United Nations University (UNU)
Q1. How have the COVID-19 pandemic and the current food, energy and financing crises changed the priorities of your organization?
The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the priorities of all institutes of the United Nations University (UNU). The UNU Charter mandates the University to “devote its work to research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations and its agencies.” UNU therefore strives to be an agile and responsive institution, able to quickly pivot its research efforts to address emerging issues and urgent concerns. UNU’s ability to quickly modify its research agenda was clearly shown by the University’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic with numerous institutes undertaking new research initiatives that contributed to better understanding and response to the pandemic, and/or adjusted their ongoing projects to incorporate COVID-19 considerations.
UNU researchers recognised how the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted consumption and production processes including current crises related to food, energy, and finance. As the pandemic exposed the fragility of many social and economic systems relevant to these areas, UNU institutes sharpened their focus on the processes, practices, and governance of product cycles and values to enhance sustainable water, waste management, energy and food systems.
The pandemic also required changing work methodologies, adjusting project timelines, and coordinating with external partners and donors to comply with local pandemic social-distancing restrictions. Particularly affected were those projects that rely heavily on firsthand information; the projects were assessed to determine just what data is required, and how to collect it. Projects requiring fieldwork quickly developed contingency plans, such as moving planned onsite activities online and reaching out to local stakeholders who could carry out safe, on-the-ground data collection.
Q2. How has your organization supported Member States to accelerate their recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda? How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations in these efforts to achieve coherence and synergies?
Governmental and public reaction to the pandemic underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation that is guided and supported by interdisciplinary research and evidence-based, pragmatic advice. This is where UNU excels. Below are some of the examples of UNU institutes’ engagement:
• publishing reports on how COVID-19 has affected progress on implementation of the SDGs
• investigating data marginalisation in COVID-19 data monitoring systems
• conducting new research on egovernment responses and adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath
• exploring the pandemic’s ramifications for the education sector, with a focus on higher education and the involvement of youth, as well as undertaking research on the impact of COVID-19 on gender inequality
• analysing the impact of COVID-19 on the food, water, waste, and energy sectors, and regional differentiation issues in a range of sectors that are affecting COVID-19 recovery in Africa and other regions of interest. In more detail are the selected high impact initiatives demonstrating UNU’s ability to work with other UN entities and stakeholders.
Please highlight up to three high-impact initiatives, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs and involves interagency collaboration. Concrete initiatives might be selected to be spotlighted during relevant intergovernmental meetings.
| Initiative | Re-thinking Risks in Times of COVID-19: Understanding and managing cascading and systemic risks: lessons from COVID-19 |
| Partners | United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) |
| Relevant SDGs | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative | Ecuador, Togo, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Germany |
| Description | The UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) partnered with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to produce the report “Re-thinking Risks in Times of COVID-19: Understanding and managing cascading and systemic risks: lessons from COVID-19”, which dives into the systemic nature of risks revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This report was launched at the Seventh Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2022), 23-28 May 2022, in Indonesia and is published under the larger “The Cascading Risks: Learning from COVID-19” (CARICO) project which seeks to increase understanding of systemic and cascading risks associated with COVID-19 and other climatic and natural hazards. The report presents cross-cutting findings from five case studies in different countries (Ecuador, India, Togo, Bangladesh, and Indonesia), touching on different social and environmental issues, and highlighting lessons learned on the prevention and management of risks. |
| Website | https://ehs.unu.edu/media/press-releases/covid-19-sparked-new-thinking-… |
| Initiative | Gender and Health Hub – Research Agenda Setting on Gender and COVID-19 |
| Partners | WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS at UNAIDs, UNFPA, UN Women, University of the Western Cape |
| Relevant SDGs | 3, 5, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative | Global |
| Description | The “Research Agenda Setting on Gender and COVID-19”, an initiative by UNU-IIGH and University of Western Cape, seeks to redress the insufficient integration of gender in research priorities and efforts to implement the COVID-19 Research Roadmap coordinated by WHO. Through a series of webinars and a community discussion board, this crowd-sourced collaborative, anchored in the Global South, engaged with 900 participants. As a result, a session on gender responsive research priorities was convened at the WHO COVID-19 Global Research & Innovation Forum in February 2022. The outcomes of the Forum informed the development of WHO’s revised COVID-19 Global Research and Innovation Roadmap with clear goals, priority actions and milestones. The initiative is a part of the larger multi-stakeholder platform, The Gender and Health Hub, which brings together global experts, practitioners, and thought leaders to advance gender equality in health. In 2022, the Hub published the methodology, initial findings and recommendations from its gender and COVID-19 research agenda-setting exercise. |
