Workshops on integrating Agenda 2030 into national development plans

The United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) is hosting the 2015 Sustainable Development Transition Forum (SDTF) in Songdo, Republic of Korea from 17-19 November 2015. The objective of the 2015 Forum is to identify and discuss specific guidance for how to implement Agenda 2030 and how to strengthen member states’ capacity to do so. Around 180 representatives from national governments, UN Agencies, and experts who are responsible for integrating the 2030 Agenda into national plans and planning processes will attend.

The Forum will consist of the following three parallel workshops:

• International Workshop on Guidance for Implementing The 2030 Agenda and SDGs, organized by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), United Nations Development Group (UNDG) and the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
• Inter-Regional Experience Sharing and Training Workshop for Mainstreaming the 2030 Agenda into National Strategies, organized by the Division for Sustainable Development, UNDESA in collaboration with UNOSD
• Workshop on Capacity Development for Mainstreaming Energy SDGs, Targets and Indicators into Statistical Programmes in Asian Countries, organized by the Division for Sustainable Development, UNDESA in collaboration with UNOSD

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UN High-level Water and Sanitation Days start on 18 November

The UN High-Level Water and Sanitation Days 2015 will be held from 18 to 20 November at UN Headquarters in New York. The new 2030 Agenda has water and sanitation at its core, with a dedicated Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation and clear linkages to Goals relating to health, food security, climate change, resiliency to disasters and ecosystems, among many others. Reaching the ambitious objectives of the new Agenda demands that we address universal access to drinking water and sanitation along with issues of quality and supply, in tandem with improved water management to protect ecosystems and build resiliency.

During the UN High-Level Water and Sanitation Days 2015, participants will reflect on the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the set of interconnected water-related SDG targets that set forth a broad and ambitious vision for the next fifteen years. The UN High-Level Water and Sanitation Days 2015 are a set of coordinated events taking place from November 18 - 20 at UN Headquarters in New York:

• The UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation’s (UNSGAB) final meeting and ceremony, 18-20 November;
• Second UN Special Thematic Session on Water and Disasters, 18 November;
• UN World Toilet Day, 19 November.

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Summary of 'Partnerships for SDGs' event now available

An informal briefing on Partnerships in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs was held on 4 November 2015 at UN Headquarters in New York. The event highlighted the importance of partnerships and their role in United Nations processes, and the ‘Partnerships for SDGs’ online platform was presented to a broad audience. A summary of the event is now available.

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Bi-Weekly Advocacy Meeting for General Assembly Second Committee

DSD, in partnership with the Office for ECOSOC Support and the Financing for Development Office, has been hosting bi-weekly briefings regarding the agenda of the UN General Assembly Economic and Financial Committee (Second Committee) meetings. The Second Committee agenda item on Sustainable Development ties in strongly with new 2030 Agenda. Participants from around the world have been taking part in these bi-weekly meetings through simultaneous online calls.

Stakeholders have been using these briefings to learn more about how to engage and influence the work of the Second Committee. Please check our Twitter account (@SustDev) regularly to get information about these calls.

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Three stakeholder representatives to attend high-level HLPF retreat

The President of ECOSOC (Republic of Korea) has extended an invitation to three representatives of Major Groups and other Stakeholders to attend a high-level retreat hosted on 21-22 November to launch the discussions on modalities for the next session of the HLPF. Members of the HLPF Working Group were invited to nominate themselves and went through a selection process within the Working group.

The HLPF working group has selected Christopher Dekki (Children & Youth Major Group, Local Authorities Major Group), Naiara Costa (Beyond 2015) and John Romano (TAP Network) to attend the retreat. The names have been submitted to the ECOSOC presidency.

• Full list of nominees

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Over 250 nominees for UN inter-agency task team on science, technology and innovation

The Division for Sustainable Development issued an open call for nominees interested in joining the 10-member multi-stakeholder Advisory Group for the ‘UN inter-agency task team on science, technology and innovation for the SDGs’, which is part of the recently established Technology Facilitation Mechanism.

The open call received over 250 nominations, which were shortlisted and subsequently submitted for the Secretary-General’s consideration. This undertaking was carried out in partnership with UNEP, UN NGLS, UN Global Compact and all other members of the inter-agency task team.

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Questionnaire on 2030 Agenda follow-up and review

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requested the Secretary General, in consultation with Member States, to prepare a report in preparation for the 2016 meeting of the High-level Political Forum, which outlines critical milestones towards coherent, efficient and inclusive follow-up and review at the global level, for consideration of the General Assembly.

In order to informally contribute to the reflection, Major Groups and other Stakeholders have been invited to provide their views and inputs on these issues by completing an online questionnaire. Please note that the deadline for providing inputs is midnight on Sunday, 15 November 2015. The inputs and responses received will be made available on the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform.

• Questionnaire available here

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