Secretariat – Page 9

1st SDG Dialogue Forum Austria: Building forward better with the 2030 Agenda

By SDG Watch Austria

Austrian government officials, civil society and experts discussed current opportunities and challenges of sustainable development caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at the first SDG Dialogue Forum in Austria, jointly organised by the federal administration and civil society representatives (SDG Watch Austria). The first edition of the annual event laid the foundation for strengthened cooperation between civil society, administration, politics, private sector, and academia for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda both in Austria and abroad.

This year’s kick-off event, which attracted over 530 participants, was centred on innovative solutions for sustainable development in the era of COVID-19 and focused on partnerships for the implementation of the SDGs. To this end, experts from civil society, academia, the private sector and other stakeholder groups discussed perspectives and solutions in the fields of climate action, digitalisation, international development cooperation and social equality (women, youth and leaving no one behind) in four online discussion rounds (“innovation pools”). The results were reported back to the Natural History Museum in Vienna, where Ministers Edtstadler, Gewessler and Mückstein, and experts Antonella Mei-Pochtler (Think Austria) and Nicola Brandt (OECD Berlin Centre) joined a high-level panel discussion and reacted to the innovation pools’ questions and statements.

Throughout the high-level panel discussion, the federal ministers and experts demonstrated awareness of the interconnected issues related to sustainable development. In particular, they were in favor of addressing issues on multiple levels and applying innovative measures to build a better future for all. Furthermore, the discussants recognised the need for joint efforts, cooperation, and new partnerships to reach the Global Goals and concluded that it is important to involve civil society and academia in the Austrian SDG implementation process.

As co-host (together with the federal administration, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens and the Natural History Museum), SDG Watch Austria prioritised the contribution of civil society representatives and academia, aiming at fostering dialogue between different stakeholder groups, the federal administration and politicians.

After the consultation process leading to Austria’s first VNR in 2020, the SDG Dialogue Forum marks another important step for strengthening the collaboration and exchange between SDG Watch Austria and the federal administration – and there is still more work to be done to reach the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The next steps include incorporating the outcomes of the four innovation pools into the future work of the Inter-ministerial Working Group (IMAG), which is entrusted with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Austria. Furthermore, the next SDG Dialogue Forum in 2022 will build upon this year’s results and reflect the ongoing implementation process in Austria. SDG Watch Austria will maintain its dialogue with the IMAG and government representatives and will continue to advocate for ambitious structural measures and political changes to reach the Global Goals.

More information on the event (in German)
Photos (Flickr)

On navigating digitalisation and creating alternative narratives

By Forus international

Despite restrictions, lockdowns and curfews, millions of people around the world mobilised with intense discussions, agitations and processions, to demand more just, equal and sustainable societies in 2021. All this while witnessing clamp downs on civic freedoms and rights restrictions – both online and offline.

But how did civil society react?

This year, from Uganda to Colombia, passing through South East Asia and Eastern Europe, we have heard from several voices within and beyond the Forus network on how democratic space, polarising politics and divided societies are affecting civic space globally. Two areas of focus linked to civic space have particularly demanded efforts and actions in 2021: digitalisation and the construction of alternative narratives to promote and protect the work of civil society worldwide.

The Digital “Joker”

It all started with the tagline: “no civic space without digital space.” The # Let’s Talk Digital campaign developed by Forus was born after researching and publishing a joint report with TechSoup on a digital enabling environment. The aim of the campaign and our recent advocacy efforts is to (a) spark debates on digitalisation and (b) collect recommendations from civil society organisations to shape the agendas of governments, institutions and “Tech Giants”.

Via micro-surveys, interviews, research and collaborations, the campaign aims at inspiring civil society organisations to hold governments responsible and challenge and suggest policies that secure the digital wellbeing of communities. Though representation in international forums is indespensable, it is participation that transforms civil society into an agent capable of suggesting alternatives and defending the rights of communities.

From Taiwan Aid, Global Focus in Denmark, SLOGA in Slovenia or CONGCOOP in Guatemala, the # Let’s Talk Digital campaign thus collects concrete recommendations, data and examples “from the field”. Digitalisation doesn’t come in one form or shape, and it’s important to enlarge spaces of discussion and advocacy around this issue.

In 2022, we invite allies and partners to participate in the # Let’s Talk Digital campaign – let’s join hands to shape “our digital futures”. The goal is clear: how can we advocate for an inclusive, human-rights-based and democratic form of digitalisation that will empower and enable rather than restrict and repress?

Changing narratives about civil society

Narratives represent another necessary instrument for promoting an enabling environment for civil society. Civil society organisations are increasingly targeted with narratives undermining their work. Those at the frontline of social change are often depicted as “corrupt”, “money-oriented” or “enemies of the State”, especially in populist rhetoric. This can have very concrete impacts on the work of civil society ranging from popular distrust and hostility to cuts of public fundings.

