Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

September, 2020Open letter:To Heads of Government, United Nations Member States A Time for Renewal: Calling for a Strengthened Multilateral System Excellencies,As former ministers of government and United Nations officials, we are deeply concerned that the institutional framework of global governance, with the United Nations at its core, must do more to provide the guidance, leadership and decisions required to ensure human safety, security and sustainable development in our interdependent world. From climate change to human rights, gender and racial equality, and from sustainable development to international peace and security – the international community should honor its commitments to the UN’s founding Charter, Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement. There is a crying need for a stronger, more accountable, inclusive multilateral system that encompasses renewed intergovernmental initiatives with the full participation of civil society and key stakeholders. COVID-19 has underscored hum…

Reflection by Felix Dodds: Biliana was a force of nature in the Ocean Community someone who I had the pleasure to work with on a number of Ocean related conferences that Stakeholder Forum engaged in. I met Biliana in the run-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 when most people were not seeing the importance of work on oceans. Biliana was a voice for those who were passionate about ocean issues she also brought people together. Her organization of the Global Forums on Oceans and in particular the one in 2012 complemented the Monocca Oceans conference in 2011 and helped move oceans up the political agenda for Rio+20. This gave it the prominence that helped secure at Rio +20, that governments committed themselves: "to address, on an urgent basis [...] the issue of the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, including by taking a decision on the development of an international instrument under the Un…

Stakeholder Forum’s First sdg2030 Series Report –The Future of the High-level Political Forum: Fit for Purpose?On Monday, 14 September 2020, Stakeholder Forum launched the first in its sdg2030 Series reports: The Future of the High-level Political Forum – Fit for Purpose?The future of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) has been a matter of debate since it was created out of Rio+20, and before the negotiations for the Sustainable Development Goals. The resolution establishing the HLPF (UNGA resolution A/67/L.72, adopted on 9 July 2013) agreed to review it, and one such review was due 2020.  This has now been moved to the autumn of 2021.This report, a summary of the ideas presented during the 13 July 2020 ‘Pop-up Side Event’ at the 2020 HLPF: ‘Lessons from the Proposal for a Sustainable Development Council for the UN General Assembly (from Rio+20) for the Future of the High-level Political Forum,’ captures the inputs from the speakers and res…

The 2020 UNC Water and Health Conference Registration is Live! Dear Water Institute partner,Registration for the 2020 UNC Water and Health Conference: Science, Policy, and Practice is now open! For the first time, we are going virtual and registration is free. Find out how to sponsor here.Register here!The UNC Water and Health Conference: Science, Policy and Practice will be held October 26 – 30, 2020 virtually from the comfort of your home or office. The conference will explore drinking water supply, sanitation, hygiene and water resources in both developing and developed countries with a public health/COVID-19 emphasis.   You will receive a confirmation email upon registering, and we will send conference updates to the email that you use on the registration form. Please contact waterinstitute@unc.edu with any questions. See you in October, The Water Institute Team

For the first time, the draft Ministerial Declaration is being proposed to be put off until 2021DRAFT decisionReconsideration of the draft ministerial declaration of the high-level segment of the 2020 session of the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development, convened under the auspices of the Council The Economic and Social Council decides, on an exceptional basis, to hold a meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development and of the Economic and Social Council as early as possible during the 2021 session of the Council, to reconsider the draft ministerial declaration of the high-level segment of the 2020 session of the Economic and Social Council and the high-level political forum on sustainable development, convened under the auspices of the Council.Here is the draft Ministerial Declaration which will not be agreed until 2021DRAFT Ministerial declaration of the high-level segment of the 2020 session of the Economic …