2021 Highlights

Capacity Building

9th Glocal Advocacy Leadership Academy ; 23-25 February, 2021
With 18 countries presentations on SDG 16 Plus and 6 presentations on SDG nexus approach, this training program was designed to be be interactive and the participants were trained on forming SDGs 16 national indicators based on their country’s context and existing global indicators. SDG 16 was the focus of the training program considering the fact that #SDG16 is the enabler and accelerator of all the other goals and a need to review the same just like SDG 17.
 
Glo-cal Advocacy Leadership Academy (GALA), Myanmar, 01-03 December 2021
Promoting People-centered Partnership for Peace, Prosperity and Planet (PPP):
An introductory training for civil society organizations in Myanmar
UNDP Myanmar and Asia Development Alliance (ADA) organised this three days introductory (virtual) training program aiming to  building the capacity of CSO and NGO networks to carry out an independent review of the progress of implementing SDGs in Myanmar from the lens of poverty and environment nexus. This joint UNDP and ADA initiative provided awareness raising opportunity to CSO/NGOs in SDG monitoring and reporting by bringing in regional experiences. This first activity was a training on “Promoting People-centered Partnership for Peace, Prosperity and Planet (PPP) through Advancing Climate Justice”.
 

Advocacy

 
Accelerating the SDGs Monitoring and Implementation actions using SDG 16+, 22 March 2021 – APFSD 2021 side event
 
Reviewing CSOs Engagement in the VNR process - 2015-2020 in the Post COVID-19 – APFSD 2021 side events
 
The Civil Society Voices during the APFSD 2021

 
 
ADA in HLPF 2021
 
Accelerating the SDGs Monitoring and Implementation actions using SDG 16+
 
Why the Multi-Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building Commitments of SDG 17 should be prioritised in the Asia-Pacific region
 
SDG 16+ Forum , Asia- 2021
 

Publications

 
Online Privacy Guide
This guide is for activists and members of civil society who are concerned about protecting their communications and browsing activity when using the Internet.
Monitoring and Review of SDG 16 Plus at the National and Regional Level ( 2015-2020) in Asia
VNR Factsheet 2021
 

ADA Statement 2022

 
Final Outcome document- South Asia SDG sub-regional forum – 2021
ADA statement during South Asia Forum on Sustainable Development, 15 Nov, 2021, Colombo 
Declaration of the SDG 16 Plus Forum, Asia 
South Asia Statement on Afghanistan Crisis 
APRCEM Collective statement during APFSD 2021 
 
 

December 2021- Activities

Glo-cal Advocacy Leadership Academy (GALA), Myanmar, 01-03 December 2021

Promoting People-centered Partnership for Peace, Prosperity and Planet (PPP):
An introductory training for civil society organizations in Myanmar
UNDP Myanmar and Asia Development Alliance (ADA) organised this three days introductory (virtual) training program aiming to  building the capacity of CSO and NGO networks to carry out an independent review of the progress of implementing SDGs in Myanmar from the lens of poverty and environment nexus. This joint UNDP and ADA initiative provided awareness raising opportunity to CSO/NGOs in SDG monitoring and reporting by bringing in regional experiences. This first activity was a training on “Promoting People-centered Partnership for Peace, Prosperity and Planet (PPP) through Advancing Climate Justice”.
While the initial focus of the training was be on environment and climate change SDGs, linkages with SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions were central to the discussions. Civil society organizations play a critical role in addressing the climate crisis and ensuring a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies, including fostering a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the civil society in most of the Asian countries, including in Myanmar, have been facing extreme harassment attributed to the continued shrinking space, as a result of poor governance, accountability and transparency issues and their restricted participation in the national plans.
We are not publishing any picture due to privacy concerns.
 

ADA AGM , December 13, 7-11 AM GMT (Virtual)

ADA Annual General Body Meeting was be organised virtually on December 13 from 7 to 11 AM GMT. This AGM discussed the issues of institutional and financial stability apart from governance and accountability with support from ADA members.
 
Interesting Readings!!
Outcome Document- South Asia Peoples Forum 2021
 Letter of the President of ECOSOC on the Voluntary National Reviews at the HLPF 2022 (21 October 2021)
 Handbook for preparation of Voluntary National Reviews (English)
Summary of the First Global Webinar for 2022 VNR Countries
Voluntary National Reviews at the 2022 HLPF
Dasgupta Review on Economics of Biodiversity Offers Framework for Rethinking Prosperity, Growth In March 2021, this report found that “Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history” and recommended actions to protect it while delivering economic prosperity. Read
SDG 6 Acceleration Efforts Underway as Data Shows Targets Off TrackThe report found increasing efficiency in water use, and heralded the start of the roadmap to the 2023 mid-term review of the Water Action Decade. Read
SDSN Releases 2021 Findings on National, Global Performance Towards SDGsThe authors suggested restoring SDG progress by significantly increasing fiscal space in developing countries. Read
UN Report Sets Out Stakes for Energy Summit
Setting the stage for the summit-level event, the Secretary-General called for more momentum, and suggested a stocktaking in 2023. Read
SDGs Report 2021: COVID-19 Led to First Rise in Extreme Poverty in a Generation The UN Secretary-General launched the annual SDGs Report at the start of the 2021 HLPF, pointing to the impacts of the pandemic on all 17 SDGs. Read
IPCC Assessment of Climate Change Science Finds Many Changes are Irreversible In mid-summer 2021, scientists spent 11 days on a line-by-line review of the guidance for policymakers. Read
 
