Blog post #12: A fantastic week for MSDI at 10th Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development
A fantastic week for MSDI at the 10th Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development
At the end of March, Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) attended the 10th Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) held by UNESCAP in Bangkok, which was an outstanding success with 3000 participants attending the forum in person and online, in 67 side events and associated events.
MSDI Project Coordinator Jessica Walters and Senior Policy Project Officer India Dechrai were busy participating in three separate events throughout the week: the Urban Engagement Space; The Pacific Urban Partnership: Localising the Sustainable Development Goals and the Pacific New Urban Agenda toward the 6th Pacific Urban Forum side event; and SDG11 in Focus: ‘Glocalisation’: Catalysing Local Implementation of Global Goals in Asia and the Pacific side event. They also held a strong presence at the MSDI booth within the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Acceleration Pavilion.
Engagement with individuals and groups from the Asia-Pacific region was a highlight, as well as the opportunity to hear from experts in sustainable development across the region. A strong focus was on accelerating and localising the SDGs, as we reach the half-way point of the UN 2030 Agenda.
Global Sustainable Development Report
As the September release of the UN Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2023 quickly approaches, the report's purpose was of interest to those at APFSD, discussing MSDI's 2022 engagements in the Australia and Pacific region, and how insights from these engagements have been used by Associate Professor Shirin Malek-Pour to shape the report.
The opportunities and challenges of implementing the SDG framework – highlighted by those in the region through our workshop engagements – was of particular importance to those who we spoke with in the SDG Acceleration Pavilion. Attendees at the forum were also interested in discussing how the report will be used upon its release, and the importance and need of future engagement opportunities surrounding this diffusion. Highlighting the GSDR, and discussing SDG implementation in the Australia and Pacific region, provided opportunities for individuals to share their own experiences, perspectives and work within the region.
Glocalisation side event panellists
(L-R) India Dechrai (MSDI), Mohd Syafiq Subri (Malayais SDG Cities Lead, Senior Executive (Town Planner), Urbanice, Malaysia), Aliaa Mohd Nor, (Knowledge Platform and Advocacy Lead in Sustainability and Urban Wellbeing, Urbanice, Malaysia), Dr Azmizam Abdul Rashid (Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Urbanice, Malaysia), Jessica Walters (MSDI)
Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs)
Localising the SDGs through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) continues to unfold with the development of the VLR Handbook for Pacific Cities and Towns. This was further discussed in the Urban Engagement Space on Wednesday, which provided an opportunity to receive insightful feedback on the Handbook and its development to assist those in the Pacific who are considering conducting a VLR. On Thursday, the Handbook was also presented in the virtual Pacific Urban Partnership side event, targeting stakeholders specific to the Pacific, with 40 attendees present.
Understanding how and where the VLR Handbook can best assist people in Pacific cities and towns was extremely important. The past week at APFSD highlighted the need and importance of the Handbook as a tool to kickstart the VLR process within the Pacific. Information gathered from this opportunity will now be used to adjust and develop the Handbook before it is piloted in a Pacific setting where further knowledge and insight will be gathered.
APFSD was a great opportunity to showcase work from MSDI, and continue to form and build upon networks with others in the sustainable development space within the Asia-Pacific region. We look forward to the next opportunity to connect with others.