ENB Update – 15 July 2019 | HLPF 2019 | ISA-25 Part 2

Jay OwenSustainability News

Monday, 15 July 2019

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Daily Reports

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HLPF 2019

15 July 2019 | UN Headquarters, New York

HLPF participants discussed “moving from words to action” on financing for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on Monday morning. Reporting on progress, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs said official development assistance (ODA) in 2018 went down by 2.7% in real terms from 2017, with a reduction in aid to least developed countries and African countries.

Seven countries presented their voluntary national reviews (VNRs) for the second time in the first cycle of the HLPF: Azerbaijan, Chile, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Turkey. In the afternoon, participants discussed lessons from four years of VNRs, highlighting challenges related to, among other things: data accuracy, collection, and disaggregation; lack of meaningful stakeholder involvement; institutional fragmentation; lack of adequate country ownership; and lack of follow-up after presentations at HLPF.

This was followed by a wrap-up session of the first five days of HLPF 2019. Highlighting key messages, ECOSOC President Inga Rhonda King highlighted, among other things, the importance of investing in data capacity, and the role of science in shaping policies. She urged governments to speed up implementation and kickstart transformative action.

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ISA-25 Part 2

15 July 2019 | Kingston, Jamaica

On Monday, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) started its deliberations, addressing national legislation with respect to activities in the Area and the implementation of the 2018 Council decision relating to the summary report of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC) Chair. The Council also started its consideration of components of the draft regulations for exploitation of mineral resources in the Area, focusing on the financial model and the outcomes of the relevant Working Group.

In the breezeways, the ENB notes that delegates are closer to developing a common understanding on the building blocks of the exploitation regulations, including the financial model, but there is still a long way to go to reach consensus as some prioritize realistic commercial practices and others rank higher environmental protection and equitable benefit sharing. Read full report

Side Events[See photos]

 

Coverage of Selected Side Events at HLPF 201915 July 2019 | UN Headquarters, New York