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Prospects for the future (projections, scenarios and new and emerging issues)
This session in the high-level segment is organised in support of the high-level political forum’s function to strengthen the science-policy interface. It will discuss prospects for the years until 2030. It will be based on scientific evidence and feature perspectives of scientists and analysts.

The panel will bring together eminent policy makers, scientists, futurists, and civil society representatives. It will discuss lessons learnt from prospective studies on how the world in 2030 will differ from today, and thus what it will take to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ensuring that no one is left behind. Sustainable development scenarios illustrate what would be needed to achieve a better future for everyone. They can provide a reality check and inspire decision-making for the SDGs. Panellists will also be encouraged to point out crucial emerging technologies for the SDGs until 2030 and debate their potential opportunities and threats.

A key element of the science-policy function of the high-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF) is the identification of new and emerging issues based on a forward-looking perspective. The session will thus identify new and emerging issues that require policy action at national and global levels, including those that should be on the agenda of future meetings of the high-level political forum. It is important to provide a systematic and trusted entry point for decision-makers to a plethora of analyses, rankings, and advice from many perspectives on what are or should be considered emerging issues.

Possible questions for discussion:
  1. What do future scenarios and projections tell us about the world in 2030? What will it take to achieve the SDGs?
  2. What new and emerging issues require policy action at the national and global levels? In particular, what emerging issues should be on the agenda of the high-level political forum?
  3. What are the most crucial emerging technologies for the SDGs until 2030? What are the opportunities and potential threats?

Chair:
  • H.E. Mr. Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN and Vice President of ECOSOC

Moderator:
  • Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Speakers:
  • H.E. Mr. Simon Gaviria, Minister for National Planning of Colombia
  • H. E. Mr. Edgar Gutierrez-Espeleta, President of the 2th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), and Minister for Environment and Energy of Costa Rica
  • Ms. Fumiko Kasuga, Director of the Future Earth Global Hub – Japan, Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Visiting Professor at University of Tokyo
  • Mr. Stewart Lockie, Director of the Cairns Institute at James Cook University
  • Mr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Biographies
H. E. Dr. Edgar Gutierrez-Espeleta
President of the 2th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), and Minister for Environment and Energy of Costa Rica
H. E. Dr. Edgar Gutierrez-Espeleta

President of the 2th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2), and Minister for Environment and Energy of Costa Rica

H. E. Dr. Edgar Gutierrez-Espeleta is the Minister for Environment and Energy of Costa Rica and President of the 2nd session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-2). Dr. Gutierrez-Espeleta worked as a professor at the University of Costa Rica, was cofounder of the National Rectors Council of Costa Rica "State of the Nation" project, and was founder of the Observatory for Development at the University of Costa Rica where he served as its director until 2005. His previous positions include Director of the School of Statistics and the Director of the Graduate Program in Statistics at the University of Costa Rica. He was also the coordinator for the "Atlas de Desarrollo Humano Cantonal" --"Atlas of Cantonal Human Development --project, a joint initiative with UNDP. Dr. Gutierrez-Espeleta has authored over 30 scientific articles in national and international journals as well as a book on statistical methods. He has represented Costa Rica in several United Nations agencies and regional ministerial forums. Dr. Gutierrez-Espeleta led the first two United Nations Environment Programme reports on the status of the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean, the first environmental report in Central America, and the deck of environmental data for Latin America and the Caribbean. He also directed the National Environmental Strategy of Costa Rica in 2005 (A project developed by the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment and Energy and Inter-American Development Bank). His research areas of interest include sustainable development, development of indicators and index, human security, environmental change and public higher education. Dr. Gutierrez-Espeleta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Statistical Science from the University of Costa Rica, a Master of Science in Forest Biometry from Iowa State University, and a Ph.D. in Forest Biometry from Iowa State University.

H.E. Mr. Simón Gaviria Muñoz
Minister for National Planning of Colombia
H.E. Mr. Simón Gaviria Muñoz

Minister for National Planning of Colombia

H.E. Mr. Simón Gaviria Muñoz, in August 2014, took office as Minister of National Planning, the Colombian Ministry in charge of defining, recommending and monitoring public and economic policy. Previously, he served as National Director of the Liberal Political Party (Partido Liberal), which made him the youngest person to ever occupy this position. Simultaneously, he served as member of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2014. Simon Gaviria is an economist with a concentration in Mathematics, Econometrics and Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, his thesis on Pension Reform was commemorated with honors. He also graduated from the High Government Program at the School of Government “Alberto Lleras Camargo” of Universidad de Los Andes. During the first few years of his career, he was a financial analyst at JP Morgan Chase Corporate Finance in New York, NY

Mr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic
Deputy Director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Mr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic

Deputy Director of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Prof. Dr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic is Deputy Director General and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and former Professor of Energy Economics at the Vienna University of Technology in Austria. He is a world renowned energy economist and computer scientist with degrees from Princeton University and the University of Vienna, as well as a Honoris Causa Doctorate in engineering from the Russian Academy of Sciences. He has authored more than 300 publications and is Editorial Board Member of several scientific journals. He is one of the leading experts on technology change and future scenarios, especially with regard to infrastructures, energy and environmental technologies, and climate change. Prof. Nakicenovic has held many science-policy and advisory positions, including as member of the Advisory Council of the German Government on Global Change (WBGU); the International Council for Science (ICSU) Committee on Scientific Planning and Review, and Co-Chair of the Global Carbon Project; United Nations Secretary General High-Level Technical Group on Sustainable for Energy for All Initiative; Board, Climate Change Centre Austria (CCCA); Working Group of the Austrian Panel on Climate Change (AG-APCC); Panel on Socioeconomic Scenarios for Climate Change Impact and Response Assessments; Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) Steering Committee; International Advisory Board of the Helmholtz Programme on Technology, and the Earth League. Prof. Nakicenovic has been engaged in the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in various roles over the past 25 years. In particular, he was Convening Lead Author of the IPCC Special Report on Emissions Scenarios, the Third Assessment Report, and the Fourth Assessment Report. He was director of the Global Energy Assessment (GEA); Coordinating Lead Author of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment; director of Global Energy Perspectives, World Energy Council, 1993 to 1998, Convening Lead Author of the World Energy Assessment: Energy and the Challenge of Sustainability, 1999 to 2000, Member of the International Science Panel on Renewable Energies (ISPRE), 2006 to 2008, and Guest Professor at the Technical University of Graz, 1993–2003. He also served as member of the UN Secretary General Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change.

Mr. Stewart Lockie
Director of the Cairns Institute at James Cook University
Mr. Stewart Lockie

Director of the Cairns Institute at James Cook University

Prof. Dr. Stewart Lockie is Director, The Cairns Institute, James Cook University. He began his research career investigating the evolution and impacts of environmental policy in agriculture. This has since been extended to studies of biodiversity conservation, environmental standards, markets in ecosystem services, food security, coastal management, resource development, management of natural and industrial hazards etc. Professor Lockie’s work is multidisciplinary, high impact and focussed on critical issues associated with global social and environmental change. Professor Lockie is involved in numerous leadership activities both within and external to the University. He is immediate past President of the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on Environment and Society and a member of the International Council for Science’s Committee for Scientific Planning and Review. He is also Foundation Editor of the journal Environmental Sociology. In 2012, Professor Lockie was elected to fellowship of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australi

Ms. Fumiko Kasuga
Director of the Future Earth Global Hub – Japan, Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Visiting Professor at University of Tokyo
Ms. Fumiko Kasuga

Director of the Future Earth Global Hub – Japan, Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Environmental Studies and Visiting Professor at University of Tokyo

Prof. Dr. Fumiko Kasuga, is Future Earth Global Hub Director Japan, Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo, Japan. She graduated from and received Ph.D. from The University of Tokyo. Formerly, she was Director at the National Institute of Health Sciences and Vice-President of Science Council of Japan in charge of international activities. She is a member of International Council for Science (ICSU)’s Committee on Scientific Planning and Review. She has been working as a government researcher in the field of public health, in particular, microbiological food safety. Internationally she has been working with WHO, FAO and the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods, and in Japan with Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Food Safety Commission for microbiological risk analysis for food safety and epidemiology of foodborne diseases. She has been involved in establishing globally-distributed Secretariat of Future Earth and is one of Global Hub Directors since May, 2015.

Ms. Irina Bokova
Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Ms. Irina Bokova

Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Ms. Irina Bokova, born on 12 July 1952 in Sofia (Bulgaria) has been the Director-General of UNESCO since 15 November 2009, and reelected for a second term in 2013. She is the first woman to lead the Organization. Having graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and studied at the University of Maryland (Washington) and the John F. Kennedy School of Government (Harvard University), Irina Bokova joined the United Nations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria in 1977. Appointed in charge of political and legal affairs at the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria to the United Nations in New York, she was also a member of the Bulgarian Delegation at the United Nations conferences on the equality of women in Copenhagen (1980), Nairobi (1985) and Beijing (1995). As Member of Parliament (1990-1991 and 2001-2005), she participated in the drafting of Bulgaria’s new Constitution, which contributed significantly to the country’s accession to the European Union. Irina Bokova was Minister for Foreign Affairs a.i., Coordinator of Bulgaria-European Union relations and Ambassador of Bulgaria to France, Monaco and UNESCO and Personal Representative of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria to the "Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie" (OIF). As Secretary of the Council of Ministers for European integration and as Foreign Minister a.i., Irina Bokova has always advocated for European integration. Active member of many international experts networks, active in civil society and especially President and founding member of the European Policy Forum, she has worked to overcome European divisions and to foster the values of dialogue, diversity, human dignity and human rights. As Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova is actively engaged in international efforts to advance quality education for all, gender equality, cultural dialogue and scientific cooperation for sustainable development and is leading UNESCO as a global advocate for safety of journalists and freedom of expression. Irina Bokova is Executive Secretary of the Steering Committee of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), co-Vice-Chair of the Broadband Commission and chair of the UN High Level Committee on Management. Irina Bokova has received state distinctions from countries across the world and is Doctor honoris causa of leading universities. In addition to her mother tongue, she speaks English, French, Spanish and Russian.

Statements
Statements
Albania
Bolivia
Major Group: Business and Industry
Major Group: Business and Industry
Myanmar
Save the Children
Slovakia
Sri Lanka
Presentations
Ms. Fumiko Kasuga, Director of the Future Earth Global Hub and Professor at University of Tokyo
Mr. Stewart Lockie, Director of the Cairns Institute at James Cook University
Mr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
United Nations