Civil society organisations increasingly need to counter negative narratives with alternative ones. What are the negative stereotypes being used to describe civil society organisations? What actions and reactions do they trigger? How do we “reclaim” narratives about the activities and experiences of civil society? How do we develop compelling narratives with a bottom-up approach? And finally, how can we create alternative narratives that promote and protect the work of civil society organisations?

These are some of the questions being explored by the participants of the Forus Working Group on an Enabling Environment, which kicked off earlier this year and will continue throughout 2022. The Working Group led and animated by Forus members and allies, such as PLATONG, from Cape Verde and DENIVA, from Uganda, aims at countering negative narratives about civil society organisations and formulating alternative ones. The focus is on identifying narratives, unpacking them, unveiling where they originate from, “who is the messenger and what is the message”, seeing how they affect public perception of civil society, and exploring how different target groups react to them. With this knowledge and brainstorming process, the aim is to then start developing new narratives according to local, national, regional or global contexts.

Collecting experiences and examples from Forus members such as Abong countering polarisation in Brazil, or Ccong in Colombia discussing feminism in Latin America, the working group will result in a practical “How to Guide” and campaign for civil society networks and organisations that can be replicated in and applied to national and local contexts.

Interested in building an enabling environment for civil society? Find some extra resources below:

Towards an Enabling Digital Environment: The purpose of this report, “Towards an enabling digital environment for civil society”, is to highlight the impacts of digitalisation experienced by our civil society members; to explore risks and important opportunities; and to advocate for an inclusive, human-rights-based and democratic form of digitalisation that will empower and enable rather than restrict and repress. Complete our # Let’s Talk Digital micro-survey on digitalisation here!

- Read the Civil society recommendations “Together for an Equal, Just and Democratic Digital World Action Programme for Tech for Democracy” – with inputs from over 100 organisations.

Be the narrative: Brought to you by JustLabs and the Fund for Global Human Rights (FGHR), Be the narrative lays out bold steps for building new narratives about human rights. “Viewing the increasingly antagonistic tide against human rights as part of a broader transformation process, we worked with 12 human rights organisations to produce new narratives that not only respond to those of populists, but that provide an alternate vision of what human rights are, where they take place, and who they are for.”

Forus A Space for Us podcast: A Space for Us podcast – a participative storytelling project with Forus members, allies and activists from around the globe. From Nepal to Central Africa, Bolivia, Taiwan and Portugal, we share stories from over 15 countries with 30+ individuals at the forefront of social change.

Article written in collaboration with Bibbi Abruzzini, Laura Manzi, Yohan Cambet and Adelaide Marre.

For more information: Deirdre De Burca, Forus Advocacy Coordinator – deirdre@forus-international.org Yohan Cambet, Assistant Communication Coordinator – communication.support@forus-international.org

Building Back Better: Towards achieving SDG 8

By Caritas Europa

All across Europe, work still fails to be ‘decent’. Minimum wages that are insufficient to meet basic needs trap many people in in-work poverty. We see increasing forms of non-standard employment that have little to no social protection coverage and a significant informal economy that exposes workers to exploitation. To raise awareness of this and other labour market inclusion challenges, one of SDG Watch Europe’s members, Caritas Europa, organised a webinar on 22 November to assess how the EU and its Member States can advance towards achieving SDG 8 (decent work) in the context of the COVID-19 recovery.

The COVID-19 crisis has further worsened the labour market situation across Europe and has impacted the progress Member States had been making on achieving this Sustainable Development Goal. It is now more important than ever for the EU and its Member States to refocus on guaranteeing decent work for all.

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions and an SDG Advocate under Secretary-General António Guterres, pointed out during his intervention that due to the transitions in digitalisation and automation, many people need training and retraining. This capacity-building would enable people to maintain formal employment to meet their and their families needs. Mirzha de Manuel, member of Executive Vice President Dombrovskis’ cabinet, emphasised that COVID-19 has also offered us an opportunity to address the challenges in our current economic model, highlighting many of the recent and upcoming Commission initiatives to tackle the existing challenges. As Professor Sachs rightly stated, strengthening and enforcing Europe’s social model and the European Social Charter will be an important foundation to build on.

But the starting point, as Cardinal Turkson noted in his intervention, is that policymakers, employers, and each of us need to recognise the importance of human dignity and to centre our economy on the value and worth of all human beings. Jobs should promote the dignity of the human person, not their exploitation. All future initiatives and policies at the EU and national levels should be centred on this understanding, contribute to implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights, and aim to fulfil all SDGs holistically and coherently.

The Forus Barefoot Guide: How do we practice collaboration in these times?

