Regional consultation of Major Groups in preparation of the Fourth United Nations Environment Assembly
2018-09-02 - 2018-09-04
Place: Tallinn, Estonia Date: 3-4 September 2018
Registration deadlines:
– For those who need their travel costs covered by the organisers: 30 July 2018.
– For participants who can cover their travel costs or are based in Tallinn, registration is open until 13 August 2018. Limited number of participants can get funding to participate in this event.
Background
The fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly will take place from 11-15 March 2019, in Nairobi, Kenya, under the overarching theme “Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production”. The Assembly will be preceded by a Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum, bringing together civil society organisation from around the globe.
In preparation to the Assembly, a regional pan-European Major Groups and Stakeholder Consultation will take place in Tallinn, Estonia, on 3-4 September 2018.
This consultation will allow representatives of the nine Major Groups from the pan-European region (Western and Central Europe, South Eastern Europe, Israel or Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia) to be actively engaged in the preparatory process of the Assembly, ensuring that regional views and challenges are properly identified and addressed during the Assembly.
For additional information please check the registration link.
For information about your registration, please contact: sonia.goicoechea@eeb.org

High Level Political Forum (HLPF)
2018-07-08 - 2018-07-18 | New York
The yearly UN high-level political forum on sustainable development to discuss progress on Agenda 2030 and the SDGs
It is convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council and will be held from Monday, 9 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018; including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Monday, 16 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018.

European Anti-Poverty Network’s 2018 annual conference "Social Protection for All! How can the Social Pillar and SDGs build stronger welfare states?" - 5 July
2018-07-05 07:00 - 11:00 UTC
EAPN will be holding its annual conference on 5 July from 9:00 – 13:00, at the Crowne Plaza, rue Gineste 3, 1210 Brussels
Access to Social Protection and social inclusion is the third chapter of the European Pillar of Social Rights, with social protection specifically quoted in principle 12: “regardless of the type and duration of their employment relationship, workers, and under comparable conditions, the self-employed, have the right to social protection”. It is now a key element of the Commission’s new Social Fairness Package, with a proposal for a Council Recommendation to improve access to social protection, which will attempt to ensure that all ‘workers’ get access to ‘social protection’, including those currently categorized as ‘self-employed’. Principle 14 on ‘Minimum Income’, aims to provide a basic social assistance safety net for those who fall outside the ‘social protection’ net and is currently a key focus on EAPN’s work coordinating the EMIN project and bus awareness raising journey.
However, the ‘definition’ of social protection, currently at EU level, is limited to only those who are in employment, and ‘pay’ for coverage through work-based contributions. Those who fall outside receive only basic income support safety nets (minimum income). Such an approach fails to ensure equal rights to social protection, at all ages and to all groups, regardless of their employment status, risking increasing poverty and inequality, and undermining a more inclusive and sustainable development model.
The SDGs and in particular the ILO’s Social Protection Floor takes a broader definition on social protection as “basic social security guarantees which secure protection aimed at preventing or alleviating poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion’” aiming to cover all groups for income security and access to public health and other services, through the life cycle.
In the context of the future of work carrying major threats of unemployment and/or increasingly precarious work, an employment contributions model will increasingly leave more people behind and widen the inequality gap.
A new concept of the welfare state and financing is needed and this is what we will explore in our interactive conference, which will:

Present why social protection for all is key, including input from people experiencing poverty;
Discuss the challenges and promising practices from the national level;
Get feedback & debate on access to social protection and guaranteed minimum income with the European Commission, European Parliament, Council & Civil Society partners;
Give special attention to the financing and concept of Welfare states with input from the ILO and other Civil Society Organisations.

