Fifth session of IAEG-SDGs held in Ottawa – update on working groups (4)

At an earlier session, the IAEG-SDGs set up three working groups. Reports were given on the work of each group:

SDMX working group

The SDMX working group, which comprises 12 countries (with two vacant slots) and 10 international agencies and is chaired by Colombia, held its first physical meeting in October 2016. It is currently analysing the SDG indicators and breakdowns. In the 3^rd quarter of 2017 it will develop a pilot Data Structure Definition, and hold its second physical meeting…

Click to read more ...

2017 HLPF: New blog entry by Dr. Vaughan Turekian, Co-Chair of STI forum

A new 2017 HLPF blog entry by Dr Vaughan Turekian, Co-Chair of the Multi-stakeholder forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum), is now posted at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/blog2017/week8 

The STI forum will be held from 15-16 May 2017 at the UN HQ in New York. For more information, please see: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/TFM/STIForum2017

Apply to attend: UN PGA's High-Level SDG Action Event on Innovation & Connectivity

President of the General Assembly's High-Level SDG Action Event on Innovation and Connectivity 

Civil society & social entrepreneurs: Apply to attend 

Giant leaps in technological advances are converging to make the unthinkable possible. These advances are also raising questions on societal impact. Recognizing the need to support UN Member States and the UN System to adapt to this rapidly changing landscape, the President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Peter Thomson, will convene a one-day SDG Action Event on Innovation and Connectivity. The Event will be held on 17 May 2017 at UN Headquarters in New York…

Click to read more ...

Nomination to represent HLPF CM in one of SDG-focused EGMs

As discussed in the general meeting on 23 March, a number of SDG-focused Expert Group meetings are taking place this Spring. They are spearheaded by relevant UN entities and deal with four out of the six SDGs being reviewed by the HLPF in addition to goal 17. DSD is facilitating the participation of two MGoS HLPF CM representatives in each of these meetings:…

Click to read more ...

Fifth session of IAEG-SDGs held in Ottawa – Draft resolution for adoption by ECOSOC and General Assembly (3)

The UNSC recommended that ECOSOC adopt a draft resolution pertaining to data and indicators for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The draft resolution will be included in the report of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC). It is important that it goes forward without being re-opened, as it is a ‘technical’ rather than a ‘political’ document that has been carefully crafted and on which National Statisticians reached consensus…

Click to read more ...

Appointment of co-facilitators for HLPF Ministerial Declaration

We have received the following from DESA:

The President of ECOSOC has appointed H.E. Ambassador Jan Kickert, Permanent Representative of Austria, and H.E. Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, Permanent Representative of Jamaica, to act as co-facilitators to lead consultations on the Ministerial Declaration of the high-level political forum (HLPF) and the high-level segment of ECOSOC, to be adopted in July. 

Fifth session of IAEG-SDGs – update on decisions of 48th session of the UN Statistical Commission (2)

The 48th session of the UNSC agreed the revised global indicator framework, including the refinements of several of the indicators. The global indicator framework is for Global follow-up and review. Alternative or complementary indicators will be developed at the regional, national and sub-national levels.

The UNSC agreed the proposed plan for annual refinements (very minor changes, correction on terms used in it, etc) of indicators. These refinements will be initiated by members of the Expert Group and will address:…

Click to read more ...

Apply for ECOSOC consultative status now in order to be considered by the 2018 NGO Committee

1 June 2017 is the last day for Non-Governmental Organizations to apply for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), in order to have an opportunity to take part in UN deliberations. ECOSOC consultative status is governed by ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, which outlines the eligibility requirements for consultative status, rights and obligations of NGOs in consultative status, procedures for the withdrawal or suspension of consultative status, the role and functions of the ECOSOC Committee on NGOs, and the responsibilities of the UN Secretariat in supporting the consultative relationship. Consultative status is granted by ECOSOC upon recommendation of the Committee on NGOs, which is composed of Member States.

Click to read more ...

Report on the fifth session of the IAEG-SDGs

Starting today we are putting up a series of posts on the fifth session of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on the Sustainable Development Goals Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) was held in Ottawa, Canada from 28 – 31 March 2017.

Fifth session of IAEG-SDGs held in Ottawa -- opening (1)

The first two days of the IAEG-SDGs were closed, with only the members of the Group participating. The first open session was held on the morning of 30 March, with Anil Arora, Chief Statistician, Statistics Canada, welcoming participants to Ottawa for 5th IAEG-SDGs…

Click to read more ...

Apply for 8-9 May Thematic Session in Geneva & Stakeholder Steering Committee: UNGA preparatory process for a global compact for migration

At the request of the Office of the President of the General Assembly, UN-NGLS, UN DESA, UN University, and the UN Global Compact, with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), are facilitating the participation of the stakeholders listed above in the informal interactive multi-stakeholder hearings and the six informal thematic sessions of the preparatory process for a global compact on migration. An informational note about the preparatory process is available here.

Click to read more ...