By Forus International

Collaboration is vital for transformative social change. But how do we practice collaboration in these times? That is the question driving Future Convergence: the Forus Barefoot Guide. The Guide and the campaign value our human history as a complex and intricate story of committed social change actors. We believe that civil society organisations have a unique and historic role in re-orienting people to work together, reducing polarisation and nurturing our shared humanity. But we also need to challenge ourselves, turning towards each other to mobilise and multiply our collective power.

In the Forus Barefoot Guide, we explore real experiences, innovative practices, ways of collaborating and leadership forms that offer hope for a way forward. This practical resource is intended for individuals and organisations who want to improve their learning processes and social change practices. Written by thirty-one civil society leaders and practitioners from twenty countries worldwide, it reunites practices and experiences that bring diverse people and organisations together towards a vision of a more equitable, inclusive, humane, and sustainable planet.

Each chapter focuses on a different topic, ranging from our understanding of “power”, our engagement with governments and the private sector, and civil society’s capacity to adapting in the face of the globalisation of social issues to collective leadership, relationships with donors, synergies with social movements, and the process of continual, horizontal learning.

Around the Guide, we have developed a multimedia and multilingual campaign with surveys to collected positive practices of collaboration from around the globe, podcast episodes and Conversation Starters – a series of videos focusing on topics from each chapter of the Guide that allows for interaction.

Want to share your experience? Read the Forus Barefoot Guide here and join the campaign! The Guide is available in English, French and Spanish.

A big thank you to all the writers and Forus members, Doug Reeler, Nomvula Dlamini and Rubert Van Blerk from the Barefoot Guide Connection and Tamarind Tree Associates, South Africa, and Marcela Terán from Liberation Works for developing the Guide and campaign with us.

Europe Sustainable Development Report 2021 launch – 14th December 2021

By SDG Watch Europe

The Europe Sustainable Development Report will be published on the 14th of December 2021.

On such occasion, SDSN and the Institute for European Environmental Policy have organized a webinar for the long-awaited Europe Sustainable Development Report.

The event will be held on Zoom at 14:00 CET. Registration is required to participate.

For detailed information and registration, please visit the following link: LINK

As SDG Watch Europe, we are very much looking forward to knowing how the EU is performing on the SDGs. The event will have experts & practitioners talking about priorities and transformations to achieve the SDGs.

SDG Watch Europe Online Plenary – 29th Nov. 2021

If you haven’t registered yet, please register here!

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, the EU has launched a recovery plan, the Next Generation EU (NGEU) fund, and other sub-instruments to help the EU move out of the Covid-19 crisis. Yet, the SDGs have played little of a role in these recovery plans and in the implementation of the Green Deal. The EU still lacks behind its commitments to take the SDGs seriously.

In our Fall Plenary, we would like to discuss with all SDG Watch Europe members what success and obstacles the SDG implementation and civil society work have faced in the last months. We will also elaborate on the strategy of SDG WE in the coming year and how to engage members.

Please join our next Virtual Plenary on 29 November 2021 from 12.30 to 16.00.

The Plenary will consist of 3 parts:
1) Panel Discussion with members of the European Commission and the European Parliament on Agenda 2030 and its integration in the European Semester
2) Analysis of SDG Watch Europe activities in the past months
3) Discussion on how to make the SDGs a priority in EU policies

Please find the programme and the link to connect in the document attached just below.

ProgrammeDownload

Online registration for the event is mandatory. Please register at the following link by 27 November 2021.

For more information, please contact secretariat@sdgwatcheurope.org

We are looking forward to a fruitful exchange!

ONLINE: Building Back Better: Towards achieving SDG 8 – 22. Nov 2021 15:00-16:30

By Caritas Europa

Caritas Europa is organising a webinar to assess how the EU and its Member States can advance towards achieving SDG 8, in the context of the COVID-19 recovery. This webinar will build on Pillar II of Caritas Europa’s Social Model on inclusive labour markets – work as a source of well-being and contribute to achieving a more human-centred economy.

Background:

For Caritas Europa, decent work (SDG 8), which respects the rights and dignity of every worker, is an essential part of a human-centred economy. However, decent work for all is still far from being achieved in Europe and the COVID-19 crisis has further worsened the labour market situation across the European States. COVID-19 has had severe socio-economic consequences, especially for those in vulnerable situations, and has impacted the progress many countries had been making with regard to decent work. In the context of the recovery, it is now more important than ever for the EU and its Member States to refocus on achieving SDG 8. What actions could be carried out now to help get us back on track toward achieving SDG 8 by 2030? These questions will be the focus of this webinar with input from people experiencing labour market hurdles, along with the Project Director of the SDG Index, the European Commission, Caritas Europa, and the dicastery for Integral human development.

Programme:

Moderator: Shannon Pfohman

15:00 – 15:10 Maria Nyman, Caritas Europa – Welcome and introduction

15:10 – 15:20 Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Columbia University – Assessment of the state of play on achieving SDG 8, especially following the outbreak of COVID-19.

