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Thematic review: Perspectives of society

Major Groups and other Stakeholders (MGoS) are crucial to the successful implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda. In preparation for the 2019 HLPF, MGoS contributed to review processes at all levels, including at the regional forums and through national review mechanisms. In line with paragraph 89 of the 2030 Agenda and paragraphs 14 and 15 of General Assembly Resolution 67/290, this session offers MGoS an opportunity to report on their contribution to the implementation of the Agenda and SDGs and speak to the theme of the HLPF. The session is organised in collaboration with the HLPF Coordination Mechanism of MGoS and will focus on the recommendations of MGoS around the implementation, follow-up, and review of the 2030 Agenda, with particular emphasis on addressing the systemic barriers to achieve sustainable development and strengthening the follow-up and review process to best contribute to “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”.

The 2030 Agenda and the UN General Assembly established defined ambitious modalities for the participation of MGoS in the HLPF (paragraph 89 of the 2030 Agenda and paragraphs 14 and 15 of General Assembly Resolution 67/290).

The session will have an interactive discussion format.

Proposed guiding questions:

  • Which should be the principles to guide the strengthening of the follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda, including the HLPF Reform?

  • How to best integrate the contribution of other cross-cutting/thematic processes, such as the FfD Follow-up, the STI process, the CFS process and Sendai process?

  • How to strengthen the interplay between the global and the regional processes, including the role of the Regional SD Forums?

  • How to ensure vibrant participation and effective dialogue in the context of the VNR process at national and global levels?

Chair:

  • Ms. Kira Christianne Danganan Azucena, Vice President of ECOSOC

Moderators:

  • Ms. Katarina Popovic, Secretary General of the International Council for Adult Education and Representative of the Education and Academia Stakeholder Group (EASG) to the MGoS Steering Group

  • Ms. Paola Simonetti, Deputy Director, Economic and Social Policy Department, International Trade Union Confederation (WTUMG), and Co-Chair of the MGoS Steering Group

 

  • Which should be the principles to guide the strengthening of the follow-up and review process of the 2030 Agenda, including the HLPF Reform?

    Initial intervention by Mr. Jose Viera, Chief Executive Officer of the World Blind Union (PwD) and Co-Lead of the MGoS Task Group on the HLPF Reform

    Followed by interactive discussion

  • How to best integrate the contribution of other cross-cutting/thematic processes, such as the FfD Follow-up, the STI process, the CFS process and Sendai process?

    Initial intervention by Ms. Pooja Rangaprasad, Director, Policy & Advocacy, Financing for Development (FfD), Society for International Development (SID) and Civil Society FfD Group

    Followed by interactive discussion

  • How to strengthen the interplay between the global and the regional processes, including the role of the Regional SD Forums?

    Initial intervention by Ms. Warda Rina, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, and Co-Chair, Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism

    Followed by interactive discussion

  • How to ensure vibrant participation and effective dialogue in the context of the VNR process at national and global levels?

    Initial intervention by Mr. Donovan Guttieres, Major Group for Children and Youth

    Followed by interactive discussion

Biographies
Mr. Donovan Guttieres
Focal Point for the Youth Science-Policy Interface Platform of UN Major Group for Children and Youth and Policy Focal Point for the Youth Gateway, the Global Youth Partnership for the SDG
Mr. Donovan Guttieres

Focal Point for the Youth Science-Policy Interface Platform of UN Major Group for Children and Youth and Policy Focal Point for the Youth Gateway, the Global Youth Partnership for the SDG

Mr. Donovan Guttieres is Focal Point for the Youth Science-Policy Interface Platform of the UN Major Group for Children & Youth (UN MGCY) and Science-Policy Focal Point for the Youth Gateway, the Global Youth Partnership for the SDGs. He is also a Technology Policy Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and part of the Young Engineers / Future Leaders Committee of WFEO. A graduate from Boston University, he holds a B.S in Biomedical Engineering and has received several awards for excellency in leadership and academia. His undergraduate thesis centered on global health technologies and applied public health, developing point-of-care technologies for chronic non-communicable diseases in resource-limited settings. For two years, he was president of the Engineers Without Borders - Boston University Chapter, leading the development of mHealth and W.A.S.H projects through a community-driven program in rural Zambia. He also founded the Global Development Community @ Boston University, a campus wide initiative meant to facilitate a more concerted and collective approach to achieving the SDGs at a local, grassroots level. He is currently working on modeling supply chain logistics in health-systems within East African countries in order to identify interventions that will help optimize access to health commodities. A speaker at the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2016, he is Interested in using on-the-ground experience, evidence-based approaches, and innovative solutions to close gaps between policy and practice.