| Website | https://iigh.unu.edu/about/unu-iigh/pillar-two/research-agenda-setting-… |
| Initiative | Supporting Indonesia’s G20 presidency under the theme “Recover Together – Recover Stronger” |
| Partners | G20 Foundation, Government of Indonesia |
| Relevant SDGs | 8, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative | Indonesia, other G20 nations, global |
| Description | The UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT) has been supporting Indonesia’s G20 presidency by providing an analysis of current global digital skills developments and trends and their implications for society and the economy. The assessment and analysis will facilitate the eventual development of various policies and programmatic interventions needed to foster the current and future workforce required for digital transformation and to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The project is further aimed at accelerating COVID recovery efforts and encouraging a successful recovery from the pandemic. Ultimately, the project is informed by the notion that help for digital entrepreneurs and business players to remain innovative and prosper in this age of digital economy expansion is determined by the availability and equitable access to robust and affordable digital connectivity. |
| Website | https://indonesia.go.id/g20/?lang=2 |
Q3. Has your organization published or is it planning to publish any analytical work or guidance note or toolkits to guide and support recovery efforts from COVID-19 while advancing full implementation of SDGs at national, regional and global levels?
As the UN’s academic arm and think-tank, UNU generates policy-relevant knowledge which spans the full breadth of the 17 SDGs. As the pandemic unfolded, UNU institutes were able to pivot to include new research initiatives and projects that contribute to a better understanding and response to the pandemic. Outputs which support such recovery efforts include publications, analyses, toolkits, and guides a sample of which can be found on UNU’s dedicated web page to its response to COVID-19: https://unu.edu/covid-19
Please select up to three high-impact resources to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs. Selected resources will be highlighted to inform relevant intergovernmental meetings.
| Resource | Rethinking Risks in Times of COVID-19 |
| Publishing entity/entities | UNU-EHS |
| Relevant SDGs |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 17 |
| Target audience | Governments, donors, the UN, and entities engaged in COVID-19 recovery efforts |
| Description | UNU-EHS and UNDRR published the report “Rethinking Risks in Times of COVID-19”, shedding light on the complexity of risks in a highly interconnected world, and present lessons for risk management. Focusing on COVID-19, the report shows how, through the interconnectedness of societies and the underlying vulnerabilities within them, the direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic have revealed the systemic nature of risk. Through a case study approach, it demonstrates how the pandemic triggered a multitude of impacts far beyond the direct health crisis, including joblessness, debt, civil and domestic violence, and the derailment of their children’s education, among others. |
| Website | https://unupublications.org/ehs/carico/ |
| Language | English |
| Resource | Strengthening Wastewater Monitoring and Surveillance for COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases |
| Publishing entity/entities | UNU-IAS |
| Relevant SDGs |
3,6 |
| Target audience | Local and regional governments, entities engaged in COVID-19 recovery efforts |
| Description | UNU-IAS published this brief offering policy recommendations for scaling up wastewater surveillance as a cost-effective strategy for early detection and monitoring of infectious diseases. Focusing on low- and middle-income countries, it identifies the main challenges and opportunities for integrating wastewater surveillance systems into national and regional disease surveillance frameworks. The brief further details how this can provide a better understanding of the prevalence and evolution of diseases in communities and strengthen early detection of future outbreaks. |
| Website | https://collections.unu.edu/eserv/UNU:8774/UNU-IAS-PB-2022-No31.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Resource | Gender and COVID-19 Global Research Agenda: Priorities and Recommendations |
| Publishing entity/entities | UNU-IIGH |
| Relevant SDGs |
3, 5, 17 |
| Target audience | UN entities, policy makers, researchers, entities engaged in COVID-19 recovery efforts |
| Description | Gender and COVID-19 Global Research Agenda: Priorities and Recommendations is a policy brief published under the Research Agenda Setting on Gender and COVID-19 initiative by UNU-IIGH and the School of Public Health at the University of Western Cape (UWC). The policy brief outlines the methodology, initial findings, and recommendations from UNU-IIGH and the UWC’s co-convened collaborative gender and COVID-19 research agenda-setting exercise. |
| Website | https://www.genderhealthhub.org/articles/what-why-and-how-gender-covid-… |
| Language | English, Portuguese, Spanish, French |
Q4. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups to support SDG implementation and COVID-19 recovery at national, regional and global levels? Please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned. For example, what has worked particularly well as a model for effective stakeholder engagement?