15:20 – 15:35 Darvas Magdolna, Caritas’ Elderly Care Volunteer Programme and Hebrea Fernandez Bautista, A Todo Trapo Zaragoza – Presentation of their experiences related to employment/labour market

15:35 – 15:45 Cardinal Peter Turkson, Dicastery of Integral Human Development – Perspective of Catholic Social Teaching on the labour market and how to put it into practice.

15:45 – 15:55 Mirzha de Manuel, Member of Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis’ cabinet – Presentation of the Commission’s work on implementing the SDGs at EU level and guiding the Member States towards implementation at national level.

15:55 – 16:25 Q&A

16:25 – 16:30 Wrap-up & conclusions

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/3HIa1vY

SOLIDAR STATEMENT – COP26: Time to Put a Global Just Transition at the Centre!

By SOLIDAR (https://www.solidar.org/en/news/statement-cop26-time-to-put-a-global-just-transition-at-the-centre)

SOLIDAR strongly believes in the need and urgency for a transition towards climate neutral and more sustainable societies in Europe and all over the planet. However, we are convinced that the transition will only be successful if accompanied by real commitment and action, a clear timeline, as well as appropriate investment towards achieving social justice and the well-being of people. We also strongly believe that these processes should be done in consultation with civil society and the people they represent. This is the only way to create the necessary buy-in and acceptance from citizens for the transformations needed, and it is the just thing to do, because people living in vulnerable situations and poverty are disproportionately affected by the climate and environmental crises, despite being the ones that least contribute to it. They are also the ones paying the price of the transition, should policies remain the same. We must do everything in our power to change this.

As highlighted by the European Parliament’s Resolution on the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, “achieving climate neutrality goals requires massive investment and an unprecedented transformation of all sectors of our economies; This transformation towards a new sustainable economic model can only be achieved if it guarantees a just transition, which combines social and ecological progress, improves the well-being of people and leaves no one behind”. SOLIDAR agrees that delivering a Just Transition must start with re-shaping our economies to be more equal, inclusive, transparent, democratic, diverse, feminist, collaborative, circular, and sustainable.

Across the European continent, poverty rates and inequality levels in terms of access to universal social protection and other social rights are rising steeply, with millions of people finding themselves at risk of losing jobs, livelihood, and housing – if they have not already. Numerous forms of discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, disability, age and other grounds are still pervasive in Europe, and workers are faced with rising precariousness of work and inadequate working conditions. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the European Union and its Member States must tackle inequalities and the unequal access to human rights and essential services from an intersectional perspective, create a new world of work that offers decent, high-quality, decarbonised and sustainable quality jobs for all while strengthening social protection systems, and recognise the role and importance of formal, non-formal and informal education in the process of ensuring a Just Transition.

The transition must benefit everyone everywhere. This means that climate action must improve the living and working conditions of all people and communities both in the Global South and in the North, to be truly just.

We therefore call on all Parties involved at COP26 to put Just Transition at the centre. This should be pursued by:

Recognising climate action as an indispensable instrument to reduce social injustice, generate opportunities for people in vulnerable situations and improve people’s wellbeing, quality of life, equality and access to rights.
Upholding the principles of full inclusion and meaningful participation of civil society, trade unions and the most marginalised people in society, which are essential to a Just Transition.
Increasing international climate and development finance and ensuring policy coherence for sustainable development.

In relation to the Global South:

Early industrialised countries, with the EU at the forefront, must do their fair share of climate action and contribute to a fully inclusive Just Transition also in developing countries. We must guarantee due diligence and limit offshoring unsustainable production, always mindful that decisions made in the EU have direct consequences in other parts of the world. This recognition must characterise all policy as we are aiming to achieve the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Fully inclusive and appropriately funded international cooperation and full support and engagement for multilateral solutions are fundamental tools to support these transition processes globally. Climate finance should be new and additional to development finance and comprise equal levels of mitigation and adaptation finance, as well as new sources to address losses and damages. The target of at least $100bn in climate finance per year for developing countries should be met. All climate and development finance should be aligned with the Paris Agreement long term goals and the SDGs.
A fair global taxation system and debt cancellation in the framework of international mechanisms is paramount for developing countries to create the fiscal space they need to invest in their Just Transition.

Further information on COP26:

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, also known as COP26, is taking place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in Glasgow, UK, and is hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy. COP is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the main intergovernmental treaty established to combat “dangerous human interference with the climate system”. The UNFCCC brings together 197 parties, including all UN member states, the State of Palestine and the European Union as a supranational union. At COP26, the Parties are mainly engaging in global negotiations to finalise the ‘Paris Rulebook’, the rules needed to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement, which set the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.