UN Environment Management Group Nexus Dialogues Series 26th-17th April:The Nexus Approach and the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda: Policy, Practice and Partnerships

Geneva 26th and 27th of April: 

Dialogue 1: The Nexus Approach and the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda: Policy, Practice and Partnerships
The first Dialogue will launch the Dialogue series and introduce the nexus approach and nexuses. A highlevel segment involving a panel discussion among UN senior officials, invited Member States, the private sector and civil society will officially launch the process, highlighting the needs for and benefits of the nexus approach from an environmental perspective.

During the technical part, attendees will be introduced to the process, benefits, and challenges related
to the nexus approach, focusing on practical application. Participants will explore the nature of
interactions across multiple SDG targets and identifying crucial “nexus targets” between sectors.
Participants will be invited to identify where they have used nexus-like approaches and/or where they
see potential. The discussion will move on to reflect what other sectors need to consider in order to
support the work of others and what blocks there are in establishing and maintaining nexus
partnerships. Building upon the discussion, three nexuses involving more than one SDG target per
nexus, will be selected where the biggest strides can be made for Dialogues 2 - 4. Taking into account
lessons learned, a preferred nexus methodology to be used at Dialogues 2 -4 to approach the selected
nexus, will be chosen.

Special emphasis will be placed on recognizing that each nexus involves trade-offs and are context
specific. A nexus may play out in different ways depending on the level at which it is implemented - for example, making policy at the national level vs. delivering a local project. The benefit of looking outside your area before going deeply into your own strategy process will be emphasized. Lastly, the
presentation will justify the nexus approach in alignment to Goal 17 – Partnerships for the Goals – and present a successful UN case study.

Register here. 

26 April, 2017, 09.00am – 17.30pm Geneva, Switzerland

Dialogue 1: The Nexus Approach and the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda: Policy, Practice and Partnerships

Facilitated by Mr. Felix Dodds, Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute

Technical segment: Provisional Agenda
Presentations and resources can be downloaded under the respective agenda sections on the EMG Nexus Dialogue 1

8:30-9:00 Registration

Session 1

9:00-9:25 1. Opening of the Dialogue
Opening remarks by Mr. Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary General, Director of EMG
Welcoming remarks by Dr. Elena Manaenkova, Deputy Secretary General, WMO.
Welcoming video message by Mr. Erik Solheim, EMG Chair, Executive Director, UN Environment.

9:25-9:35 2. Introducing the EMG Nexus Dialogues
Mr. Hossein Fadaei, Head of the EMG Secretariat.
Introduction to the dialogues and their purpose. Presentation of the overarching goals for the 2017
Nexus Dialogues Series including Dialogue 1.
Presenting the Nexus Approach

9:35-9:50 3. A nexus approach to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda – benefits and
challenges
Dr. Eric Kemp-Benedict, Senior Scientist, Stockholm Environment Institute.
  • Definition of the nexus approach for these dialogues.
  • Potential benefits and challenges of a nexus approach.
  • Recognize the language being used to describe nexus-like approaches within the UN
9:50-10:30 4. Examples of nexus approaches with an environmental focus in the UN system

a) SDG Nexuses in UN Agency Work
  • Migration and Climate Change by IOM (TBC).
  • The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE): PAGE brings together five UNagencies to provide integrated support to countries on three dimensions of sustainable development, will present PAGE as a case study of the Nexus Approach on SDGs.
10:30-10.45 Break

10.45 – 12:00 b) SDG Nexuses within the Country Context
  • Mongolia (TBC): Building on the presentation by PAGE before the break, the focus for this
  • case study will shift from the UN system to the country-level nexus work by the partnership.
  • Brazil, Dr. Catalina Spataru, University College London: In the context of Brazil, the IDA3 model developed by University College London which deals with water-energy-land nexuseswill be presented.
  • Alaska, United States – Dr. Kaveh Madani, Imperial College, London: Providing examples of work undertaken in Alaska, using different tools to influence policy.
12:00-13:00 Lunch

Session 2

Applying Nexus thinking in practice

13.00-13.40 5. Breakout: What are the nexuses in your own work?
Participants will be encouraged to frame their work within the nexus approach by deliberating the
following questions in breakout groups:
  • How could the work you’re doing impact others?
  • How could other’s work impact you?
  • How are you already or planning to address those overlaps?
  • What problems have you experienced or do you anticipate?
  • Think about who you would want to talk to or partner with.
13.40-14.00 6. Plenary Report by the facilitator on the breakout session

14:00-14:20 7. Nexus Methodologies

Dr. Eric Kemp-Benedict, Senior Scientist, Stockholm Environment Institute
Presentation of a range of tools that can be used to work with nexuses.

14:20-14:35 Break

14:35-15:35 8. Tools and Method Stations
Participants will have the opportunity to learn about tested and upcoming nexus tools at four
working stations:
  • United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) – Perception Change Project: (Mr. Jon Mark)
  • The EMG Nexus Dialogue Visualization Tool: (Ms. Amanda Kohn, Stockholm Environment Institute)
  • An open-ended “Method Clinic” to discuss appropriate methods for different purposes:(Dr. Eric Kemp-Benedict, Stockholm Environment Institute)
  • International Telecommunication Union (ITU): Mr. Vaggelis Igglesis (TBC)
Session 3
Topics for Future Dialogues

15:35-16:35 Breakout: Topics for Future Dialogues

Participants will be invited to shape the nexus dialogue series for 2017 in three breakout groups as
well as to propose new nexus dialogue topics beyond 2017, inspired by the reflection on nexuses in
the participants’ own work and today’s discussions.

Proposed focus of breakout groups:
  • Environment and the humanitarian sector
  • Environment and poverty
  • Urban pollution, health and sustainable development
16:35-17:15 Plenary Report by the facilitator on the breakout session

17:15-17:30 Closing remarks

Mr. Elliott Harris, Director of the EMG Secretariat.

High-level Segment 27th of April

Facilitated by Mr. Felix Dodds, Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute

9:30-10:00 Registration

10.00-10.15 Opening remarks

Mr. Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary General and Director of the EMG

10.15-10.35 Launch of the EMG Nexus Dialogue Series

Mr. Felix Dodds, Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute
Summary of the Dialogue’s technical segment discussions on application of nexus approach at country, UN and global levels.

10.35-11.45 Panel discussion
Theme: Benefits and challenges of cross-sectoral cooperation in implementing the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals
Moderator: Mr. Felix Dodds, Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute
Panellists:
  • Mr. Nikhil Seth, Executive Secretary, UNITAR
  • Mr. Elliott Harris, Assistant Secretary General, UN Environment
  • Ms. Laura Thompson, Deputy Director General of IOM
  • Dr. Elena Manaenkova, Deputy Secretary General, WMO
  • Mr. Felix Wertli, Head of Global Affairs, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
  • Mr. Janos Pazstor, Executive Director, Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2)
  • Senior Official, ILO (TBC)
Special Guests:
Ms. Nadine Hack, CEO, BeCause
Ms. Natalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Head of Economic Law and Policy, IISD
Dr. Kaveh Madani, Reader in Systems Analytics and Policy, Imperial College London
Ms. Nadia Isler, Head of SDG Lab, UNOG
Mr. Stephan Mergenthaler, Head of Knowledge Networks and Analysis, WEF (TBC)
Dr. Joachim Monkelbaan, Associate Researcher, University of Geneva
Mr. Daniel Rufenacht, Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, SGS
Dr. Pavel Kraus, President, Swiss Knowledge Management Forum

11.45-12.00 Closing remarks
Mr. Elliott Harris, Director of the EMG Secretariat

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