UNU’s unique identity as both a research institution and a knowledge partner within the UN system enables it to facilitate collaboration between diverse constituencies as well as serving as a bridge between the UN system, academic communities, and international policymaking communities. UNU institutes have established multistakeholder partnerships at local, national, regional, and global levels.
If your organization has established multi-stakeholder partnership(s) in this regard, please describe them (name, partners involved, relevant SDGs, Member States benefiting from the partnership) and provide links to relevant websites for more information.
Some highlights of effective stakeholder engagement In 2022 include:
- UNU-CPR engaged with diverse national, regional and international partners to apply research findings. These included the South African Money Laundering Integrated Task Force (SAMLIT) to promote implementation of the Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking Blueprint and to establish a Survivor Inclusion Initiative in the country; the Colombian NGO ANAPAZ to conduct focus groups with ex-combatants and develop gender-responsive interventions; and an International Organization for Migration (IOM) Malaysia project which commissioned Delta 8.7 to research the prevalence and nature of migrant trafficking in Malaysia, supporting implementation of the Government of Malaysia’s National Action Plan on Anti-Trafficking in Persons 2021-2025. Additionally, UNU-CPR led a research symposium in Nepal which brought together 70 Migration for Development and Equality (MIDEQ) researchers from the UK and 12 countries in the Global South. The event was attended by senior officials from the Nepali Ministry of Justice and senior representatives from the IOM, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and Save the Children.
- UNU-IAS contributed to the “Transforming Education Summit” (16–19 September 2022), in which more than 130 countries committed to overcoming the global crisis in education. UNU-IAS organised a session as part of Solutions Day (17 September), the only event focused specifically on higher education. With a diverse panel of speakers — including UNU-IAS Board members, representatives of governments, universities, and research institutes, and youths — it explored how to bridge diverse sectors and stakeholders for a whole-society approach to mainstream climate education towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The session was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Universities of Spain, the Ministry of Education of Bhutan, UNESCO, and the UNFCCC Secretariat.
- UNU-INRA has a strong presence in Africa, with its headquarters in Ghana and its network of five operating units in Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Namibia, and Zambia. This enables the institute to work closely with local actors across the continent and monitor natural resource management trends in the region. The operating units represent UNU-INRA’s presence on the ground. They provide research personnel for empirical findings and fieldwork, and facilitate collaboration with national and sub-national governments as well as relevant civil society, professional, trade, and specialist academics, as well as other stakeholders. This ensures that the institute’s research engages with local actors directly on the ground, making it context-specific, policy-relevant, and endogenously owned.
- UNU institutes focus on enhancing the participation of diverse stakeholders to co-create solutions. The UNU Institute in Mackau has established participatory modelling is a flagship tool that the Institute hopes to implement in support of its core pillars on “participatory approach” and “system thinking”. The joint venture between the Institute and the International Digital Health & AI Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) is an example of how participatory modelling can be used to prepare for the next pandemic. The pilot phase of the granted project is currently ongoing.
| Partnership | Third Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development |
| Partners | UNDESA, UNFCCC, Ministry of the Environment of Japan, the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) |
| Relevant SDGs |
1, 4, 13, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from it | Global |
| Description | The UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) worked closely with UN partners to organise the Global Climate & SDGs Synergy Conference, a major UN event held at UNU in Tokyo that engaged over 2,000 leaders and experts (20–21 July). Delegates shared insights, best practices, proposes solutions, identified approaches to align and coordinate action and find synergies between action on climate change and sustainable development. UNU-IAS led one of the parallel sessions focused on just transition, empowerment, knowledge, and skills, which underlined the responsibility to ensure that solutions left no one behind. It recognised that the social dimensions of the SDGs were vital enablers for climate action, yet they remained neglected in national climate plans. Participants highlighted the need to place equity and justice at the forefront of all decisions, ensure inclusion throughout the policymaking process, and avoid short-termism. A 2-day workshop further engaged high-school students to scale up youth-led action. |
| Website | https://ias.unu.edu/en/news/news/global-climate-sdgs-synergy-conference… |
Q5. In the 2019 SDG Summit declaration (GA Resolution 74/4), Member States outlined ten priority areas for accelerated action in SDG implementation. Please highlight any major integrated and innovative policies or initiatives that your organization may have adopted in these ten priority areas:
5.1 leaving no one behind
UNU World Institute for Development Knowledge Research (UNU-WIDER) researchers and partner entities used tax-benefit microsimulation modelling to assess how government policies in five Sub-Saharan African countries, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia, in the areas of taxation and social protection, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that existing tax benefit systems were ineffective in preventing an increase in poverty and inequality in the face of the pandemic. The findings demonstrate the limits of African tax-benefit systems, as they existed at the onset of the crisis, and the weak contribution of additional measures taken in response to the crisis. The study provided valuable insight for governments in the developing world to navigate through the COVID-19 crisis. As part of the Global Climate & SDGs Synergy Conference, held at UNU in Tokyo (20–21 July), UNU-IAS led a parallel session focused on just transition, empowerment, knowledge, and skills, which underlined the responsibility to ensure that solutions left no one behind. Participants recognised that the social dimensions of the SDGs were vital enablers for climate action, yet they remained neglected in national climate plans. Participants highlighted the need to place equity and justice at the forefront of all decisions, ensure inclusion throughout the policymaking process, and avoid short-termism.
