ADA Newsletter- October-November 2018

Dear ADA members and Friends, 
 

We are pleased to share with you all the AD Newsletter for October-November, 2018. These last two months have been full of activities and events around the globe and it became a challenge on what to cover! However, with us, inching closely to the end of the year, our friends and colleagues are preparing themselves for 2019 which becomes very crucial as some of the most contested goals are going to be reviewed as it appears , the best was kept for the last J. We are all going to witness the 1st round of HLPF getting over and we prepare ourselves more to HLPF review with many suggestions already pouring in that needs to be corroborated, collated and presented and we have been stressing on a lot of capacity building training workshops especially on Goal 16, linking it with peace and human rights and preparing for a collective action in 2019.

 
So let’s keep our energies focussed on something we are so good at!! Capacitating as many people as we can make sure the last one in the line is covered !!
 
Please feel free to give your suggestions on how to improve our communication with you on   ada2030.secretariat@gmail.com
 
In solidarity, 

ADA Secretariat
                         
 
 
 

Table of Contents

ADA and Members Activities.
Global Activities.
World Human Rights Cities Forum – Gwangju, South Korea (18-21 October, 2018)
Open Government Partnership: Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting 2018 :“Promoting Democracy, Improving Governance, Renewing Trust” - Seoul, Korea, on November 5-6, 2018.
Session: “Strengthening Governance through Inclusivity: Integration of Leaving No One Behind in the Sustainable Development Agenda” 
Organizers: Asia Democracy Network (ADN), Asia Development Alliance (ADA)
Global Forum on Human Rights and Development – 23 November 2018, Geneva.
Regional Activities.
ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ ASEAN Peoples’ Forum : 2-4 November 2018,  Singapore Polytechnic Graduates' Guild 
Joint statement to ASEAN leaders post-ACSC/APF 2018 : ASEAN must not consider the option of voluntary return without addressing the root causes of the displacement and entrenched discrimination of the Rohingya.
National Activities.
National Stakeholders Consultation Workshop.
Voluntary National Review Process- Focusing on Rights of Persons with Disabilities
20th Nov, 2018 at Islamabad, Pakistan.
Useful Documents.
The Shortcomings of SDGs and Possible Solutions
[Together2030] *New resource* Civil society quick guide to engaging in Voluntary National Reviews 6
Forus Toolkit here.
For your Action.
THEMATIC SDG REVIEWS..
REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETINGS..
WORKSHOPS.. 8
International Calendar
 
 
 

      ADA and Members Activities

Global Activities

World Human Rights Cities Forum – Gwangju, South Korea (18-21October, 2018)

The World Human Rights Cities Forum, hosted by Kwangju City, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea and the Kwangju Office of Education, kicked off a four-day event at the Kim Daejung Convention Center on the afternoon of the 18th.  The World Forum on Human Rights Cities, held this year, themed, "Who do we live with? Diversity, Embracing and Peace, "40 seminars and other events were organisedbased on seven themes.   In particular, this forum has been co-hosted with the National Human Rights Commission and establishing a new model for collaboration between the central government and local governments.  The Opening Ceremony was held in celebration of Gwangju International Cultural Center Civic Choir's "March for yours", followed by opening remarks by Lee Yong-sup, Gwangju Mayor, welcome by Choi Young-ae, Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, and celebration.
ADA in partnership with ADAorganised a two days workshop under the theme “Human Rights Cities for UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies” on 19-20 Oct. 2018 as part of the 8th World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF) (18-21 Oct. 2018)www.whrcf.org
The Workshop aimed at providing space and opportunities for mutual learning and exchange among people engaged in human rights cities internationally including South Korea.  More specifically, the Workshop made efforts to developing common long-term action agenda and plans for human rights cities in line with the UN 2020 Agenda for Sustainable Development / Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN HRC’s resolutions on local government and human rights to be adopted in September 2018.
The Workshop also aimed at revising the Gwangju Guiding Principles for Human Rights Cities which was adopted in 2014 in order to update it with the new development such as the SDGs, and HABITAT III relevant to human rights city.
This way the workshop gotsynchronised with the  human rights cities to broaden and align their policies and strategies with international norms and agenda for sustainable and synergetic impacts.

 

Open Government Partnership: Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting2018 :“Promoting Democracy, Improving Governance, Renewing Trust” - Seoul, Korea, on November 5-6, 2018.

The Government of the Republic of Korea hosted the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting 2018 in Seoul, Korea, on November 5-6, 2018.

In its role as a member of the OGP Steering Committee, the Republic of Korea convened open government leaders and practitioners from across the region to raise collective ambition and generate new political support to make governments more transparent, accountable, and responsive to citizens.

