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The Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) originated in “The Future We Want,” the outcome of the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development, when Member States were laying the groundwork for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The negotiators knew that the 2030 Agenda would be complex, and unprecedented in ambition, and that a siloed approach to development would not be adequate. They recognised the power of science to understand and navigate relationships among social, environmental and economic development objectives, and so they called for a report to strengthen the science-policy interface.
In 2016, Member States decided that the report should be produced once every four years, to inform the quadrennial SDG review deliberations (SDG Summit) at the General Assembly, and that it should be written by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General. They mandated that the Group would consist of 15 experts representing a variety of backgrounds, scientific disciplines and institutions, ensuring geographical and gender balance.
The 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report, The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development, was the first report prepared by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. The second Global Sustainable Development Report written by an Independent Group of Scientists is slated for release in September 2023.
The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report will be launched as the world approaches the half-way point of the 2030 Agenda and struggles to rebuild in the aftermath (or in the midst) of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, practical solutions that can accelerate progress on the SDGs will be urgently needed. The 2023 Report will build on the 2019 Report providing evidence that can help decision-makers to accelerate action and overcome impediments that stand in the way of progress on sustainable development. The focus will be on accelerating transformation through important entry points and enabling science to support this acceleration.
Regional Consultations
SDG implementation is achieved primarily at the local, national, and regional level. To inform the GSDR as an assessment of assessments, the Independent Group of Scientists (IGS) is conducting a series of regional consultations with policy makers, experts, and practitioners in different geographic regions to gather insights from a diverse range of local perspectives and experiences. Consultations are conducted both virtually and in-person
The IGS are collecting perspectives from different regions and stakeholders including context specific priorities, challenges, and opportunities as well as scalable, practical tools to accelerate progress. In these consultations, the IGS are seeking perspectives from scientists, government officials in their technical capacities, private sector experts, members of civil society, youth, indigenous people, people with disabilities, and stakeholders at all levels.
Please see below for further information on each consultation.
Recent & Upcoming Regional Consultations
Latin America and the Caribbean, 7-9 November, Peru
Africa, 14-16 November, Senegal
Asia and the Pacific, 28-30 November, Philippines
Africa, 30 November - 2 December, Malawi
Western Asia, 24-25 January 2023, Qatar
Japan: On 29 March the Japan SDGs Action Promotion Council, in partnership with UNDESA, hosted the Japan SDGs Action Forum with a designated GSDR Sessions. Please see the programme here. Summary Report available here.**
China: On 2-3 December 2021, the Research Institute for Eco-civilization and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (RIEco) co-hosted the Symposium on Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 (GSDR2023) and China’s SDG Progress and Practices, with support from UNDESA. Summary Report available here.**
Photos
Ms. Åsa Persson and Mr. Norichika Kanie presented the GSDR messages in Davos.
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Videos and Media
Recent Presentations by the Independent Group of Scientists:
Mr. Jaime Miranda spoke in Townhall Meeting on “Building back better and advancing the SDGs”
Mr. Ambuj Sagar spoke in Townhall Meeting on “Building back better and advancing the SDGs”
Mr. Jiahua Pan spoke in Panel on “Mobilizing and sharing science, technology and innovation for an SDG driven recovery”
Ms. Asa Persson spoke in Fireside Chat on “Working towards the 2023 SDG Summit”
UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue: COP26 Fireside Chat with GSDR Scientists
Advancing equitable livelihoods in food systems: A UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue
A virtual dialogue between IGS and private sector representatives
Ms. Nyovani Madise spoke in the Open Science Conference session on “Policy Makers and Open Science”
The Future of Population Growth: UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue
Independent Group of Scientists
Scientists
Mr. J. Jaime Miranda (Co-Chair)
Director of the CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases, at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Mr. Ambuj Sagar
Vipula and Mahesh Chaturvedi Professor of Policy Studies and the founding Head of the School of Public Policy at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Mr. John Agard
Director of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Mr. Sergey N. Bobylev
Head of the Center for Bioeconomy and Eco-Innovation at Moscow State “Lomonosov” University
Ms. Shirin Malekpour
Senior lecturer and researcher at Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University
Mr. Jaime C. Montoya
Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Chair of the Health Sciences Division and Secretary, National Academy of Science and Technology
Mr. Jiahua Pan
Director of the Institute of Eco-civilization Studies and Professor of Economics, Beijing University of Technology, Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Journal of Urban & Environmental Studies.
