ADA Newsletter- December 2018

 
Dear ADA members and Friends, 

Warm Year End Greetings!! 
 

It’s already the last month of the year and while we prepare ourselves planning and preparing for 2019, it’s also the time to review and retrospect our works, activities and the mission behind them to have a clearer vision for the next year. During the last one Year, ADA not only became more specific with outreach with greater focus on national level activities apart from the regional level outreach and advocacy and diversified its spectrum but also became truly Asia by organizing its first capacity building event (Glocal Advocacy Leadership Academy- GALA) in Almaty, Kazakhstan having five central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan. Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) at the sub-regional level. We are very thankful to our global partner Forus for supporting us in this important outreach activities in our efforts to mainstream the central Asian courtiers which have been sort of away from getting knowledge and skills on SDGs due mostly due to language barrier. This could also become a reality with the support from ARGO- National NGO platform based in Almaty, Kazakhstan, that helped us in having the participation from all these five countries.
 
Just like last year, we have a firm plan and propositions for 2019 which is crucial for the CSOs, especially those who are engaged in Agenda 2019 and Sustainable Development Goals ad the four years cycle of the first cycle of High-Level Political Forum and the Voluntary National Reviews are going to be reviewed and CSOs are already prepping up with HLPF reforms proposed. The year is also very crucial for ADA and its partners who are working on Goal 16 as its going to be reviewed in 2019 and ADA gearing up for a spotlight regional/global report on Goal 16. In April 2019, our friends and colleagues from Japan are also gearing up to organize Civil 20 ahead of G 20, hosted by the country.
 
So Friends, with this,  I on behalf of ADA Co-Conveners, steering Committee, senior advisors and our esteemed members wish you all the very best for 2019. May your all your dreams come true !! Keep doing the great works!
 
Also, 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
Regional Activities
Gl-ocal advocacy Leadership Academy – Central Asia, Almaty, Kazakhstan (10-12 December 2018)
National Activities.
VNR Consultation by Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA)
Useful Documents.
The Shortcomings of SDGs and Possible Solutions
[Together2030] *New resource* Civil society quick guide to engaging in Voluntary National Reviews
Forus Toolkit here
For your Action.
Pyongchang Global Peace Forum – 9-11 February 2019.
Call for Application: APFSD 2019 and the People’s Forum, March 2019, Bangkok - Deadline: 20 January 2019
High-level Political Forum, 2019
THEMATIC SDG REVIEWS
REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETINGS
WORKSHOPS
 

       ADA and Members Activities

 Regional Activities

Gl-ocal advocacy Leadership Academy – Central Asia, Almaty, Kazakhstan (10-12 December 2018)

ADA organized three days national capacity building workshop for CSOs from Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan) from 10 to 12th December 2018 at Almaty, Kazakhstan. The selection of the day was crucial and thoughtful since 10th December is also celebrated as the World’s Human Rights Day and this year it marked the 70thAnniversary of UN General assembly’s adaptation to Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The training also focused on linking human rights with development (SDGs) since the advocates of both (HR and development) work in a silo.
The event was attended by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UNESCAP, Almaty, office apart from approximately 30 civil society participants from the five central Asian countries
 The three days workshop was very timely as two courtiers from this regional, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan prepare for the voluntary national reporting in 2019 and the role of the CSOs in the monitoring and planning has been very critical.
The three days event deliberated the issues of importance of national CSO Platform by introducing the CSO toolkit for national CSO platform. The participants provided their crucial inputs to the toolkit apart from presenting the status of enabling an environment for the CSOs in these five countries by making country level presentations. The workshop also deliberated on Goal 16 and 17 with storytelling exercise by linking all the SDGs with the UDHR and further providing a chronological sequencing of all the 30 articles of UDHR, apart from linking goal 16 with human rights and peace.
The participants were also given presentations on Voluntary National Review and CSOs endangerment with the process by showcasing some good and bad countries examples of CSOs engagement level. By the end of the three days workshops, the CSOs were able to frame their own national strategic plans for the CSOs, map the Government actions on SDGs (country level), laws related to the CSOs, human right and public institutions apart from preparing their national action plans for 2019.

National Activities

VNR Consultation by Pakistan Development Alliance (PDA)

PDA’s is organizing stakeholders consultations on VNR process in Pakistan. So far two consultations have already been organized in Islamabad and Azad Jamun & Kashmir in partnership with SEDA. Overall 42 such consultations to be Pakistan since the Planning Commission of Pakistan has selected AwazCDS/Pakistan Development Alliance as lead CSO.
 