Key speakers invited:

Cidália Tomé Barriga, Activist with direct experience of poverty/EAPN PT
Maria Jeliazkova, EAPN BG
Joost Korte, Director General DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
A representative of the Social Platform and Eurochild
A representative of the EMIN project (European Minimum Income Network)
MEP Maria João Rodrigues, Vice-President of the S&D Group and President of FEPS
Jan Farzan, German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs
Audrey Le Guével, Acting Director ILO Brussels
Francine Mestrum, Founder of Global Social Justice
Conny Reuter, Solidar General Secretary

For further information on content, contact Sian Jones (Policy Coordinator) sian.jones@eapn.eu, or on registrations Rebecca Lee (Information & Events Officer), rebecca.lee@eapn.eu
See more information on the conference on the EAPN website : https://www.eapn.eu/20132-2/

Webinar on Gender and SDGs - In preparation on the HLPF 2018
2018-07-03 12:00 - 13:15
Tuesday 3 July, 14:00 – 15:15 CET
Countries are implementing policies and programs to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Gender and equality are cross-cutting issues throughout the 17 goals and 169 targets. In advance of the HLPF on Sustainable Development taking place from 9 to 18 July, the webinar is an opportunity to explore how to ensure gender and equality are at the forefront of SDG implementation, including what gender and equality advocates can do to hold their countries accountable and monitor progress. What are the areas for civil society to influence the SDG process? How to get information if you country is doing a VNR, how to get involved? What are the major groups & other stakeholders?
The theme will be “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”. The set of goals to be reviewed in depth will be the following, including Goal 17:

Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

The focus of the webinar will be on how UN member states and CSOs are preparing to report on SDG 6, 7 and 12, as well as 15 and 16. We will also give examples from CSO questions about the Voluntary National Reviews which member states are presenting.
Agenda and speakers:

Sascha Gabizon, International director WECF: Introduction to HLPF 2018, preparations on Voluntary National Reviews and on SDG6 – Water and Sanitation
Camila ROLANDO, ICTA UAB: SDG 15, 12 and linking to SDG16 to better protect environmental defenders through legal and juridical means
Katharina Habersbrunner, Head of energy and climate WECF: How to assure equal access to save, renewable and affordable energy? What to focus on for the SDG7 review?
Johanna Hausmann, Senior advisor for chemicals WECF: Sustainable consumption and production SDG12 – why are critical problems of waste and toxic chemicals and their impact on women and men missing from the SDG12 review and what to do about it
Q&A

Moderator: Tbd
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Online course: Unleashing the power of the private sector in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (June-July 2018)
2018-06-21 - 2018-06-22
The United Nations System Staff College is pleased to inform you of the upcoming online course, Unleashing the power of the private sector in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development from 22 June to 27 July 2018. This five-week course introduces participants to the different types of private sector entities and demonstrates how strategically engaging with them can help implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It introduces participants to tools to identify common objectives to create shared value and emphasises the importance of mitigating risk. The course also reinforces the need for participants to advocate for placing sustainable development at the core of businesses and investing.
The five-week course will focus on:

Week 1: How partnerships are vital to the 2030 Agenda.
Week 2: The role of the private sector in implementing the 2030 Agenda.
Week 3: How to pursue partnerships with the private sector: frameworks for action.
Week 4: Due Diligence: protecting against reputational risk.
Week 5: Engaging with the private sector: way forward

At the end of the course, participants will:

Benefit from an in-depth understanding of the imperative to engage with the private sector for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the concept of shared value;
Understand that the private sector is not a monolithic entity and how it can be engaged at every level, international, national and local.
Demonstrate an understanding of frameworks to design and tools to develop partnerships with the private sector;
Demonstrate an improved understanding of the importance of due diligence before pursuing engagements;
Be able to articulate the need for and advocate for more private sector engagement in achieving the 2030 Agenda.

The online course combines tutored components with synchronous and asynchronous activities, comprising knowledge acquisition, knowledge application to real-life and training scenarios, as well as group work and collaboration with peers. In addition to engaging in self-paced learning, participants in UNSSC online courses also benefit from live webinars with renowned experts from the UN the private sector and academia, allowing real-time virtual interaction between the instructors and participants.For more information and to register, please visit http://bit.ly/PPS2018-1. Deadline for registration is on 17 June 2018. Should you have questions, please email sustainable-development@unssc.org.

