from 11 AM to 1 PM and from 3 to 6 PM in the Trusteeship Council Chamber. The consultations will continue on Friday, 16 June, at 10 a.m. in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, and at 3 PM in conference room 11.

A list of MGoS representatives who have indicated their interest to make short interventions has been provided to the co-facilitators. 

For the full timeline of the informals on the draft Ministerial Declaration, please see: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/15078Letterfromcofacilitators.pdf 

2017 HLPF: new blog by Ms. Kathy Calvin, CEO of UN Foundation: "Putting the most vulnerable at the forefront of the SDGs"

A new 2017 HLPF blog entry by Ms. Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation, on "Putting the most vulnerable at the forefront of the SDGs" is now posted at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/blog2017/week14

Zero draft – HLPF and ECOSOC High Level Segment Ministerial Declaration now available

The Co-facilitators have circulated the zero draft of the Ministerial Declaration of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the ECOSOC High Level Segment.

Under the themes “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world” and “Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions through promoting sustainable development, expanding opportunities and addressing related challenges” Ministers undertake to “realise the promise of the 2030 Agenda, for all people everywhere, ensuring that no one is left behind”.  The emphasis is on acceleration of the pace of implementation. (para 1)…

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2017 HLPF: Pre-registration by MGoS [deadline extended until Thursday, 15 June midnight EST]

The 2017 session of the HLPF will be held be held from Monday, 10 July, to Wednesday, 19 July 2017; including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Monday, 17 July, to Wednesday, 19 July 2017. The theme will be "Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world". The set of goals to be reviewed in depth will be the following, including Goal 17. “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development” that will be considered each year:…

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Paying tribute to Dr Babatunde Osotimehin

The Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat) is greatly saddened at the sudden passing of Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). He was 68 years old and was married with five children and several grandchildren. 

As UNFPA Executive Director Dr Babatunde championed three major transformative goals of zero preventable maternal deaths, zero unmet demand for family planning and the elimination of harmful practices against women and girls...

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Latest information on HLPF 2017

Briefing by DESA

The following information has been provided by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at a meeting of the HLPF Major Group and other Stakeholders (MGoS) Co-ordinating Mechanism (CM).

Registration

• Registrations for the HLPF are open until 11 June for NGOs accredited with ECOSOC and NGOs that are part of the CSD roster. Please check more relevant information on the registration link:…

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Are National Voluntary Reviews promoting awareness and inclusion?

Together 2030, in partnership with the Newcastle University Politics Department, has carried out a perceptions survey on civil society and stakeholder engagement in voluntary national reviews (VNRs) and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. There were 462 responses from a range of stakeholders, including national, regional and global organizations to a total of 20 questions (although not all questions were directed to all respondents). The survey report addresses:…

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HLPF/ECOSOC Joint Ministerial Declaration – consultations begin

On 26 May 2017, Member States provided their initial views on the Joint Ministerial Declaration of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)2017 and the High-Level Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), during consultations on the draft elements paper for the Declaration. The paper was issued on 23 May 2017 by the co-facilitators for the consultations, Ambassador Jan Kickert of Austria, and Ambassador Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica…

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World Health Assembly elects Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as new WHO Director-General

The Commonwealth Medical Trust (Commat) joins with other CSOs in congratulating Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his election as the new Director-General of WHO. He is the first Director-General from Africa. Nominated by the Government of Ethiopia, he will begin his five-year term on 1 July 2017, succeeding Dr Margaret Chan, who has been WHO’s Director-General since 1 January 2007…

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