AwazCDS/Pakistan Development Alliance & Planning Commission of Pakistan to commence Citizens’ SDGs-VNR process for district level stakeholders engagements in 42 districts of Pakistan by engaging with local bodies, PWDs, transgender community, women, young people, women, minorities, farmers, political leadership, Parliamentarians, government departments and private sector representatives. Towards the start of February 2019 6 regional and provincial forums will be organized and finally towards the end of February CSOs Alternate report on SDGs –VNR process will be published by AwazCDS/Pakistan Development Alliance in a national level forum at Islamabad. 

 Useful Documents

Partners for Review (P4R) recently published a number of publications related to VNR and SDG implementation. 
All publications can be accessed at: http://www.partners-for-review.de/resources/.
Voluntary National Reviews submitted to the 2018 High-level Political Forum – a Comparative Analysis

The Shortcomings of SDGs and Possible Solutions  

Forus Toolkit here  

 For your Action

Pyongchang Global Peace Forum – 9-11 February, 2019

Call for Application: APFSD 2019 and the People’s Forum, March 2019, Bangkok - Deadline: 20 January 2019

• The Asia-Pacific People’s Forum on Sustainable Development: 24 – 26 March 2019 in Bangkok - The Asia-Pacific People’s Forum on Sustainable Development (APPFSD) will be organized by civil society (Asia-Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (AP-RCEM) http://asiapacificrcem.org , in collaboration with the ESCAP as a preparatory meeting for the APFSD.
• The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD 2019): 27 – 29 March 2019 at the United Nations Conference Centre Bangkok

1. Indonesia
2. Kazakhstan
3. Turkmenistan
4. Philippines
5. Pakistan
6. Mongolia
7. Timor Leste
8. Cambodia

High level Political Forum, 2019

The meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2019 convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, will be held from Tuesday, 9 July, to Thursday, 18 July 2019; including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Tuesday, 16 July, to Thursday, 18 July 2019.
The theme will be "Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality". The set of goals to be reviewed in depth is the following:

• 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

For more information on Thematic SDG Reviews, click here.
LOGISTICAL INFORMATION
Coming Soon
REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION
Coming Soon
VOLUNTARY NATIONAL REVIEWS
The voluntary national reviews (VNRs) aim to facilitate the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, with a view to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The VNRs also seek to strengthen policies and institutions of governments and to mobilize multi-stakeholder support and partnerships for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The VNR countries are expected to submit comprehensive written reports that will be made available in the VNR database. In addition, each VNR country will also provide main messages summarizing their key findings. These main messages are also posted in the VNR database.
In 2019, the 51 countries (10 for the second time) below will be conducting voluntary national reviews at the HLPF. For more details, please click here.

 THEMATIC SDG REVIEWS

Thematic reviews of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, including cross-cutting issues and interlinkages, are an essential part of the annual session of the High-level Political Forum under the auspices of the ECOSOC.
As well as providing an update on where we stand in terms of progress on individual SDGs, thematic reviews offer critical insights into the implementation of the SDGs, while facilitating peer learning, exchange of experiences, identifying lessons learned as well as gaps.
These thematic reviews will benefit from reviews by the ECOSOC functional commissions and other intergovernmental bodies and forums.
In addition, DESA in collaboration with relevant UN-system entities and other partners will organize preparatory events such as Expert Group Meetings on the SDGs under review. The outcomes of these preparatory events will serve to inform the HLPF's deliberations.

Calendar of preparatory thematic events for 2019 HLPF under ECOSOC

Expert Group Meeting on SDG 4: 3-5 December 2018, Brussels
Expert Group Meeting on SDG 8: tbc 
Expert Group Meeting on SDG 10: tbc
Expert Group Meeting on SDG 13: 4-6 March 2019, Copenhagen
Expert Group Meeting on SDG 16: tbc
Expert Group Meeting on SDG 17: tbc
Expert Group Meeting on interlinkages: tbc

 REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETINGS

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE): 21 – 22 March 2019, Geneva, Switzerland
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP): 27 – 29 March 2019, Bangkok, Thailand
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA): 16 – 18 April 2019, Beirut, Lebanon
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC): 22- 26 April 2019, Santiago de Chile, Chile
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA): April 2019 (Date and venue tbc)
 

 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

• 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/