5.2 mobilizing adequate and well-directed financing
UNU-INRA and UNU-CPR collaborated to carry out the Earth-Shattering research project. The objective of the research was to develop an understanding of the relationship between contemporary slavery and natural resources in the context of COVID-19 and the climate catastrophe. It examined the driving forces of modern slavery in the artisanal gold mining and cocoa sectors in the Ashanti and Western Regions of Ghana in order to identify opportunities for the financial sector to improve environment and human rights due diligence, to increase the identification of illicit flows from modern slavery and human trafficking (MSHT), and to contribute to an increase in protection for the most vulnerable and at-risk communities. The Pacific Small Island Developing States are highly vulnerable to natural hazards, but generally have limited capacity to effectively manage the risks or overcome the significant economic losses caused by a disaster. UNU has collaborated with UNCDF, UNDP, and other key stakeholders to address the challenge by developing disaster risk financing instruments (including climate risk insurance) through the Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme
5.3 enhancing national implementation
UNU-IAS’ Governance for Sustainable Development project contributes to discussions on implementation and follow-up of the SDGs. It proposes policies and frameworks for a long-term transformation towards sustainable societies, with a strategic focus on developing multi-stakeholder partnerships to mobilise knowledge, technology, and financial resources for achieving the SDGs. The project analyses national goal-/target-setting and implementation processes and explores the role and design of (sub-)national and regional science-policy interfaces and their local and global interlinkages. UNU-IAS has published the Policy Brief “Strengthening Wastewater Monitoring and Surveillance for COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases.” This brief offers policy recommendations for scaling up wastewater surveillance as a cost-effective strategy for early detection and monitoring of infectious diseases. Focusing on low- and middle-income countries, it identifies the main challenges and opportunities for integrating wastewater surveillance systems into national and regional disease surveillance frameworks. It details how this can provide a better understanding of the prevalence and evolution of diseases in communities and strengthen early detection of future outbreaks.
5.4 strengthening institutions for more integrated solutions
UNU-INRA’s Covid-19, food, farms, and energy efficiency in Africa (COFFEE) project, funded by the German Environment Agency, studies the impact of COVID-19 on the food and energy sectors in Cote d’Ivore and Senegal, and examines the level and scale of adoption of green and sustainable technologies in these sectors. Further, government’s COVID-19 recovery plans and policies will be reviewed to determine the specific provisions governments have made to support the adoption of green and sustainable technologies through entrepreneurship in the food and energy sectors. UNU-IAS contributed to the 21st Session of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA), on the theme “Transforming institutions and governance to build forward better towards 2030” (4–8 April 2022, NY). Invited as an official observer, UNU-IAS provided expert inputs through a detailed written statement and interventions during the session. These focused on the need for coherent policy and governance to build back better at the sub-national level, approaches for integrating the SDGs into budgetary processes, and accelerating the digitalisation of public services. The institute’s evidence-based inputs were reflected in the official report on the session, which was recognised by ECOSOC in resolution E/2022/44.
5.5 bolstering local action
The UNU Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) has collaborated on the HI-PATH project, to map the outcomes of livelihood innovations for climate adaptation and co-create climate-resilient development pathways for upscaling of these innovations, with a focus on influencing relevant long-term adaptation planning and policy processes. HI-PATH builds on the HI-AWARE project, which introduced the livelihood innovations for climate adaptation.