SDG Watch Europe task force to work on the EP election
2018-06-20 09:00 - 12:00
As already discussed at the last plenary meeting of SDG Watch Europe, we will try to facilitate the coordination of several initiatives on EU and national level in preparation of the EP elections. For that, we will form a task force including the organisations and networks that are willing to participate. At this moment, we are drafting the ToR for such a task force and ideas on the joint campaign.
If you are willing to join this task force, you can mark already in your calendar the date of the first meeting and contact leida.rijnhout@foeeurope.org: Wednesday 20 June 10-13h (venue, probably Mundo B)

Call for proposals By European Youth Forum
2018-06-18 - 2018-06-19
The European Youth Forum is looking for a researcher to map the European youth organisations’ contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The deadline for submission of project proposals is 19 June 2018, 23.59 CEST.
Read more

2018 HLPF: Registration now open
2018-06-14 - 2018-06-15
DESA/OISC is pleased to launch the registration process for the high-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF) in 2018, convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. The meeting will be held from Monday, 9 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018; including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Monday, 16 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018.
REGISTRATION LINK: bit.ly/HLPF2018
The theme will be “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”. The set of goals to be reviewed in depth will be the following, including Goal 17. “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development” that will be considered each year:

Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

For more information on the forum, including the 47 countries that will be making their voluntary national presentations, please see the following website: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2018
In accordance with General Assembly resolution 67/270, registration is open for two categories of NGOs to participate in the HLPF:

Organizations in consultative status with ECOSOC; and
Organizations on the CSD Roster.

Deadline for registration: 15 June 2018

Online Course: The Paris Agreement on Climate Change as a Development Agenda (June to July 2018)
2018-06-09 - 2018-06-10
The United Nations System Staff College is pleased to inform you of the upcoming course The Paris Agreement on Climate Change as a Development Agenda. This six-week joint UN Climate Change–UNSSC online course offers a holistic and integrated approach to climate change. It demonstrates the interlinkages and interdependencies between sustainable development and climate change to make informed policy choices towards low-carbon and climate resilient sustainable development.

The course will frame climate change impact and action around five core cornerstones of the 2030 Agenda: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership.

• Week 1: Introduction: Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Climate Action;
• Week 2: Climate Change and People: The Social Dimension of Sustainable Development (People);
• Week 3: Climate Change and Environmental Protection (Planet);
• Week 4: Climate Change and Economic Development (Prosperity);
• Week 5: Climate Change and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (Peace);
• Week 6: Partnerships and Means of Implementation for Climate Action (Partnership).

At the end of the six weeks, participants will be able to:

• explain key elements of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda, and the role of climate action in the broader context of sustainable development;
• identify and articulate the interrelations and inter-dependencies between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in five critical dimensions of the sustainable development: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership;
• identify and articulate best practices to ensure coherence and mutual reinforcement between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• explain existing tools and instruments to mainstream sustainable development and climate action into national development policies and planning.
The online course combines tutored components with synchronous and asynchronous activities, comprising knowledge acquisition, knowledge application to real-life and training scenarios, as well as group work and collaboration with peers. In addition to engaging in self-paced learning, participants in UNSSC online courses also benefit from live webinars with renowned experts from the UN the private sector and academia, allowing real-time virtual interaction between the instructors and participants.For more information and to register, please go to http://bit.ly/CC2018-1 Deadline for registration is 10 June 2018. Should you have questions, please email sustainable-development@unssc.org.

