Felix Dodds comments on sustainable development, coffee & life

Task and action under the UN80 Initiative - from June 29th briefing (originally published here) Para 47 “Environmental issues are growing in importance, and environmental responsibilities are dispersed across UN entities.  We will undertake a thorough assessment of current arrangements and make proposals on possible structural changes and programme realignments on environmental issues” (UN80 WS3 page 22) Action 35 Undertake a thorough assessment of current arrangements and  make proposals on possible structural changes and programme realignments on environmental issues Broad engagement of the UN system Co-chairs UNEP Executive Director and UNFCCC Executive  Secretary Contributing UN organizations UNDP, OHCHR, DPPA/PBSO, UNESCO, WMO, WHO, UNCTAD, IFAD, UN Habitat, UNDRR, UNECE, ESCAP, UNU, UNDESA, CEB, DCO, DOALOS, CBD, UNCCD, BRS, Montreal Protocol and Vienna Convention, MLFP, Minamata Convention, CMS, CITES, UNEP, UNFCCC Context ·        The...

  Felix Dodds is an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina.   Felix chaired the 2011 UN conference that proposed the first set of indicative Sustainable Development Goals.  From 1992 to 2012, he served as the Executive Director of the Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future.  He established the Network for Regional Government for Sustainable Development in 2002, the Water and Climate Coalition in 2007, and the Communitas Coalition for the UN’s SDG 11 in 2013.  His most recent books are both with Chris Spence: last year's Environmental Lobbying at the United Nations and the 2023 book Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage.    The United Nations, through its international conferences, research studies, agency programs, and collaboration with civil society, has been one of the most significant proponents of discussions on the climate crisis and clean energy.  Many countries have bypassed the USA in achieving en...

Between now and 2028, we have the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (including the SDGs) Heads of State Summit next year.  We know that we are far behind in implementing the SDGs and the climate and biodiversity agreements.   This will be a vital time to accelerate SDG implementation up to 2030. We also have the outcomes of UN80 reform, particularly work package 27 on the environment.   I want to focus on UN80 and the environment, otherwise known as work package 27   I have been involved with colleagues in this for the past year.   UN80 and the environment reopened the possibility of advancing UNEP ED Klaus Toepfer’s push to cluster MEAs into three areas: chemicals and waste, biodiversity, and climate change.   Achim Steiner, the next UNEP ED, succeeded in the three chemical and waste conventions: Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS).  Under his successor Eric Solheim, the process did not continue   A team of former member...

UN beyond 80: An opportunity to position multilevel collaboration and urbanization to save multilateralism and sustainability Guest  blog by Yunus Arikan   originally published here. The United Nations marked its 80th anniversary in 2025. Over time, numerous UN Secretaries-General have sought reforms of the UN system, but were unable to achieve more than incremental progress due to limited buy-in from Member States.  This year is different. The question is no longer whether the system needs reform, but whether it can deliver significant enough reform in time. With just four years until the review of the 2030 Agenda, the negotiations on what comes next will shape not only the future of sustainability, but also the credibility of the multilateral system itself. In a world shaped by overlapping crises – armed conflict, climate, biodiversity, inequality, and technological disruption – the gap between global commitments and real-world delivery is becoming almost impossible to ...

Mandate Creation, Implementation and Review for an Efficient and Effective United Nations The General Assembly, Reaffirming the Charter of the United Nations and its purposes and principles, Recalling resolutions 79/318 and 80/242 and decision 79/571, Emphasizing that the Mandate Implementation Review is one of the essential workstreams to achieve the UN80 Initiative’s goal of creating a more efficient and effective United Nations system, Recognizing the importance of other reform, revitalization and rationalization processes underway across the United Nations system, 1.    Agrees that the following principles shall be applied across the United Nations system throughout the mandate lifecycle, that is, in respect of the creation, implementation and review of United Nations system mandates: (a)    The function of mandates across the United Nations system is to fulfil the purposes and principles of the Ch...