United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
1. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, has the governing body of your organization taken (or will it take) any decisions or new strategies to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If any, please provide a brief summary below, including the overarching vision of your organization.
At its sixty-seventh session on 26-27th April 2017 (E/2017/37 E/ECE/1480), the Economic Commission for Europe decided to establish the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), which while retaining its intergovernmental character, would serve as a regional mechanism to follow-up and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It decided also that the Regional Forum will focus on practical value added, taking into account the work of existing regional bodies and mechanisms, including peer review mechanisms, while avoiding additional reporting burdens for member States, and contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by:
- creating a space for UNECE member States for peer learning and the exchange of policy experiences and good practices in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals;
- providing a regional and subregional overview of progress and challenges in implementation that would complement analogous reports at the global level;
- enhancing regional and subregional cooperation and addressing transboundary issues;
- providing a platform for the participation and contributions of all relevant stakeholders, including international and regional organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector, following the relevant provisions of the 2030 Agenda and the corresponding decisions of the Economic and Social Council.
The Economic Commission also decided to a adopt a high-level statement that, on the occasion of its seventieth anniversary, reflected on the challenges ahead and the contribution of the organization to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:
- The implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the UNECE region will require a strong focus on issues such as poverty reduction, inclusive and sustained economic growth, productive employment, and environmental protection, which are inherently interlinked and require an integrated response. Gender equality and the empowerment of women also need to be considered across all sectors and areas of activity. UNECE can facilitate effective solutions by strengthening cross-sectoral work across its programmes - from trade, transport and environment to energy, forests, housing and statistics - and by strengthening its partnerships with other international organizations, the private sector, and civil society.
- A transformative shift towards an environmentally sound, more sustainable economic model based on the goals of 2030 Agenda is required. UNECE can have a positive impact in this regard through the development of norms, standards, and classifications in the multiple sectors in which it works and its other activities. The collaboration between the public and the private sectors can contribute to deliver this transformative shift.
- UNECE, including through its sectoral activities and working bodies, provides an important platform to support its member States in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. To achieve a strong and sustainable progress towards 2030, UNECE convenes the Regional Forum for Sustainable Development. In order to help its member States to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, UNECE will continue to provide technical assistance, expertise, and capacity building activities.
2.1 SDG-specific strategies, plans or work programmes
UNECE's work programme is focused on supporting member States in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through concrete and results-oriented activities in eight broad areas or subprogrammes: environment, transport, statistics, economic cooperation and integration, sustainable energy, trade, forestry and timber, and housing, land management and population.
In all of these areas, the Sectoral Committees, their subsidiary bodies and other intergovernmental groups have assessed the relevance of their activities against the SDGs, made adjustments in their work programmes in support of the 2030 Agenda and continue to explore further opportunities to enhance their contribution to SDG implementation.
For example, in October 2017, the UNECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry and the FAO European Forestry Commission adopted the Warsaw Integrated Programme of Work, which realigns their work with the relevant forests related SDGs, in particular SDG15, 12 and 7 as well as the UN Strategic Plan for Forests.
Going beyond the efforts made so far by each subprogramme on aligning their activities with the SDGs, a particular concern has been on how to use the UNECE multi-sectoral structure to tackle SDGs in a cross-sectoral, integrated manner, including by reaching out to other partners.
For example, UNECE has launched a cross-sectoral partnership/initiative across its industrial safety, housing and land management and environmental assessment units to support sustainable and resilient cities and communities (SDG 11), through: 1) the development and support to the implementation of the UNECE Guidance on Land-Use Planning, the Siting of Hazardous Activities and related Safety Aspects, and 2) the organization of the exchange of experiences and good practices on land-use planning and the siting of industrial facilities.
An example of partnerships to tackle SDGs in an integrated manner is the role of UNECE as a co-organizer, together with WHO, UNEP, WMO, UNFCCC secretariat and CCAC, of the First Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health (30 October – 1 November 2018, Geneva), aiming to contribute to the implementation of SDG 3, 7, 11 and 13.
