ENB Update – 19 July 2019 | HLPF 2019 | ISA-25 Part 2

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HLPF 2019 19 July 2019 | UN Headquarters, New York

The High-level Segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) met on Friday to discuss visions and projections for the future of the SDGs, and long-term trends and scenarios. Presenting highlights from the Sustainable Development Outlook 2019, Liu Zhenmin said implementation of the SDGs is made more challenging by lower GDP growth, 1% below the growth rate during the period of the Millennium Development Goals (2000-2015), and the looming risk of sudden deterioration of financial conditions is a further risk.

In the panel discussion on visions and projections for the future, participants discussed the importance of political will, stakeholder participation, and data. In the session on long-term trends and scenarios, they drew attention to decision-making and SDG implementation at a time of uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of some solutions, such as the transformational benefits or potential dangers of new technologies. On inclusion, “moving with, not for” marginalized communities was highlighted by many, along with respect for cultures and contexts. ECOSOC President Inga Rhonda King concluded the session, saying ECOSOC and HLPF are providing a platform to nurture a discussion on these issues. Read full coverage

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ISA-25 Part 2 19 July 2019 | Kingston, Jamaica

On Friday, the Council of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) finalized its deliberations, addressing all pending agenda items, including: the report on matters relating to the Enterprise; issues relating to the election of members of the Legal and Technical Commission (LTC), and the LTC Chair report; and the pattern of meetings for the Council and LTC for 2020.

In the breezeways, the ENB notes that the last day’s deliberations were unexpectedly hindered by the unwillingness of some delegations to engage in informal discussions. Despite the disagreements that surfaced under some agenda items resulting in deferring controversial decisions to the next session, a cordial atmosphere prevailed throughout, allowing for cautious optimism for reaching common ground. Read full report