The OGP Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting has been a great opportunity for OGP members and non-members to share lived experiences and explore a path towards open government under the themes of promoting participatory democracy, improving governance for a better life for all, and renewing public trust through government innovation.
Boo-kyum KIM, Minister of the Interior and Safety, Sue-jung PARK, secretary general of Citizens Coalition for Better Government, and Sanjay Pradhan, Chief Executive Officer of OGP gave opening remarks

Session: “Strengthening Governance through Inclusivity: Integration of Leaving No One Behind in the Sustainable Development Agenda”

Organizers: Asia Democracy Network (ADN), Asia Development Alliance (ADA)

Asia Democracy Network in collaboration with Asia Development Alliance (ADA), organized a session as a part of OGP Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting. The session was based on the fact that the United Nations Member States pledged to ensure that “no one will be left behind” when adopting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda (SDGs). The SDGs has become the guiding spirit of the member states when developing and implementing the goals into their respective national policy. This discussion session aimed to gather a diverse panel of speakers from civil society, academia, and the government to assess how respectively they have integrated inclusivity in the planning and implementation of the 2030 agenda and share challenges and best practices.
 

 Global Forum on Human Rights and Development – 23 November 2018, Geneva

2018 is a critical year for human rights. It commemorates the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, 25th Anniversary of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights, 25th Anniversary of the Paris Principles and the 20th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. To mark this special year, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is organised an event on the 23 November 2018 in Geneva, to discuss the challenges we face today and how we can collectively work together to shape the future.

Regional Activities

ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ ASEAN Peoples’ Forum : 2-4 November 2018,  Singapore Polytechnic Graduates' Guild

The ASEAN Civil Society Conference and ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (ACSC/APF), a solidarity gathering of diverse civil society organizations (CSOs) in Southeast Asia, carries a strong mandate in representing and strengthening ASEAN peoples’ voices especially from disadvantaged and marginalized groups, to engage ASEAN member states and mechanisms, by honoring mutual respect, integrity, joint development and promoting peoples’ solidarity. It focuses on ASEAN’s commitment to its people using the principles of human rights, democracy, equality, and development. This year's conference theme is "Empowering Peoples’ Solidarity Against All Forms of Discrimination”.

The engagement of ACSC/APF in the ASEAN process brings attention to the issues and concerns of its constituents – the working class, the peasantry, urban poor, fisherfolk, women, children, LGBT community, indigenous peoples, the older persons, persons with disabilities, employees, professionals, migrants, and students.
 
Some of the ADA members also attended this forum. ADA Senior advisor, Mr. Anselmo LEE spoke on ‘How CSOs can leverage on SDGs in their advocacy efforts to an audience of 200 or so guests from a diverse range of regional civil society organisations from all ASEAN member states and Timor Leste
Mr. Denison Jayasooriya highlighted the theme of Sustainable Development Goals - the 2030 agenda with that the ASEAN community vision of 2025 drawing complementarities and lessons.
https://www.acscapf2018.org/?fbclid=IwAR0O9kP73GIVhVQ9SszdnW0kp__1BGX5vv5TtpmzdB61V6OATz1cUlf3_4g
 
ACSC/APF 2018 Statement

Joint statement to ASEAN leaders post-ACSC/APF  : ASEAN must not consider the option of voluntary return without addressing the root causes of the displacement and entrenched discrimination of the Rohingya2018

  National Activities

 National Stakeholders Consultation Workshop

Voluntary National Review Process- Focusing on Rights of Persons with Disabilities20th 2018 at Islamabad, Pakistan Nov,

Pakistan presents its Voluntary National Review Report on during theHigh Level Political Forum 2019. In order to extract some key learning and recommendations for SDGs implementation status in the context of disability rights, Sightsavers, AwazCDS-Pakistan and Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA) collaboratively organized a one day National Consultation workshop on VNR Report process on 20th Nov,2018 at Islamabad. In this consultation workshop representative from Government line Departments i.e Federal SDG Unit, Ministry of Planning and Development, Social Welfare and Special Education Departments CSOs, INGOs, Disable Person Organizations (DPOs) from all over Pakistan participated and shared their inputs and recommendations for the VNR report process.
Full Report here
 

Useful Documents

The Shortcomings of SDGs and Possible Solutions 

Forus Toolkit here 

For your Action

• Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
• Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
• Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
• Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
• Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
• Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

THEMATIC SDG REVIEWS

Calendar of preparatory thematic events for 2019 HLPF under ECOSOC

REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETINGS

WORKSHOPS

• Advancing the 2030 Agenda: Lessons learnt from the first cycle of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – how far can we go?
• Sustainable Development Transition Forum outcome: Incheon Communique

International Calendar

• 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/