"Inspiring Citizen-Driven Actions for Nature-Based Cities"
2018-06-08 08:00 - 12:00
Friday, June 8, 2018- European Economic and Social Committee
Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, in partnership with the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), are very pleased to invite you to a morning conference:
“Inspiring Citizen-Driven Actions for Nature-Based Cities”
REGISTER NOW
This #EUGreenWeek partner event will take place on Friday 8th June (9.00-13.00) at the EESC in Brussels.
How can transformative actions- including becoming a pesticide-free town– help to preserve nature in cities, strengthen local resilience, and ultimately increase the wellbeing of citizens? Are cities sufficiently empowered to enact the changes needed?
These and other questions will be discussed in an interactive format with speakers from the European Commission, European Green Capitals and inspiring towns and civil society networks from across Europe.
Interpretation available DE, FR and IT.
Special feature will be a pop-up exhibition “Tackling Goliath: How One Small Town Banned Pesticides, Preserved Its Food Heritage, and Inspired a Movement”.
Four years ago the citizens of a small Alpine town in Italy voted in a referendum on the ban of pesticides based on the precautionary principle. The EU precautionary principle enables decision-makers to adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain. 75% of the voters were in favor of the ban and the municipal charter was consequently changed. Conventional apple farmers around the town had three years to adapt. Now the town is facing law suits by the higher government level against the holding of the referendum, and by farmers against the ban.
The event will be followed by a sustainable lunch with plenty of networking opportunities.
Further details can be found here.
We look forward to meeting you soon! Please feel free to circulate this invite.

PROGRAM

REGISTER

Universalising Fair Trade principles through a European Union sustainable - and fair - production and consumption agenda
2018-06-07 08:30 - 16:30
Date: Thursday 7 June 2018
Venue: Union of International Associations (UIA)/ Maison des Associations Internationales, MAI)
Address: 40, Rue Washington 1050 Brussels, Belgium
Morning session (9h30-13h)
In the context of the EU-funded Trade Fair Live Fair project (TFLF), WFTO-Europe in cooperation with the Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) is organising the conference “Universalising Fair Trade principles through a European Union sustainable – and fair – production and consumption agenda”. Its main aim is to engage and seek input from European Civil Society networks and movements in a debate on how we can together “universalise” the principles of Fair Trade. Also, we will aim at collectively define a vision
for Europe in 2024 that would universalise Fair Trade principles for all, in particular how we can make the EU sustainable production and consumption agenda not only sustainable but also fair. This session will be with civil society organisations and possibly some students.
Afternoon session (14h-17h30)
There will be two workshops in the afternoon. The first one is going to be “How to build a successful EP elections campaign”, when we will exchange best practices on how to build a successful campaign for the 2019 European Parliament (EP) elections, by looking back at the past experiences and highlighting the role that different kind of organisations from network organisations to world shops, can play in this context. The second workshop session will be “Shaping together the advocacy demands through the EP manifesto and beyond”, where will be discussed framing and priorities for a possible joint manifesto for the EP elections taking place in May-June 2019 around the themes above, as well as the process in drafting and launching the manifesto. The workshops will be for invited civil society organisations.
If you plan to attend this event of the Biennial Conference, we kindly ask you to fill in this registration form.

European Development Days
2018-06-05 07:00 - 2018-06-06 16:00 | Brussels
Annual event organised by the European Commission on all things related to development cooperation.

European Launch GCAP’s Faces of Inequality Campaign & Workshop on SDG 10 - 4 June 2018
2018-06-04 14:00 - 19:00
Workshop: 15:00 – 17:30
Launch: 18:00 – 20:00
Mundo B – Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Ixelles – Brussels
Please join Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) for the European launch of the Faces of Inequality Campaign with partners, MEPs, academics and civil society representatives from the Global South and Europe to discuss the inequalities we face and what we can do to overcome them.
Before the launch, we will host a workshop on “What should the EU do to implement SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities?” from 15:00-17:30 @ Mundo B. The purpose is to delve more deeply into the policies and actions needed for the EU and Member States to end inequalities.
Please RSVP your participation here.
For questions or suggestions, write to tanja.gohlert@whiteband.org.