2.2 Aligning the structure of the organization with the transformative features of the 2030 Agenda, including any challenges and lessons learned in doing so
SDG alignment offers a reference framework to increase the impact of UNECE activities. This alignment should be understood as a dynamic process, where new opportunities can be explored and acted upon, while respecting existing mandates and within currently available resources, to better serve the demands of member States and the UN system. Opportunities will likely lie in new cross-sectoral activities, as the 2030 Agenda creates new possibilities for collaboration that reflect the linkages between different goals and targets. In order to better position the organization to take advantage of these opportunities, the Secretariat is creating cross-divisional teams as flexible arrangements to strengthen established synergies/complementarities among UNECE sub-programmes and identify possible new activities in high-impact areas. These areas are: sustainable use of natural resources; sustainable and smart cities; sustainable mobility and smart connectivity; and measuring and monitoring SDGs. Composition of the teams would be flexible and engage staff most relevant to the tasks at hand. This informal set-up will operate within existing mandates and does not imply changes in the subprogrammes or intergovernmental structures.
2.3 Readjusting or updating results-based budgeting and management, including performance indicators:
UNECE, as with all UN secretariat departments, will implement new planning and budget frameworks in line with decisions taken by Member States on the SG's management reform to strengthen the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
2.4 Action to enhance support to the principle of "leaving no one behind" and to integrated policy approaches:
Please see answers to the questions above.
3.1 Mainstreaming the SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies:
UNECE is a signatory to 17 UNDAFs in its region, providing its normative and related advisory services to programme countries at the national level and ensuring linkages in the work of the UNECE with other UN entities. UNECE also contributes its expertise by participating in inter-agency Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) missions. Up to date, UNECE took part in the MAPS and pre-MAPS missions in Serbia, Montenergo, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
3.2 Mainstreaming the SDGs in sectoral strategies, including specific SDG/target strategies:
There are multiple instances of UNECE support to its member States in the different sectors in which it operates. For example, since 2017, the ECE Environmental Performance Reviews (EPRs) have integrated the review of relevant SDGs and, in this way, provided support to countries in the implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda and in mainstreaming the SDGs in sectoral strategies. The three EPRs conducted in 2017 (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mongolia) provided an assessment and recommendations with regard to a number of SDG targets. They also address systemic issues such as the existence of policy and institutional frameworks for SDG implementation, adoption of national targets and indicators, data gaps for SDGs, national ownership and means of implementation. These recommendations provide guidance to the Governments and other stakeholders in designing concrete policies and measures to achieve the SDGs. The UNDA Project “Evidence‐based environmental governance and sustainable environmental policies in support of the 2030 Agenda in South‐East Europe” (2018-2021), implemented by ECE in cooperation with UNEP, UNDP and the United Nations Country Teams, will support five countries of South‐East Europe in formulating actions based on their Environmental Performance Reviews in order to achieve relevant SDGs.
Some of the technical assistance is provided to member States to support the implementation of international conventions and other normative outputs, which contribute to advance specific SDGs. For example, the assistance programme under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution assists countries in building capacity on developing emission inventories and in the analysis of their national air quality assessment and management policies. The programme assists in analysing legislation to identify gaps and provide recommendations on further steps towards ratification.
UNECE has also supported the alignment of national and regional efforts with global initiatives that contribute to the implementation of SDGs. For example, In the area of forest and in collaboration with other partners, UNECE has organised a Ministerial Roundtable on Forest Landscape Restoration and the Bonn Challenge in the Caucasus and Central Asia (21-22 June, Astana, Kazakhstan). The Roundtable shared experiences, discussed approaches for unlocking financial resources and provided an opportunity for selecting areas for reforestation.
3.3 Data and statistical capacity building:
National statistical offices (NSOs) play a key role in producing the data necessary for the follow-up and review of SDGs. In order to guide the work of the NSOs, UNECE has prepared a Road Map on statistics for SDGs. The Road Map gives guidance on steps to set up a system for providing statistics for SDGs in a country, such as establishing national mechanisms for collaboration, assessing the availability of data, developing national indicators, building capacity and communicating statistics for SDGs. Following the recommendations in the Road Map, countries have made good progress in improving data availability for SDGs. Work continues to develop different tools to support the implementation of the Road Map in practice. In addition, UNECE is providing assistance to the countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) and South-East Europe (SEE) under the UN Development Account 10th tranche programme on statistics and data. The capacity development focuses on one hand on cross-cutting and institutional issues such as implementation of the UNECE Road Map on statistics for SDGs and modernisation of official statistics, and on the other hand on specific thematic areas like environmental, economic and social statistics aiming to improve availability of data in these areas, including data on SDG indicators.
