SDG midterm review: what have we learned from implementation to date? How can we fast-track progress?

Join us on 7 July for a Scientific and Technological Community Major Group side event at the 2022 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) titled “SDG midterm review: what have we learned from implementation to date? How can we fast-track progress?”

As we are approaching the midpoint in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world is still dealing with the unprecedented and cascading impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded by the harrowing consequences of war in Europe and other conflicts around the world, as well as by dangerous systemic risks due to climate change and other related environmental crises. These threaten to derail all efforts made to date to achieve a sustainable, resilient, and just world for everyone and highlight the need, more than ever, to focus attention and action on the implementation of the SDGs and to fully leverage science, engineering, technology, and innovation. 

Join us for this side event that will seek to highlight emerging lessons, focus on the prospects of achieving the 2030 Agenda and on the actions and priorities for accelerated progress through science, engineering, technology and innovation. This discussion will be also key in starting the thinking for the period beyond 2030.

Watch the recording:

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If we are to fast-track progress towards the SDGs, the next implementation period needs to be informed by an assessment of the current state of the SDG implementation and lessons to date, including on the structural barriers that hinder progress on the agenda. In addition, emerging lessons at local, national, regional, and global levels from the COVID-19 crisis need to inform the next period of implementation as they will be key for preventing future risk and systemic crises that can hinder sustainable and resilient development worldwide. The side event would therefore seek to highlight emerging lessons, focus on the prospects of achieving the 2030 Agenda and on the actions and priorities for accelerated progress through science, engineering, technology and innovation. This discussion would be also key in starting the thinking for the period beyond 2030.

The side event will address the following questions:

• What are the major achievements, challenges, and barriers to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda?
• What lessons can be learned from implementation to date that should inform the next implementation period as well as sustainable development beyond 2030, including on where are the opportunities for better integration of the different global agreements on the SDGs, Paris Agreement on Climate change and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction? What trade-offs need to be taken into consideration?
• What priority actions must be initiated for science to help fast-track progress?

Moderators:

Peter Gluckman

ISC President and former Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand

José Vieira

WFEO President

Panelists:

H.E. Mr. Carlos Alvarado Quesada

48^th President of Costa Rica

Maria Ivanova

Professor and Director of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University (Boston)

Åsa Persson

GSDR Independent Group of Scientists and Research Director, Stockholm Environment Institute

Albert van Jaarsveld

Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Alonso Brenes

Coordinator of the Network for Social Studies on Disaster Risk Prevention in Latin America and the Caribbean (LA RED)