Regional Forum 2022
How to build back better from the COVID-19 crisis while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the UNECE region? The 2022 UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development aimed to uncover concrete policy actions to accelerate SDG progress and support efforts to build a resilient and sustainable economic recovery.
Geneva & Online
ALL ABOUT THE EVENT
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant setback regarding the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2022 Regional Forum offered opportunities for exchange and peer learning on how to accelerate SDG progress in the context of COVID-19 in several formats, including plenary sessions, peer learning round tables, side events and preparatory consultations.
The following SDGs were reviewed in depth:
- SDG 4 – quality education and lifelong learning
- SDG 5 – gender equality and empowerment of women and girls
- SDG 14 – life below water: oceans, seas and marine resources
- SDG 15 – life on land: terrestrial ecosystems, forests, desertification, land degradation, biodiversity
- SDG 17 – partnerships for the goals
Join us on Twitter: #RFSD2022
Live streaming via the UN Web TV was provided for Plenary Sessions and Round Tables. Watch the recordings here.
Pictures of the event
Overview
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10:00hrsuntil 13:00hrsApril 062022
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Opening and High-level Policy Segment
Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the UNECE Region
OPENING
H.E. Mr. Edil Baisalov, Chair of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan
Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
Ms. Olga Algayerova, UNECE Executive Secretary and United Nations Under-Secretary-General
Ms. Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, Vice-Chair of the Regional Collaborative Platform for Europe and Central Asia and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CISHIGH-LEVEL POLICY SEGMENT
Keynote address by Dr. Åsa Persson, Research Director and Deputy Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute, Member of the Independent Group of Scientists for the 2023 UN Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR).
The keynote speech set the scene for the high-level debate and highlighted the latest scientific findings on the SDGs, taking into account the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and related recovery measures. In addition, the process to prepare the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) and its preliminary framework was introduced to the audience.PLENARY DEBATE
Statements by high-level representatives of member States and reporting of key messages from pre-meetings (Forum of Mayors, Civil Society Forum, Joint IPU/ECE webinar with parliamentarians)
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13:00hrsuntil 15:00hrsApril 062022
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Lunch break
Reception for all participants offered by the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to WTO and EFTA, Restaurant Vieux Bois
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15:00hrsuntil 17:00hrsApril 062022
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Peer learning round tables
- SDG 4: Quality education and lifelong learning in the context of COVID-19: sharing best practices and lessons learnt for enhancing inclusion policies and strategies
Format: In person: Palais des Nations, Tempus Room 1 / Online: Zoom
Organizers: UNESCO, UNICEF
Contributors: ITU, UNIDO, UNECE (Strategy on ESD and Working Group on Ageing), UNIDO, UNWOMEN, UNEP, WIPO- SDG 14: Enhancing ocean literacy and the sustainable development of regional seas
Format: In person: Palais des Nations, Tempus Room 2 / Online: Zoom
Organizers: UNESCO, UNEP
Contributors: ITU, UNIDO, WMO- SDG 17 (I): Data and Statistics for Sustainable Development
Format: In person: Palais des Nations, Tempus Room 3 / Online: Zoom
Organizers: UNECE Statistical Division
Contributors: UNWOMEN- SDG 17 (II): Accelerating digital development through multistakeholder partnerships
Format: Online: Zoom
Organizers: ITU/Digital Transformation Group
Contributors: UNEP, UNIDO, UNFPA -
10:00hrsuntil 12:00hrsApril 072022
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Peer learning round tables
- SDG 5: Accelerators of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic
Format: In person: Palais des Nations, Tempus Room 1 / Online: Zoom
Organizers: UNWOMEN/IBC on Gender Equality
Contributors: ITU, WIPO- SDG 15 (I): Action to protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems
Venue: In person: Palais des Nations, Tempus Room 2 / Online: Zoom
Organizers: UNECE, UNEP, UNESCO/IBC on Environment and Climate Change
Contributors: IBC member agencies- SDG 15 (II): Urban forests for future proof cities
Format: In person: Palais des Nations, Tempus Room 3 / Online: Zoom
Organizers: UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section, FAO- SDG 4: Rebalancing people, planet and prosperity: Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as key enabler for the 17 SDGs and Agenda 2030
Format: Online: Zoom
Organizers: UNESCO, UNECE and UNEP -
13:00hrsuntil 15:00hrsApril 072022
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Lunch break
Gender-related business dialogue, 7 April 13:00-14:30 (Virtual Zoom Webinar)
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15:00hrsuntil 17:00hrsApril 072022
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Plenary Session and Closing
Forward-looking policies for a sustainable COVID-19 recovery
H.E. Mr. Edil Baisalov, Chair of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development , Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan
The session discussed forward-looking policies to promote a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, based on the key messages from the peer learning sessions on the SDGs under in-depth review (4, 5, 14, 15, and 17).
Particular attention was given to policy coherence and addressing trade-offs in SDG policies and COVID-19 recovery measures at regional, subregional, national and local levels. In this context, experiences from UNECE member States that have presented or will present Voluntary National Review (VNRs) at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development were discussed, with emphasis on VNRs as a means to promote policy coherence and multi-level collaboration. Lessons from Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and from the regional and subregional levels were also considered.The session featured a multi-stakeholder panel, composed of two representatives from member States and a representative of civil society.
PLENARY DEBATE
CLOSING
Ms. Olga Algayerova, UNECE Executive Secretary and United Nations Under-Secretary-General
Mr. Edil Baisalov, Chair of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan
Programme
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Opening and High-level Policy Segment
START DATE:END DATE:Opening session, followed by high-level plenary discussion on achieving a sustainable COVID-19 recovery while fully implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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Plenary Session and Closing
START DATE:END DATE:Forward-looking policies for a sustainable COVID-19 recovery.
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Round Tables
START DATE:END DATE:Through peer learning round tables the Regional Forum offered a unique learning space where participants could interact with their peers and other relevant stakeholders to exchange experiences and get new impulses for national policy-making.
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Pre-Meetings
START DATE:END DATE:The pre-meetings provided an early opportunity for various stakeholders such as civil society, youth, parliamentarians, business organizations, and academia to meet, share experiences as well as introduce and discuss issues on the agenda, thereby identifying priorities and distilling a common vis
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Side Events
START DATE:END DATE:Side events aimed to create an additional space for various stakeholders to share their experience with regards to a specific issue, related to the main theme of the Regional Forum.
Speakers
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Edil Baisalov
Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz RepublicChair of the RFSD 2022 -
Amina J. Mohammed
Deputy UN Secretary-General -
Olga Algayerova
UNECE Executive Secretary -
Mirjana Spoljaric Egger
Vice-Chair of the Regional Collaborative Platform for Europe and Central Asia -
Åsa Persson
Research Director and Deputy Director of the Stockholm Environment InstituteKeynote speaker -
Octavian Bivol
Chief of the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, UNDRR -
Andrea Innamorati
Senior Policy Advisor for the Italian Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea -
Aneta Kankaras
Head of Office for Sustainable Development, Secretariat-General of the Government of Montenegro -
Biljana Ginova
Advocacy Manager of ERA - LGBTI Equal Rights Association for the Western Balkans and Turkey
EVENT DOCUMENTS
VENUE
Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Plenary sessions of the 2022 Regional Forum took place in the Room XVII and peer learning round tables were held in Tempus Rooms 1, 2 and 3 (see the red circle on the map).