UNECE in cooperation with UNEP and UN Country Teams is implementing since 2018 the project "Improved environmental monitoring and assessment in support of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda in South-Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus" (2018-2021) funded by the UN Development Account. The project is strengthening the capacities of national environmental authorities and statistical agencies in 7 countries to collect and produce required data and to use environmental indicators in accordance with the Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS) principles. It aims to improve the accessibility and use of regularly updated and high quality environmental indicators, within the framework of SEIS, to respond to international indicator-based reporting obligations, including monitoring progress towards environment related Sustainable Development Goals. The SEIS aims to improve the collection, exchange, dissemination and use of environmental data and information to facilitate regular environmental assessments and reporting in the UNECE member States.
Other sectoral subprogrammes include also some specific forms of support covering data issues in their areas of work. For example, the ECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section provides specific capacity building to countries to collect data to measure the achievement of SDG15.
3.4 Science, technology and innovation for the SDGs:
UNECE supports a programme of Innovation for Sustainable Development Reviews, which are conducted at the request of member countries. The reviews provide a comprehensive assessment of the innovation capacities, strengths and weaknesses of the county under review and the potential contribution of innovation activities to contribute to sustainable development. A number of policy recommendations are derived from this assessment. Capacity-building activities are carried out to help countries in the implementation of these recommendations.
UNECE is also embracing innovation and the adoption of technological solutions in its sectoral subprogrammes. For example, together with the International Telecommunications Union, it has launched the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative, which has been joined by other partners. The work under this initiative has explored the potential of ICTs to improve public services and new forms of smart governance. A major focus is placed on encouraging public-private collaboration to develop smart sustainable city projects and promote innovation. UNECE has also developed recommendations to facilitate the uptake and development of carbon capture and storage technologies, which can make a significant contribution to climate change mitigation.
Under the UN Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), UNECE has been working on the elaboration of a regional innovation strategy for this group of countries. The Governing Council at its 12th session on 6th December 2017 adopted the Conclusions and Recommendations of the 2017 SPECA Economic Forum on “Innovation for the SDGs in the SPECA region” and underscored the importance of elaborating an innovation strategy for the SPECA region to achieve the SDGs. This strategy should identify possible innovation policies to realize regional synergies and scale up economies for the achievement of SDGs.
3.5 Multi-stakeholder partnerships:
SuM4All (Sustainable Mobility for All) is a global, multi-stakeholder partnership that acts collectively to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and transform the transport sector. UNECE plays a leading role as a member of the SuM4All Steering Committee and a co-lead in two of the five open-ended working groups, those on Safety and Efficiency.
3.6 Sub-national plans/strategies and implementation for the SDGs:
UNECE's housing subprogramme together with other partners works with local authorities to develop initiatives supporting smart and sustainable cities. The United Smart Cities programme aims to address the major urban issues in particular in medium-sized cities in the UNECE region and supports the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the local level. It was launched in April 2014 by UNECE and OiER, and contributes to the work of the U4SSC initiative. Activities under this programme include the preparation of a Smart Sustainable City Profile with recommendations for action and a city action plans for the implementation of these recommendations.
3.7 Leveraging interlinkages across SDG goals and targets:
There are different instances in which UNECE supports countries in exploiting the linkages that exist between different goals and targets for enhanced impact. A prominent example is the ECE-WHO/Europe Transport, Health and Environment Pan European Programme (THE PEP), which is a policy framework to promote mobility and transport strategies that integrate environmental and health concerns. THE PEP secretariat is organizing a capacity-building activity to strengthen capacities of national authorities of countries in Central Asia on integrating THE PEP, its Priority Goals and SDGs in national policies (Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 20-21 November 2018). The Steering Committee of the Transport, Health and Environment Pan European Programme (THE PEP) will be discussing the interlinkages between its programme of work and SDGs for the second consecutive year in December 2018.