5.6 reducing disaster risk and building resilience
UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute (UNU-MERIT) is involved in a multi-year project with the WFP to assess the outcomes of WFP's humanitarian and development aid for refugees and vulnerable populations affected by natural and human caused disasters in Kenya from 2019 to 2023. These interventions are implemented through one of the strategic outcomes of WFP's five-year Country Strategic Plan. This component seeks to ensure that targeted groups have access to food and can meet their food and nutrition needs throughout the year. Interventions include an electronic voucher, unconditional cash transfers delivered via bank accounts, vocational youth training, training and technical support to local retailers, school feeding, malnutrition prevention and treatment and relief activities. The project also assesses the user experience, efficiency, and the contributions to financial inclusion of the technological innovations that is used to deliver social transfers e.g., mobile phones and mobile money systems and electronic bank cards.
5.7 solving challenges through international cooperation and enhancing the global partnership
UNU -EHS brings perspectives from non-state actors to inform climate actions through the People’s pathways to climate action - Climate Academy project. The project, whilst covering a wide range of SDGs, refers specifically to SDG 13. In this context, science-based participatory approaches are needed to provide hope and direction. The climate academy programme aspires to address these challenges through a series of dedicated events. The “People’s Pathways to Climate Action – Climate Academy” 2021 is being jointly organized by UNU-EHS and Munich Re Foundation in collaboration with the UN Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC). The UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) collaborates with UNESCO, the International Organization on Migration (IOM), FAO, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other agencies and institutions to help better understand the complex causes and consequences of water-related displacement specifically on women and girls and distill lessons from key water-related migration processes and crises internationally. In 2022, UNU-INWEH published the Migration and Water: A Global Overview report, which aims to unpack relationships between water and migration. The report examines global agreements, institutions, and policies on migration to provide an aggerated outlook as to how international and inter-agency cooperation agreements and policies either reflected or are missing on water and climate crises as direct or indirect triggers to migration. UNU Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and Resources (UNU-FLORES)’ project, “Framework for Organizational Decision-Making Process in Water Reuse for Smart Cities” (SMART-WaterDomain) is an international project – with 11 partners from research institutes in Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, and Japan, funded under the EIG-Concert Japan, with the German partners being funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aims to develop a systematic framework to initiate the intelligent reuse of wastewater resources, and additionally will serve as an assessment mechanism for companies and industry. This project actively supports the interface between public and private stakeholders, and the cross-sectoral synergies have the potential to facilitate the effective connection of water and complementary sectors, such as energy and waste, as well as advocating water reuse as a major facet of environmental management. UNU-CRIS hosted the “Second Online Summer School on Comparative Regionalism: The Future of Regionalism After the COVID-19 Pandemic”. Taking place virtually from 30 May – 03 June, the main aim of the summer school was to expose participants to the field of research on comparative regionalism in the context of post-pandemic world order, inviting them to rethink the role of regions and regional frameworks in addressing socio-economic, political, and geopolitical challenges.
5.8 harnessing science, technology and innovation with a greater focus on digital transformation for sustainable development
UNU Operating Unit on Policy Driven Electronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) and UN DESA have collaborated on the production of the biannual “UN e-Government Survey,” the most recent conducted in 2022. The Survey is the only global report that assesses the e-Government development status of all the UN Member States. Two instruments, the e-Government Development Index (EGDI) evolution, which assesses e-Government development at national level, and the Local Online Service Index (LOSI), which assesses e-Government development at the local (municipality) level, have become indispensable benchmarking, ranking, mapping, and measuring development tools for ministers, policymakers and analysts delving into comparative analysis and contemporary research on eGovernment. The SMART-WaterDomain project serves as a bridge between technology and know-how among the IT sector, industry, and the community. It addresses the gap between theoretical technical capabilities and their practical application in socio-political and cultural environments. The project aims to develop a systematic framework to facilitate the uptake of smart reuse of wastewater resources and serve as an assessment mechanism for companies to integrate these techniques into their value chains. Pilot studies are being conducted across Europe (e.g., Germany, Poland, Slovakia) and Japan. The project engages in utility operational framework development with critical stakeholders to produce digital decision support and monitoring tools that utilise real-time data and climate change projections.