Mr. Jose Maria Viera
Human Rights and Development Policy Advisor at World Blind Union
Mr. Jose Maria Viera

Human Rights and Development Policy Advisor at World Blind Union

Mr. Jose Maria Viera, Human Rights and Development Policy Advisor, World Blind Union
Mr. Viera has more than 15 years of experience working nationally and internationally in the field of human rights. As a person with a disability, Mr. Viera has a personal commitment to improving the lives of persons with disabilities and advocating for their human rights.

Currently, Mr. Viera is the Human Rights Policy Advisor and Coordinator for the World Blind Union, a global organization with broad international membership with 235 organizations at the sub-national and regional levels and in over 190 countries. In addition, Mr. Viera is a professor in the department of International Relations at Silo 21 University in Argentina as well as the President of the Federation of the Blind of Argentina.
Previously, Mr. Viera was director of the Latin American Regional Center for Disability Rights Promotion International, which is a global monitoring rights system. Recently, Mr. Viera completed his term as employment secretary of the Latin American Blind Union.

Mr. Viera holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a master’s degree in Management of Development. Mr. Viera has contributed to various publications and research projects on disability and development with a special focus on the Global South. Moreover, Mr. Viera has supported many national and international organizations of persons with disabilities in their advocacy work.

Ms. Katarina Popovic
Secretary General of the International Council for Adult Education and Representative of the Education and Academia Stakeholder Group (EASG) to the MGoS Steering Group
Ms. Katarina Popovic

Secretary General of the International Council for Adult Education and Representative of the Education and Academia Stakeholder Group (EASG) to the MGoS Steering Group

Katarina Popović is Secretary General of ICAE (International Council for Adult Education), global network of NGOs active in youth and adult education, based in Manila, and Co-chair of the Education and Academia Stakeholder Group. Ms Popovic has PhD in adult education and lifelong learning, she is Professor at the Department for Andragogy, University of Belgrade, Serbia, and visiting professor for adult education and lifelong learning at several universities, president of the Serbian Adult Education Society and certified trainer in adult education.

Ms. Kira Christianne Danganan Azucena
Vice President of ECOSOC
Ms. Kira Christianne Danganan Azucena

Vice President of ECOSOC

H.E. Mrs. Kira Christianne Danganan-Azucena is Vice President of ECOSOC. She has extensive experience in policy creation aimed at improving the overall quality of life and translating gains of good governance into direct benefits to empower the poor and marginalized segments of society, as well as campaigns related to engaging and empowering youth and addressing the needs of older persons and those living with disabilities.

Ms. Paola Simonetti
Deputy Director, Economic and Social Policy Department, International Trade Union Confederation (WTUMG), and Co-Chair of the MGoS Steering Group
Ms. Paola Simonetti

Deputy Director, Economic and Social Policy Department, International Trade Union Confederation (WTUMG), and Co-Chair of the MGoS Steering Group

Paola Simonetti is the Deputy Director of the Economic and Social Policy Department at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). In that position she is in charge of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), coordinating trade unions engagement and leading members in SDGs related policy processes with multilateral institutions such as the UN, ILO, OECD, EU, as well as, with Civil Society Organizations’ networks. Prior to that, Ms. Simonetti was policy advisor at the ITUC on development policy, and previously served as Head of the European Office of CISL trade union since 2003, in charge of advocacy and regional programs coordination.

Ms. Pooja Rangaprasad
Director, Policy & Advocacy, Financing for Development (FfD), Society for International Development (SID) and Civil Society FfD Group
Ms. Pooja Rangaprasad

Director, Policy & Advocacy, Financing for Development (FfD), Society for International Development (SID) and Civil Society FfD Group

Pooja Rangaprasad is Director, Policy and Advocacy, Financing for Development (FfD) at Society for International Development (SID). She leads and facilitates policy dialogue and advocacy efforts of the Civil Society FfD Group towards UN Member States, with special reference to the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Regional Economic (and Social) Commissions, while also promoting a Southern-led agenda based on human rights, equity and sustainability. Prior to joining SID, she worked for several years on issues of tax and illicit financial flows at national and global levels, specifically focused on norm-setting processes at the UN.

Ms. Warda Rina
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, and Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism
Ms. Warda Rina

Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, and Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism

Wardarina is programme officer of Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) and one of the co-chair of Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mehchanism (APRCEM) - a platform aimed to harness grassroors and peoples movement voices on sustainable development discourse and processes in Asia and Pacific. APRCEM works with 18 constituencies and 5 subregions, and envision to work with UN system across the region for development justice.

Statements
Statements
Camille Madiz, Major Group on Children and Youth
Chantal Umuhoza, SPECTRA, Rwanda on behalf of the WMG
Micah Grzywnowicz sharing input from the LGBTI Stakeholder Group focused on the Human Rights Council processes of integration of SDGs
Statement from Workers & Trade Unions Major Group
United Nations