Another example of support to integrated policymaking is the Assistance Programme under the UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention, which helps countries in the management of technological hazards, and the reduction of related risks. Through the development of national self-assessments and action plans, and fostering their alignment with disaster risk reduction strategies and action plans, UNECE encourages the development of integrated policies towards resilience to disasters, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.
UNECE carries out assessments of the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus in trasnsboundary basins of the pan-European region and beyond. A nexus (or inter-sectoral) approach to managing the interlinked resources can enhance water, energy and food security by increasing efficiency, reducing trade-offs between competing uses, building synergies and improving governance across sectors. The assessment aims at identifying, together with the concerned sectors and relevant stakeholders, 1) hindrances to and opportunities for additional and equitable sharing of benefits from stronger integration across sectors, and 2) practical solutions for improving security and for reconciling the different sectors' needs.
4.1 Supporting the intergovernmental body of your organization in contributing to the thematic review of the HLPF:
The Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region is the main regional mechanism for follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In 2017 and 2018, the topics covered reflected the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) theme and the SDGs under in-depth review of the relevant year. In 2018, Member States contributed case studies on policy experiences on water, energy, sustainable cities and communities, sustainable consumption and production, sustainable forest management and biodiversity. This body of knowledge, which was compiled according to standardized criteria, was circulated prior to the Forum.
The Report of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region is the official input from the UNECE region to the High Level Political Forum.
4.2 Contributing to policy/background briefs for the HLPF:
UNECE has contributed to the "Accelerating SDG 7 achievement" policy briefs in support of the first SDG 7 review at the UN High-level Political Forum 2018, including Policy brief No. 1 "Achieving universal access to electricity", No. 3 "Substantially increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix", No. 4,"Doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency", No. 5 "Financing SDG 7", No. 9 "Water-energy-food nexus for the review of SDG 7", No. 14 "Interlinkages between energy and sustainable cities", No. 15 "Interlinkages between energy and climate change", No. 16, "Interlinkages between energy and transport". It lead the development of policy briefs No. 20 "Achieving SDG 7 in the UNECE region (Central Asia, Europe and North America") and No 27 "Indicators and data for energy for sustainable development".
In addition, UNECE has collaborated with UN Water in the preparation of the SDG 6 Synthesis report.
4.3 Helping organize SDG-specific events in the preparatory process:
As mentioned above and described more extensively in question one, UNECE organizes the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region, in close cooperation with other UN system organizations.
4.4 Organizing side evens or speaking at the HLPF:
UNECE co-organizes nine side events covering a large variety of themes. In a joint side event of the G77 partners and the Regional Commissions the discussion will focus on how to promote technological progress while supporting inclusive economic growth. In a side event, co-organized by the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section, possibilities to establish a UN partnership for Sustainable Fashion will be explored. The UNECE Water Convention Secretariat, together with other partners, focuses the discussions of their side event on transboundary water cooperation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Together with ECLAC, UNECE aco-organizes a side event on environmental democracy for sustainable societies. UNECE's Housing and Land Management Unit co-organizes two side events on access to adequate and affordable housing and on smart cities. Further side events co-organized by UNECE focus on the topics of "Blockchain for Transformation", "SDG 7 Tracking" as well as on "SDG implementation in the Western Balkans".
4.5 Supporting VNR process:
Regional Preparatory Meetings for VNR countries of the UNECE region were organized by the Division for Sustainable Development of UN DESA with the support of UNECE the day before the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region in 2017 and 2018.
The Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region acts as an effective link in the overall architecture for the follow-up and review of the SDGs by providing a regional dimension that facilitates the connection between the national and global levels. In 2018, it included an exchange of views on how the Voluntary National Reviews have or can contribute to SDG implementation, thus providing a regional context to the discussions on existing follow-up and review mechanisms.
5. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations to achieve coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? In this regard, has your organization launched or intend to launch any joint programmes or projects in collaboration with other UN entities? Are there any results or lessons you would like to highlight that might help improve the design and impact of such efforts? Has your organization participated in any of the following coordination systemwide mechanisms or any other relevant platform - CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT? Please specify which and indicate any suggestions you may have about improving collaborations within and across these mechanisms/platforms:
UNECE participates in the CEB, UNDG, ECESAPlus, UN-Energy UN-Water, IAEG and IATT.