5.9 investing in data and statistics for the SDGs
UNU-EHS is part of the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Living Deltas Research Hub, which works with delta-dwellers and policymakers to develop solutions that can help better realise the SDGs in delta specific contexts. The institute leads the WP5 group to work with stakeholders in the Mekong and Red River Deltas in Viet Nam and in the Ganges Brahmaputra Meghna Delta in Bangladesh and India to develop improved delta-level SDG monitoring and a new indicator-based assessment framework focusing on delta-specific SDGs. The Hub is innovative as it emphasizes transdisciplinary integration of the earth and life sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts, to address these common challenges. It operates on a model of ‘equitable partnership,’ involving delta dwellers and the research community in developing knowledge and policy for better delta futures. The Hub strives for lasting impact through improved livelihoods and more resilient communities, sustainable management and conservation, improved monitoring of SDG indicators and better policies for sustainable development.
5.10 strengthening the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
UNU-IAS advanced policy dialogue as part of the 2022. The institute’s contribution centred on two official side events, driving discussions on synergies and trade-offs between climate action and the SDGs, and ecosystem restoration to build back better from COVID-19. 1. Climate Action and the SDGs — Closing Gaps and Strengthening Synergies explored how to close critical gaps between the two agendas. It was organised by UNU-IAS in collaboration with other UNU institutes (UNU-EHS and UNU-MERIT), UN DESA, the UNFCCC Secretariat, MOEJ, and IGES. 2. Partnership in Action for Well-being: The Satoyama Initiative and Building Back Better, discussed the unique approach and value of the Satoyama Initiative, and how it can contribute to achieving the SDGs and recovering from COVID-19. This was a collaboration with Conservation International, UNDP, the CBD Secretariat, and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ).
Q6. Following the adoption of the 2022 Ministerial Declaration, please highlight any major integrated and innovative policies or initiatives that your organization may have adopted related to the below, if applicable:
6.1 Member States encouraged "the United Nations system and all relevant actors to take advantage of emerging technologies and their applications, as appropriate, in order to maximize impact and effectiveness in data analysis and collection and stress the need to bridge the digital gap among and within countries" (Paragraph 86)
UNU institute in Macau published a report titled The Emerging Digital Divides: Covid-19 and European Youth Work, which reveals new insights into the emerging forms of the digital divide among European youth workers. Using an open-ended survey and three online focus groups, the report examines characteristics of two groups: digitally included and digitally or partially digitally excluded youth workers. It suggests that youth workers and youth organizations require strategic and ongoing support to participate in the digital transformation in an informed, proactive, and meaningful way.
6.2 Member States specifically called upon the UN system "to work with the newly established United Nations Food Systems Coordination Hub, hosted by FAO, to support Governments to develop and strengthen SDG-based national pathways for sustainable food systems transformation" (Paragraph 128)
UNU has no current projects working directly on the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub, however, there are ongoing UNU projects with the FAO relevant to sustainable food systems including:
• UNU-WIDER’s project on Supporting the functioning of food markets by facilitating timely access to market information which aims to address crucial information gaps in agricultural and consumer price data in Mozambique that have a direct bearing on rural population and those worse-off.
• UNU-EHS’ project “Agrophotovoltaics for Mali and The Gambia: Sustainable Electricity Production by Integrated Food, Energy and Water Systems (APV-MaGa)” which aims at establishing Agrophotovoltaics as a sustainable energy system that provides food, water, and electricity to the local population in Mali and Gambia while increasing resilience of the agriculture sector against climate change.
• UNU-FLORES projects on:
o Vertical Farming for Urban Food Security: Social Acceptance and Policy Recommendations for Building Communities
o Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture and Climate Change: Impacts, Mitigation, and Adaptation
o Role of Participation in Achieving Sustainable and Resilient Agri-food Systems in Face of Emerging External Shocks.
Q7. The 2023 SDG Summit is expected to provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development and follow-up and review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, including through national and regional consultations, which will mark the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the SDGs. In the lead up to the 2023 SDG Summit, please provide your organization’s recommendations on how to overcome challenges to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs, taking into account the thematic reviews and voluntary national reviews conducted to date.
• To build forward from the COVID-19 pandemic and advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, governments should strengthen their public institutions and their social, physical, and technological infrastructure, while making their economies more resilient and agile to be better prepared to manage potential future economic, social, and environmental shocks. This requires political will, a change of mindsets and the sound management of public resources.
• For complex interconnections, such as between sustainable development, climate change, and biodiversity, and to be better prepared for interconnected risks, there is a need for advanced integrated solutions through research and policymaking which transcends silos.