Blog post #11: Day 1 of the 10th Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development
Day 1 of the 10th Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development
The 10th Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development began on Monday, with an extremely busy morning of plenary sessions and the SDG Acceleration Pavilion space. At the MSDI booth, the UN Global Sustainable Development Report and Voluntary Local Review Handbook for Pacific Cities and Towns was showcased.
Engagement with our booth was exceptional. Discussion was had surrounding current and future work of MSDI in the Asia-Pacific Region and the opportunity to interact with representatives with similar interests was a highlight. Jessica had the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues and hear of the work and projects occurring across the region, including Portia Dugu from the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).
We had the privilege of presenting the first side event of the forum alongside some exceptional and knowledgeable people in the VLR space. Held as an in person event, approximately 80 attendees were present from across the region. The panel focused on localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through specific tools and processes, including whole society and whole government approaches. The progress, impact, challenges, and application of sustainable development in cities and towns was discussed as well as the strategies for encouraging Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs).
Divided into two parts, the first panel discussed national and subnational strategies for enabling local action, while the second panel focused on learnings and experiences of localising the SDGs. India presented the development of the VLR Handbook for Pacific Cities and Towns, as a tool to help facilitate and encourage VLR uptake in Pacific Island communities, as well as acting as an engagement tool. She discussed the scope of the Handbook, which will cover the VLR process and useful resources – including region-specific resources such as where to source data, in addition to outlining the benefits which the VLR process provides local communities.
Overall, the panel agreed on the importance of continuing this work in the Asia-Pacific Region and the benefits of localising the SDGs and undertaking appropriate processes to ensure all stakeholders involved are included throughout.
