ADA Monthly Newsletter- September 2017

Dear ADA members and Friends, 
 

As we enter the last quarter of the year, the activities around SDGs have been intensified. The month also witnessed 2 years of SDGs Implementation by the United Nations on 25th September 2017. The CSOs across the globe celebrated this occasion to strengthen their activities around SDG’s implementation. The CSOs have been demanding to incorporate the human right approach in the SDGs implementation apart from seeking formal spaces in the UN system for publishing CSOs reports and reclaiming and reinforcing their seats in already existing institutional at the national, sub-regional, regional and the global institutions.
It gets all the more important for us to continue our struggles by supporting various regional and regional coalitions to make difference.
 
Therefore, please remain in touch to get the latest news and updates on SDGs, development, and democracies!
Please show your solidarity by contributing any news, information or article from your country/ region to our newsletter.  

Hope it is useful for your reflection… Please see below for details how to get involved and share your activities for greater impact!

In solidarity, 

ADA Secretariat

Table of Contents

ADA and Members Activities
Global Activity
Regional Activity
People’s SAARC: Kathmandu, Nepal ( 13 – 14 October 2017)
Activities around 2 years of SDGs implementation on 25th September 2017
Pakistan
India
Sri Lanka
Nepal
Japan
For your Action
GALA East Asia: Phnom Penh, Cambodia- 18-23 October 2017
GALA South  Asia: Pokhara, Nepal- 12-16 November 2017
ASEAN POLICY Discussion in Nov 2017 and related meetings in Manila
ESCAP engagement on the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development processes – upcoming opportunities
International Key Events related to SDGs 2017
 
 

    ADA and Members Activities

Global Activity

Regional Activity

People’s SAARC: Kathmandu, Nepal ( 13 – 14 October 2017)

The People's SAARC regional meeting on Changing Political Landscape of South Asia and role of People’s SAARC was organized on 13-14 September 2017 by NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN) and South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) in Kathmandu. Besides the changing political landscape and the role of People's SAARC in South Asia the meeting also highlighted that in the region people are being more and more politically alienated, denied fundamental rights as well as access to instruments necessary for realising their rights, therefore, there is a need for civil society and peoples’ movements in the region to come up with and assert an alternative vision of regional integration or new regionalism based on peoples’ needs and aspirations. The SAARC needs to be strengthened in order to make an effective effort for regional cooperation, regional integrity and peace and SAARC should not be in a limbo irrespective of the bilateral issues between member countries. Please read the full report here.

The CSOs from across the SAARC nations actively participated in the two days productive meeting and discussions were held around reviving the people’s movement in the context of continued shrinking spaces for the civil society especially those working on the right based approach. The CSO’s came up with the statement to reaffirm commitments to human rights, freedom of expression, justice, peace, security, and democracy in the region, for equity for all and to eliminate all forms of discrimination.

Activities around 2 years of SDGs implementation on 25th September 2017

CSOs in various parts of the Asia organized mass mobilizations - on the ground and online - to generate awareness on SDGs among the masses and seek accountability from the governments on the promise they made by adopting the Agenda 2030 before 2 years on Sept 25.

Pakistan 

Awaz Foundation/GCAP Pakistan
Great mobilization was done across Pakistan with different stakeholders including women, men, boys, girls, the person with disabilities, MNA’s, bureaucrats, policy reformers, researchers, media etc. 

Media coverage: 
https://www.dawn.com/news/1360104/pakistan-should-prioritise-efforts-for-achieving-sdgs

India

Poster competition, photo stunts in front of monuments like India Gate etc and release of SDG report by state chapters of Wada Na Todo Abhiyan. 

NFI and its partners organized discussions in universities in some states and did a twitter chat apart from other actions. 

Sri Lanka

A SDGs walk and discussions were held in Colombo along with many other events.

Nepal

A discussion was organized for reflection and sharing of experiences on implementation of SDGs in the country. Government officials, CSOs' representatives, prominent civil society leaders, representatives of international development partners, INGOs and media persons were present in the event. A memorandum was submitted to the National Planning Commission. 

Japan

a. SDGs Japan and GCAP Japan
On September 23rd and 24th, a local mobilization event on SDGs was held in Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, organized by the Shikoku Chapter of Japan Civil Network for the UN Decade of Biodiversity, and co-organized by the Civil Network on SDGs (SDGs Japan) and GCAP Japan. 

For your Action

GALA East Asia: Phnom Penh, Cambodia- 18-23 October 2017

The 5th Glocal Advocacy Leadership in Asia (GALA) Academy – East Asia is a joint initiative by Asia Development Alliance (ADA) and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) with the aim of strengthening advocacy capacity of CSOs for defending and promoting civic and democratic space and human rights through strategic “glocal (global and local)” actions on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It is to be organized in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 18 to 23 Oct. 2017 in partnership with the International Forum of National NGO/CSO Platforms (IFP), Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network and Asia Partnership for Sustainable Development (APSD) with the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC) as a local host.
http://koreapr.eowork.co.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=news01&wr_id=61

GALA South  Asia: Pokhara, Nepal- 12-16 November 2017

The 5th Glocal Advocacy Leadership in Asia (GALA) Academy – South Asia is a joint initiative by Asia Development Alliance (ADA) and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) with the aim of strengthening advocacy capacity of CSOs for defending and promoting civic and democratic space and human rights through strategic “glocal (global and local)” actions on the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It is to be organized in Pokhara, Nepal from 12 to 16 Nov. 2017 in partnership with the International Forum of National NGO/CSO Platforms (IFP), Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network and Asia Partnership for Sustainable Development (APSD) with the NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN) as a local host.
The workshop is expected to help CSOs in South Asia to learn about SDGs itself as well as how to engage with the government and others stakeholders for the implementation of SDGs including monitoring and coalition-building among CSOs across the sectors.
The brochure can be read on: 
http://koreapr.eowork.co.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=news01&wr_id=64

ASEAN POLICY Discussion in Nov 2017 and related meetings in Manila

Please go the link to get detailed information
 
http://koreapr.eowork.co.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=news01&wr_id=66

ESCAP engagement on the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development processes – upcoming opportunities

There are quite a few opportunities for civil society experts to engage in ESCAP's work coming up including  sub-regional meetings that started with a meeting in Central Asia last week, to be followed by the North-East Asia forum on 10-11 October, and the South East Asia forum on 18-19 October Bangkok and the South-Asia meeting in early November (see http://www.unescap.org/events/implementing-2030-agenda-subregional-level-asia-and-pacific).
 Please refer to the information below to know more opportunities

ESCAP engagement on the 2030 Agenda and sustainable development processes – upcoming opportunities
 
Civil society experts are invited to engage with United Nations ESCAP in different activities related to implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the coming months
 
This includes the regional Asia-Pacific thematic report for the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development;  participating in subregional forums on implementing the SDGs; developing guidelines on partnerships; and participating in our upcoming SDG Week at the end of November – among others.
 
Please visit  http://www.unescap.org/events/cso-engagement  for more information.

     International Key Events related to SDGs 2017

• ADA's official website has been renewed. All the information related to the implementation of SDGs in Asia and actions conducted by Asian CSOs will be accumulated on this website. Please visit www.ada2030.org
• ADA's Facebook page has been activated! The page will channel useful information among civil society actors in Asia. Feel free to tag @Asia Development Alliance in future collaboration. The page is accessible with this web address: https://www.facebook.com/ada2030/