What should the EU do to implement SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities?
2018-06-04 13:00 - 15:30 | Brussels
+ European Launch of the Faces of Inequality Campaign by Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)
Mundo B – Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Ixelles – Brussels
You are invited to the European launch of the Faces of Inequality Campaign.
We are living in a world of extremes. Millions of people across the globe suffer from violence, discrimination, hunger, sickness, illiteracy, oppression and extreme poverty. In 2017, 82% of the wealth generated in 2017 went to the richest 1% of the global population, yet 3.7 billion people (the poorest half of the world) saw no increase in their wealth.
Institutional and structural injustice plus unsustainable development is driving rising inequalities – led by a system that puts profits over people. The result? Man-made climate change and the exclusion of women and marginalized communities. Conflict has created the largest number of refugees and migrants since World War II.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while imperfect, offer a framework for transformation. A Southern-led people’s movement is needed, though, to ensure that “No One Left Behind” becomes reality and not a mere slogan. To achieve this, this campaign features the true Faces of Inequality.
All over the world, GCAP national coalitions have already started planning national campaigns and creating Faces of Inequality reports and videos to highlight and challenge inequalities in different countries. The campaign aims to ensure:

Social Protection for all
Tax Justice and Decent Work
Gender Equality and inclusion of marginalised groups in political processes
Climate Justice

Please join an exciting programme with partners, MEPs, academics and civil society representatives from the Global South and Europe to discuss the inequalities we face and what we can do to overcome them.
Before the launch, we will host a workshop on “What should the EU do to implement SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities?” from 15:00-17:30 @ Mundo B. The purpose is to delve more deeply into the policies and actions needed for the EU and Member States to end inequalities.
Please RSVP your participation here.
For questions or suggestions, write to tanja.gohlert@whiteband.org.

Annual conference of the German Council for Sustainable Development
2018-06-03 - 2018-06-04 | Berlin
Registration is already open: https://www.german-conferences.de/rne2018/de
Angela Merkel is expected to attend. SDGs will be part of the discussion.

Application Invitation: 2018 UNLEASH Sustainable Development Goals Innovation Lab
2018-05-30 07:00 - 2018-06-06 16:00

EESC Public Debate: Civil Society indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals
2018-05-28 08:00 - 11:00 | EESC, Brussels, Belgium
In the context of the UN 2030 Agenda, the European Economic and Social Committee invites you to a public debate where we will explore and propose indicators suited to European civil society’s needs for monitoring the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. What is monitored and what is not monitored, in particular the design and choice of indicators, have substantial political implications for how we achieve the goals.
The way data is presented often suggests political direction for where action is needed to make progress. The richness of civil society’s knowledge should enhance statistical numbers, and civil society stakeholders have called for continued development of such indicators with civil society involvement throughout their evolution. The annual revision of the Eurostat study must be an opportunity for broader dialogue with civil society on which indicators to replace, adjust or add to better measure progress towards the 2030 Agenda.
In light of civil society calls for indicators that are grounded in bottom-up knowledge, and in view of the efforts from the first annual Eurostat report on the SDGs that was published last year, this public debate will give civil society the opportunity to recommend an appropriate framework to involve stakeholders in the review of the EU SDG indicators. The Sustainable Development Observatory (SDO) of the EESC will provide a space for discussion and reflection on how organised civil society would like to be better involved in the types of indicators selected for monitoring the SDGs. Panelists will debate options and hear the public’s solutions for a broader and deeper set of qualitative and indicator suggestions, seeking further ways for multi-stakeholder collaboration to meet the SDGs more effectively.
A draft programme and registration form will be available soon. For any questions, please email sdobservatory@eesc.europa.eu

Call for coalitions. By Civitates
2018-05-16 - 2018-05-17
The newly established fund Civitates is proud to announce its first call focused on encouraging civil society organisations from EU member states and EFTA countries to come together and create coalitions to address issues related to the shrinking space for civil society.

This call for coalitions to foster Coalition-Building among Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to address the shrinking space for civil society in Europe is the first launched by Civitates, which was set up by a consortium of 16 Foundations committed to upholding democratic values in Europe. It is hosted by the Network of European Foundations (NEF), based in Brussels.
Civitates aims to strengthen civil society by empowering its actors to respond collectively and more effectively to challenges related to the shrinking space in their country.

Through the creation or reinforcement of existing national coalitions, this call is targeted at strengthening their operational capacities and ultimately their ability to advocate for an enabling environment.

