HLPF 2018: Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies

WECF is participating in UN's central platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs)

Countries:	International
Donors:	DEVCO, GIZ, WMG
Partners:	Women's Major Group
Issues:	SDGs, gender equality, national reporting
Duration:	07/2018 - 07/2018

We are attending the High Level Political Forum (HLPF), the yearly summit on the SDGs, with our Women2030 project partner and on behalf of Women's Major Group (WMG) as the regional organisational partner for UNECE. The forum takes place 8-18 July, and the weeks kicks off with two civil society strategy meetings, one of which is the Women's Major Group's.

The theme of the conference is "Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies". The SDGs under review this year are the following:

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
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Our aim

Our political aim is to implement the above SDGs, in accordance with the political aim of Women's Major Group, with the below overarching themes:

Intersectional feminism
Systemic barriers (militarism, corporate influence & neoliberalism, consumption & production, shrinking civil society)
Indigenous women
Geopolitical (Global North, Global South)
Holistic life-cycle approaches
Rights holders and duty bearers must work together

Voluntary National reviews

47 countries will present their Voluntary National Reviews during the ministerial meetings. This is the reporting mechanism in place to ensure that countries are implementing Agenda 2030 (the SDGs). Civil society, whom have carried out shadow reports parallel to their country's VNR, will also be given the chance to pose their concerns and questions directly to their country delegations during the second week of HLPF. Two of our partner countryes are reporting, Albania and Armenia, and Aleksandra Kumbuli as well as Emma Anakhasyan are joining our HLPF delegation to present their shadow reports (as produced under the women2030 project).

Important dates

29 June, 11:00 AM EDT - WMG webinar on SDG 7
2 July, 11:00 AM EDT - WMG webinar on SDG 12 (WECF is speaking)
3 July, 2:00 PM CEST - WECF webinar (with UNECE focus)
3 July, 9:30 AM EDT - WMG webinar on SDG 11
6 July, 10:00 EDT - WMG webinar on SDG 15 & 6
8 July - MGoS strategy meeting & WMG strategy meeting
9-18 July HLPF
- Week 1: review of SDGs 6,7, 11,12,15
- Week 2: VNR and closing ceremony on Ministerial Declaration
- Currently ongoing, and during all of HLPF: negotiations on Ministerial Declaration
10 July - WECF’s side event on SDG 12 & 15 (1:15 pm in conf room 12, UNHQ)
11 July - WMG’s side event on VNRs (1:15 pm in conf room 7, UNHQ)
Find all official meetings & side events here (under “programme”)

Our campaigns

#FeministDemand - This is the main hashtag for our members engaging in HLPF 2018. You can tap into the policy dialogues, using the hashtag – whether you are attending the forum or not. Follow the hashtag to get the latest updates on gender equality and sustainable development.
#Nodirtybusiness - When Executive Director of UNEP, Erik Solheim compared civil society with Terrorists, while endorsing several huge multinational corporations such as Walmart and Exxon, it became quite clear that we have a huge problem with corporate power’s influence over UN processes. This campaign is to move the lens from rhetorics of individuals’ responsibility to live sustainably, to the big polluters who put profit over people. We want them to be held accountable for their actions, and push for system change. Civil society holds governments accountable at HLPF, through the voluntary national review (VNR) process, but not businesses. Yet, major corporations play an active part in blocking the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since this year the SDGs under review are all linked to areas where there is corporate capture, it is key that we do some myth busting on their “solutions”. We will not let multinational corporations green wash their hands!
Women’s Human Rights Defenders (#HandsOffWHRDs) - 2016 and 2017 were some of the deadliest years for women’s human rights defenders (WHRDs) fighting on the frontline for their human rights and environmental justice. This campaign will show what real wonder women look like, honour freedom fighters and raise awareness of the work left to do to ensure their safety and full enjoyment of their human rights.

Important documents

WMG’s Position Paper 2018

WMG UNECE's input to the outcome document of the UNECE RFSD

Albania's Voluntary National Review

WMG factsheet on SDG 6

Our delegation consit of:

Sascha Gabizon (WECF international, Women's Major Groups UNECE regional organising partner), Hanna Gunnarsson (ibid, stand-in WMG organising partner for the UNECE region), Ida Bakhurdize (WECF Georgia), and our local partners Aleksandra Kumbuli (Women for Development, Albania), and Emma Anakhasyan (Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment & RURADALF, Armenia).

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