| FEATURED 14 Cities Discuss Common SDG Commitments, “Worldwide Movement” Towards VLRs 18 June 2019: The Brookings Institution issued a brief on the experiences of 14 “SDG Leadership Cities,” including recommendations for SDG implementation by cities. The brief is based on discussions at a meeting in Bellagio, Italy, to “advance a city-specific perspective and consensus” on localizing the SDGs. European Cities Index Compares Sub-National Progress on SDGs 22 May 2019: The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Brabant Center for Sustainable Development released the ‘SDG Index and Dashboards Report for European Cities.’ The report compares the performance of European capital cities and selected metropolitan areas on the SDGs. UN Launches Disability Inclusion Strategy to Serve “World’s Largest Minority Group” 11 June 2019: UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced that the UN will implement a disability inclusion strategy, and he pledged to make the UN fully accessible to all. Launching the strategy during the annual conference on the Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Guterres stressed that disability inclusion is central to the promise of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. |
| NEWS UNDP, IRENA Partner to Advance Low-Carbon Energy Transition 18 June 2019: The UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) announced a partnership to accelerate the transition to low-carbon energy and help achieve sustainable development. World Day Showcases Innovations in Sustainable Land Management 17 June 2019: As the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) marked its 25th anniversary, numerous commemorative events took place to celebrate the World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) on 17 June. Various initiatives announced on the Day, which was themed ‘Lets Grow the Future Together,’ focused on advancing sustainable land management (SLM) and achieving the UNCCD’s target of land degradation neutrality (LDN) by 2030. UN Sets Plans for 75th Anniversary, Common Theme for All UN Events in 2020 14 June 2019: The UN General Assembly has approved arrangements for a high-level commemoration of the UN’s 75th anniversary in September 2020. The UN will also mark the signing of the UN Charter in June 2020. In the course of consultations on the commemoration plans, 169 civil society organizations sent a letter to the co-facilitators underscoring the need to incorporate the diversity of voices represented by civil society. DIHR Recommends Responsible Business Conduct in Connection with Human Rights, 2030 Agenda 12 June 2019: The Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR) published a discussion paper that explores the connections between human rights, responsible business conduct and the 2030 Agenda. The paper cautions against “corporate compartmentalization of the UNGPs and the 2030 Agenda,” and issues several recommendations for businesses and States. SDG 10 Experts Declare “Nothing is Immutable About Inequality” June 2019: The World Bank and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) released key messages from discussions at the expert group meeting (EGM) on SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). The EGM concluded that inequality is a “political choice”; if governments work with partners to promote fiscal, legal, policy and political environments with unifying narratives and provide equal opportunity, trust in institutions and between groups of people can be strengthened and social cohesion sustained. |