The call will be in two phases. The first phase will provide resources to the initial partners to reach out to potential new partners from different sectors and geographies within one country to reinforce their coalition. The second phase will be dedicated to implementing actions to address the shrinking space for civil society.
For any additional questions, please contact Roy Virah-Sawmy at roy.virahsawmy@nef-europe.org or visit their website https://applications.nef-europe.org/en/call/2018-004-e-Civitates

Sustainable Development Goals vs European Pillar of Social Rights?
2018-05-15 07:00 - 09:00
MAKING TWO FRAMEWORKS WORK TOGETHER
15 May 2018, 8.00 – 10.00
European Parliament ASP A5E1
hosted by Jean Lambert, Greens/EFA
PLEASE REGISTER HERE BEFORE 4 MAY
Eurodiaconia and MEP Jean Lamberts are pleased to invite you to a breakfast discussion in the European Parliament with the title Sustainable Development Goals vs European Pillar of Social Rights? – Making Two Frameworks Work Together.
The event aims to gather key EU policy-makers and stakeholders to discuss how those two frameworks could be brought closer to each other, with the ultimate aim of facilitating and encouraging their effective implementation across the EU. In view of a new post 2020 strategy, the Sustainable Development Goals and European Pillar of Social Rights should play key roles. Therefore, there is a need to discuss complementarities of both frameworks, as well as opportunities and potential challenges of a joint implementation.
Eurodiaconia is a network of 45 social service and healthcare providers founded in the Christian faith, fighting poverty and promoting social justice in 32 countries across Europe. At the occasion of this event, Eurodiaconia will also launch a research paper, which takes a closer look at the EPSR and SDGs and opportunities of bringing them together in a strong overarching framework.
A draft agenda of the event is enclosed. Please register to this event here by 4 May at the latest. Should you have any questions or request for further information, please do not hesitate to contact anne-sophie.wislocki@eurodiaconia.org.

Conference "Sustainability in Europe"
2018-05-14 - 2018-05-15
Green Budget Europe has the pleasure to invite you to the conference entitled “Sustainability in Europe”, which will be held on Tuesday 15 May 2018, at the Martin’s Brussels EU Hotel.
Register here

Financial support is available to local level civil society groups
2018-05-05 - 2018-05-06
As part of the project Make Europe Sustainable for All, financial support is available to local level civil society groups campaigning on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We welcome applications for local project proposals in 15 countries (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain) before the closing date of 6 May 2018.
Proposals coming from one of the mentioned countries could be eligible either for a smaller grant of up to €1000 (LOT 1, 3 projects will be selected in each of the project countries) or a grant of up to €7000 (LOT 2, three projects will be selected across the project countries).
The micro grants are meant to encourage creative activities and actions around the SDGs at the local, grass-roots level – from street actions to workshops, from stunts to educational activities, involving local citizens, young people and students, local groups, local policy-makers and many more.
Get a grant here!

‘Challenges to democracy: looking past 2018’
2018-05-04 08:00 - 09:30
4 May 2018 , 09:00 – 10:30, EESC, Brussels
The European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) in cooperation with its member the European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA) kindly invites you to a discussion on the key challenges to democracy and European support for democracy.
The discussion offers an opportunity for practitioners, civil society representatives and donors to reflect on the impact technological, geopolitical and cultural changes are having on democratic governance, and what this means for the future. As part of the discussion, EPD will introduce its ongoing review of where EU democracy support stands 10 years after all EU member states agreed to an EU Agenda for Action on Democracy Support in the EU’s External Relations. This event is the first of a series of EPD events on EU democracy support.
Please register here by 24 April 2018.
For more information, please contact Ruth-Marie Henckes: ruthhenckes@epd.eu

GET UP PHOTO CONTEST - Promote gender equality at school, at work, in the society
2018-04-29 - 2018-04-30
The contest #get_up project via ALDA (European Association for Local Democracy) invites European citizens to think and express, through original shots, stereotypes and gender differences in education, training and career, imagining a future free from gender inequality. 3 photo subjects to call your shot combined with 3 challenges; #wasteoftalent, #genderpaygap, #worklifebalance.
The 6 most evocative photos will be billposted in the cities and towns of the country’s network (Italy, Bulgaria, Belgium, France, Lithuania, Malta), covered on social media channels and awarded during formal labor and culture events in various European cities. See more about the contest here. Deadline: 30 April 2018

