Opening plenary session of 4th IAEG-SDGs, Geneva, 17 November

Christian Friis Bach, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe, made opening remarks for the Plenary Meeting of the 4^th Session of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on the SDGs (IAEG-SDGs), stressing the importance of proper data. He pointed out that there will be an unprecedented amount of data and that devices can collect data using the internet. This is already happening for example with big data and machine learning in Ghana (on diseases) and in India (on school dropouts).  In mobilizing for change, partnerships with the private sector as well as with academia and civil society will be important...

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Changes in classification of indicators that relate to women and girls by IAEG-SDGs

The latest version of the Tier Classification of Global SDG Indicators (dated 10 November 2016)that will be discussed at this Fourth Session of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDGS (IAEG-SDGs) shows that several that indicators that relate to women and girls and health have been moved from Tier I to Tier II, predominantly because of lack of sufficient data coverage. They include 3.3.1 HIV infections; 3.7.2 Adolescent birth rate; 5.3.1 Child marriage; and 5.3.2 Female genital mutilation. In addition,...

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Consultation on Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data, 3 – 16 November

We have received the following invitation from the United Nations Statistics Division, on behalf of the High Level Group on Partnership, Coordination and Capacity Building for statistics for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to participate in a consultation on the Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development which will be finalized at the World Data Forum to be held in Cape Town 15-18 January 2017. The deadline for the consultation is 16 November:...

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Updated information on IAEG-SDGs and global indicator framework

At the session to update stakeholders on the 2^nd and 3^rd committees of the 71^st General Assembly on 2 November 2016, Yongyi Min, DESA/UN Statistics Division (UNSD) gave a report on the IAEG-SDGs and the global indicator framework.

Global indicator framework – a practical starting point

She recalled that the 47th session of the Statistical Commission “agreed, as a practical starting point, with the proposed global indicator framework for the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. ” The framework...

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Agenda and Call in Details: Nov 8 Webinar: Who is afraid of Data?

November 8 2016 

9:00 – 10:30am (NY, Bogota); 2:00pm (London)

Join this webinar for a discussion about the impact of data on the implementation and accountability of the SDGs

Please, register here: https://goo.gl/forms/agMl66ivhDSFxCqp1

Join here: https://wvi.webex.com/wvi/onstage/g.php?MTID=e92574ebd6f9d1721a9a0d4860a572d56...

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Advancing Sexual Rights Through the Sustainable Development Goals policy briefs

The Asia Pacific Alliance for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (APA) has released a series of national level policy briefs “Advancing Sexual Rights Through the Sustainable Development Goals” . The briefs aim to assist civil society in using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to hold governments accountable to commitments they have made towards protecting and promoting sexual rights.  They can be useful for advocates preparing for the High Level Political Forum in 2017, and in national level  follow-up and review processes for the SDGs...

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The Lancet comments on the Quito Declaration

The Lancet has published an editorial in which it considers the Quito Declaration (see below) as a “missed opportunity for urban health”. While the new urban agenda outlines an agreed framework and is “inclusive, green, and clean”, according to the Editor, “it fails badly on one main aspect at the heart of cities: health.”

The WHO released a report Health as the Pulse of the New Urban Agenda in advance of Habitat III “to influence the proceedings and argue the case for health being central”...

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Quito Declaration on Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements for All

Heads of State, Government Ministers and High Representatives adopted a New Urban Agenda -- the Quito Declaration on Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements for All (Quito Declaration) -- at the end of the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) held in Quito, Ecuador from 17 to 20 October 2016. Sub-national and local governments, parliamentarians, civil society, indigenous peoples and local communities, the private sector, professionals and practitioners, the scientific and academic community, and other relevant stakeholders also participated in the meeting, which was held against the backdrop that by 2050 “the world urban population is expected to nearly double, making urbanization one of the 21st century’s most transformative trends.” (paras 1-2)...

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Support needed for Resolution on Child, Early and Forced Marriage in General Assembly 3rd Committee

Member States of the UN are negotiating a resolution on child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) in the 3rd Committee. This resolution will establish a renewed, critical global precedent for all countries to end CEFM. Governments should remain accountable to their previous commitments to end CEFM and to move the global conversation forward in line with SDG target 5.3. See:...

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Two more countries will present their national voluntary reviews at 2017 HLPF

The list of those countries that have indicated that they will present their national voluntary reviews grows longer with the recent additions of Portugal and Qatar.

For easy reference this is the full list of countries with links for specific country information:

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