The United Nations Regional Coordination Mechanism for Europe and Central Asia (RCM) coordinates the work of the organizations of the UN system at the regional level. It promotes cooperation among United Nations regional entities and their various partners in addressing regional, cross-cutting policy issues and provides regional perspectives to the global level. The RCM is chaired by the Executive Secretary of UNECE. In the UNECE region, there is an established practice of joint meetings of the Regional Coordination Mechanism and the Regional United Nations Development Group for Europe and Central Asia. The joint UN work in the region has evolved over the past few years from information exchange and coordination to joint analytical work, advocacy, country support and positioning towards the 2030 Agenda. This has led to a number of visible results in terms of UN thought leadership in the region and to being recognized as a useful cooperation model to increase regional and country-level impact.
In addition, there are a number of existing and new partnerships that focus on particular sectors. For example, UNECE and FAO have been working together for over 70 years through their Joint Forestry and Timber Section. This partnership and joint office are proving vital also vis-à-vis the work on SDGs, in particular as work on data, monitoring and assessment is undertaken jointly thus avoiding duplications, overlaps and inconsistencies.
In the work on statistics for SDGs, UNECE works in close collaboration with a number of other agencies that are involved in statistical work within and outside the UN. There is good cooperation with UNSD and other regional commissions, especially ESCAP-Through its Statistics Division, UNECE participates in the work of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs). It is also a member of the Issue-based coalition (IBC) on statistics and data, an initiative emerged within the Regional Coordination Mechanism.
UNECE has initiated and actively contributes to the Inter-agency coordination group on Industrial Accidents, which includes also UNEP, OCHA, WHO, UNISDR, ILO, OPCW, OECD, EU and its Joint Research Centre, and other organizations, which agrees on joint actions to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the SDGs and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and inputs to global processes, such as the UNISDR Global Assessment Report 2019.
UNECE and UNDP have been supporting efforts in the Western Balkans sub-region to identify the challenges and opportunities for acceleration of the SDGs in line with the focus of these countries on accession to the EU. They jointly commissioned a report by UNRISD on opportunities for transformation in the context of the Western Balkans, EU Accession, and the 2030 Agenda. This cooperation will continue in 2018 with support to the Government of Serbia, to host a SDG stocktaking sub-regional meeting, which is intended to create dialogue between UN entities in the region to jointly support these countries.
6. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups, both in supporting implementation at the country, regional and global levels, and within your own organization? If yes, please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned:
UNECE seeks to involve different stakeholders in its various activities. Civil society organizations actively participate in the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region. The outcomes of a civil society meeting that takes place the day before the Forum are reported to the plenary and civil society representatives engage in the different discussions during the Forum.
The involvement of the private sector figures prominently in the work of the Working Party on Public-Private Partnerships. But private sector involvement also takes place in other sectoral work. For example, UNECE work on forests engages with the private sector, to discuss and take action on the sustainability of the sector.
7. Has your organization organized any conferences, forums or events designed to facilitate exchange of experience, peer and mutual learning? If yes, please provide a brief summary below and include lessons learned and gaps identified based on the outcomes of these events. Please also include any events you plan to organize in the coming years.
The Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE region places a major emphasis on peer-learning and the exchange of policy experiences and good practices in the implementation of the SDGs, reflecting the wishes expressed by UNECE member States. In order to facilitate peer-learning and make discussions in smaller groups possible, the 2018 Regional Forum included ten parallel round tables.
At the sectoral level, there are multiple initiatives that focus on peer-learning or have a peer-learning component. For example, UNECE organises regular Expert Meetings on statistics for SDGs (in April 2017 and April 2018, in Geneva). The Expert Meetings serve as a platform for exchange of experience and mutual learning for experts who are responsible for providing statistics for SDGs in their countries. The meetings have also served as a catalyzer for closer cooperation between the involved international organizations. These meetings are appreciated by participants being a unique place to exchange practical experience in this area and have thus attracted participation from a number of countries outside the region. The meetings conclude with action items to be implemented that will support countries in their practical work. The third Expert Meeting on statistics for SDGs is planned to take place in April 2019.