Nominations Open for Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2018!
2018-04-29 - 2018-04-30
The Václav Havel Human Rights Prize aims to reward outstanding civil society action in defending human rights in Europe and beyond. Candidates should have made a real difference to the human rights situation of a given group, been instrumental in uncovering large-scale systemic violations, or have successfully mobilised public opinion or the international community for a cause. It will be awarded on 8 October 2018 in Strasbourg. Deadline for nominations: 30 April 2018. For more information, please visit Václav Havel Human Rights Prize 2018.

Open sessions at Civil Society Europe General Assembly
2018-04-25 - 2018-04-26
In the framework of our Annual General Assembly that will be held next Thursday 26 April, we are having some open sessions that might interest you:
from 10:00 to 11:00 Strategic Debate with the European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly on civil dialogue and transparency of decision-making within EU institutions
from 11:30 to 12:30 : session on civic space with the European Federation of Journalists and Reporters without Border
from 13:30 to 15:30 session on the General Data Protection Regulation and its implications on CSOs with a certified trainer an a representative of Belgium Privacy Commission
If you are interested in any of these sessions, please register at this link under “other participant”.
Please email contact@civilsocietyeurope.eu if you need further details

Documentary on Child Prostitution & Round Table: LOVE
2018-04-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Chapel for Europe, 22 rue Van Maerlant, Brussels
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world. The civil war and the Ebola epidemic have left the young population orphaned and helpless. The only solution that many minors consider to survive, eat and pay their studies is engaging in prostitution.
In September 2016, the Salesians of Don Bosco Fambul started in Freetown a program to rescue them from prostitution, accept them and look after them in a family environment.
After the documentary, Fr Jorge Crisafulli sdb,director of Don Bosco Fambul-Freetown will explain their ‘Girls OS +’ program aiming to recover the dignity of underage girls who work as prostitutes in order to survive and followed by a debate with Angel Gudiña, Executive Secreatry of Don Bosco International.

Progressive Caucus meets Civil Society. A New Scenario for Europe
2018-04-10 10:30 - 12:00 | European Parliament – JAN4Q2
(with the participation of Friends of Earth Europe, SDG Watch Europe, CEEweb for Biodiversity)
10th April – 12.30 – European Parliament – JAN4Q2
Social Inclusion / Democracy in Europe / Economy and Sustainability / Trade Policies

Progressive Caucus invites you to an open discussion with representatives from more than 250 NGOs. MEPs and civil society representatives will discuss on convergences towards a new vision for Europe. The basis of the discussion will be Progressive Caucus’s Missing Scenario for Europe and the NGO’s 6th Scenario: Sustainable Europe for its Citizens. For external accreditations please send an email to the progressivecaucusep@gmail.com.
The Progressive Caucus is a space of dialogue based on confidence-building and open debate. Ιts aim is to analyse differences and build bridges between progressive allies in the European Parliament and across Europe. It has been established by progressive MEPs of different political groups and is open to everyone in the community of the European Parliament standing for solidarity, democracy, social justice and sustainability. In the Progressive Caucus participate MEPs from the S&D, the Greens/ EFA and the GUE/ NGL groups.

Global Festival of Action for Sustainable Development
2018-03-21 08:00 - 2018-03-23 17:00
WCC, Bonn

Multi Stakeholder Platform Management Commitee meeting
2018-03-14
The Multi Stakeholder Platform is created by the European Commission to give advice on implementing the SDGs in Europe. Several members of SDG Watch Europe follow this process. For details: contact FTAO, EEB, FoeE

SAVE THE DATE: Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region
2018-03-01 08:00 - 2018-03-02 17:00 | Geneva, Switzerland
What? Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region // 1-2 March 2018 // International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG)
Who? Participation is open to governments and all relevant stakeholders.