Action Please!!
Open Call for Side Events] - 2022 ECOSOC Partnership Forum,
Call for side events, Deadline , January 5th, 2022
 
UNEA-5 (In-person session and online) – Nairobi, 28 February to 2 March 2022 – https://www.unep.org/environmentassembly/unea5

Special Session of UNEA-5 - Nairobi, Kenya,  3-4 March 2022
 

High-Level Political Forum 2022 under the auspices of ECOSOC

The meeting of the HLPF in 2022 will be held from Tuesday, 5 July, to Thursday, 7 July, and from Monday, 11 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. This includes the three-day ministerial segment of the forum from Wednesday, 13 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022, as a part of the high-level segment of the Council.
The theme for the HLPF 2022 will be “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
The HLPF in 2022 will review in-depth Sustainable Development Goals 4 on quality education, 5 on gender equality, 14 on life below water, 15 on life on land, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals. The forum will take into account the different and particular impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across all Sustainable Development Goals and the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the Goals.
46 countries will carry out voluntary national reviews (VNRs) of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For more details, please click here.
UNDESA will organize substantive preparations for the thematic reviews of the HLPF 2022 together with relevant UN system partners.
Regional Forums for Sustainable Development will be convened by the Regional Commissions. The regional forums will assess progress and exchange knowledge, good practices and policy solutions to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, in line with regional priorities and specificities.

Dates of Regional Forums for Sustainable Development in 2022

UN system and other intergovernmental bodies and forums will be invited to provide inputs to the thematic reviews of the 2022 HLPF. Please click here to access the online platform which contains the inputs to the HLPF.
The HLPF will adopt the Ministerial Declaration as the outcome of its session. The President of ECOSOC will also prepare a summary to capture the key messages of the discussions.
Other events, including the Side Events, VNR Labs, Special Events, and Exhibition will be organized on the margins of the 2022 HLPF.

Voluntary National Reviews (VNR) - 2022 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development

According to the letter from H.E. Collen Vixen Kelapile, President of the ECOSOC, on the closing of the list for countries that will be presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) at the 2022 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) for your information.
 
Since the first communication dated October 4, a number of other countries have expressed their wish to present their VNRs for the first time at the HLPF. For your ease of reference, please find below the final list of VNR-presenting countries (a total of 45):
 
Andorra*, Argentina**, Belarus*, Botswana*, Cameroon*, Comoros*, Côte d’Ivoire*, Djibouti, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, El Salvador*, Eritrea, Eswatini*, Ethiopia*, Gabon, Gambia*, Ghana*, Greece*, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Italy*, Jamaica*, Jordan*, Kazakhstan*, Latvia*, Lesotho*, Liberia*, Luxembourg*, Malawi*, Mali*, Montenegro*, the Netherlands*, Pakistan*, the Philippines**, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal*, Somalia, Sri Lanka*, Sudan*, Suriname, Switzerland**, Togo***, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates*, Uruguay*** 
 
VNR Countries in Asia - 2022
Kazakhstan*, Pakistan*, the Philippines**, Sri Lanka*,
 
(Note: Countries with one asterisk * are second timers, those with two asterisks** are third timers, those with three asterisks *** are presenting for the fourth time, while those without asterisks are presenting for the first time).

NGO MG Global and Regional Organizing Partners ‘contact details

 
Global Organizing Partners (ngomajorgroupopny@gmail.com):
Jessica Bridgers (jessica.bridgers@wfa.org)
M. Victoria Espada (mariavictoria.espada@dianova.ngo)
Oli Henman (oli.henman@action4sd.org)
 
Regional Organizing Partners:
Central Africa: Bernard Lutete Di Lutete (bernlutete@yahoo.fr)
Eastern Africa: Henry Oriokot (henrycidc@gmail.com)
Northern Africa: Hagar Monsif (h.monsif@maatpeace.org)
Southern Africa: Joseph Mihaye (aminiac15@gmail.com)
Western Africa: Kofi Kankam (eri@eri.kabissa.org)
 
Caribbean: Donovan McLaren (kevoy1@yahoo.com) and Joseph Severe (unascadhaiti@gmail.com)
North America: Kehkashan Basu (kehkashanbasu@greenhopefoundation.com)
South America: Rosario Diaz Garavito (r.garavito@themillennialsmovement.org)
 
Asia: Jyotsna Mohan (jyotsna@ada2030.org)
Central Asia: Artem Stepanenko (a.stepanenko@eca-ces.ru)
 
Europe: Lara-Zuzan Golesorkhi (golesorkhiwow@gmail.com)
 
Middle East/North Africa: Anis Brik (anisdago@gmail.com)
 
Pacific: Emeline Siale (siale@piango.org)
 
 

• 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/ 
• ADA Twitter account @alliance_asia