Peer-learning is also related to drawing lessons in the context of specific programmes or activities. For example, in October 2017, an open-ended meeting was organised back-to-back with the 28th session of the UNECE Environmental Performance Review (EPR) Expert Group to discuss the experience of integrating SDGs in the framework of EPRs. This meeting facilitated peer learning on the progress towards implementation of SDGs in the reviewed. In autumn 2018, the EPR Programme will organize a peer-learning workshop targeted at environmental authorities in the EPR-reviewed countries to enhance the capacity of environmental authorities to implement relevant SDGs based on their EPRs.
An important goal of peer-learning activities is bringing together experts from different backgrounds. For example, UNECE recently organized a peer-learning seminar on land-use planning and the siting of hazardous activities, which brought together experts from the industrial safety, land-use planning and environmental assessment/strategic environmental assessment communities. The meeting facilitated peer learning of national experiences and good practices, and the implementation of various legal instruments and guidance, in particular the UNECE Guidance on Land-Use Planning, the Siting of Hazardous Activities and related Safety Aspects.
There is also a linkage between the lessons derived from peer-learning and the development of further activities. For example, in the area of forests, UNECE regularly organizes workshops to exchange experiences on sustainable forest management monitoring and implementation involving all countries in the region. Based on the gaps identified, UNECE organizes ad hoc capacity building and Policy Dialogues in selected countries.
8. Is there any other information you would like to share, including annual reports of your organization and any impact assessment or evaluation reports? If yes, please use the space below and attach the document(s). Please also use this space to provide any other information, comments or remarks you deem necessary:
The annual reports of the UNECE can be found at http://www.unece.org/publications/annualreports/topics/annual_reports.html
9. In your view, what should a strategic plan for the UN system in support of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs look like? What key elements should it include and major challenges address in such a road map?
The Secretary-General's report on "Repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda: our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet" provides an overall view of necessary changes to ensure more coherent, accountable and effective support for the 2030 Agenda.
The regional dimension should be an essential component in the overall architecture – from the global to the national – required for the successful delivery of change at the country level. System-wide coherence must be accompanied by the exploitation of the opportunities for enhanced impact resulting from the consideration of regional issues. This consideration should take place at two intertwined levels: analytical and operational. There are a number of critical questions for sustainable development that require not only a regional context for analysis but also concerted action at the regional level. This regional dimension should be appropriately reflected in the new generation of UNDAFs.
Coordination of efforts will remain a major challenge for the effective consideration of the regional dimension. On one hand, this concerns the work of different actors at the regional level. But, on the other hand, this also includes the coordination of different national actions. The extent to which this national coordination takes place would be a measure of the success of international cooperation.
10. Please indicate one or two endeavor or initiatives you suggest that the UN system organizations could undertake together to support the implementation of the SDGs between now and 2030:
The speed of SDG implementation depends on the engagement of multiple actors, not only governments but also the private sector and civil society. This engagement will be the key driver for change, and will ultimately translate in shifts in the way in which resources are used, both regarding consumption and investment.
How to secure and strengthen this continued engagement is therefore a critical challenge. UN organizations need to be active and present in the main policy debates of our time with a single and coherent voice, showing the relevance of SDGs to confront these collective challenges. This would widen the space for support and contribute to accelerated implementation.
In order to advance this goal, it is necessary to develop strong information and dissemination campaigns that focus on the benefits of progress towards SDGs and the costs of inaction. These initiatives should be data-rich and evidence-based. Developing strong links with the scientific community and influencing research agendas would help to shape public opinion and mobilise coalitions for change.
Raising finance would be critical for progress. High-level initiatives to mobilise resources, working with multiple partners, would therefore be important to advance the implementation of the SDGs. An example is the United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund (SDG 3.6), which was launched with the aim to accelerate progress in improving global road safety during the most recent General Assembly in April 2018. UNECE hosts the secretariat of the Fund and will be extensively involved in the establishment and operations of the Fund together with many other United Nations organizations relevant to and having interest in improving global road safety (e.g. UN regional commissions, WHO, World Bank, UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNICEF, UNDP). The Fund will also engage other road safety stakeholders such as national governments, private sector, civil society, academia, and donors).