Peer Talk LIVE with Thomas Gass: “One year of implementation of the 2030 Agenda”

“If we compare with the MDGs, we can safely say that we – governments, the UN System and stakeholders – have achieved a much greater level of ownership, awareness, and action on the SDGs than we had at one year of the MDGs. [..] But we also have a much more ambitious agenda, which requires genuine transformation and not just scaling up. We need game changers – changes in the way we think, in the incentives we built into our institutions, in our price signals, and in the way we view financing solutions”, said Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy and Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), as he compared the MDGs and the SDGs and what he believed is required to address the challenge of an ambitious, universal, and transformational agenda.

The first Peer Talk LIVE was held on 12 October where Mr. Gass spoke about three key achievements during the first year of implementation of the 2030 Agenda. First, he discussed the unprecedented efforts to raise awareness about the SDGs at all levels indicating a clear realisation that the Agenda can only be achieved with broad ownership by all. Examples were provided on the different mechanisms of outreach such as dissemination through traditional and social media, integration in school curricula and inclusion in budget appropriations and legislations.

From awareness-building he then presented the efforts on implementation in different countries at all levels of development. The 22 voluntary national reviews presented at the High-Level Political Forum provided unique insights into the different efforts of governments, in consultation with civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders, to deliberate what implementation of the Agenda implies in particular contexts. Beyond the national reviews, he also presented the clear role of non-state actors, which includes the civil society and the private sector, as key actors in developing strategies and implementation. Data availability, production, and analysis and the suitability of indicators to monitor progress was highlighted as essential elements in ensuring that the most vulnerable groups are counted.

Lastly, Mr. Gass described how the SDGs have become a central pillar of the work within the United Nations and also serves as the reference frame for other international organisations, funds, programmes, donors, agencies, and clubs such as the G20. Many parts of the UN system have undertaken to systematically study the interdependence between the goals and targets and explore the links between natural resources and SDG targets.

Peer Talk LIVE provides a platform for UN staff and stakeholders from academia, foundations, civil society and the private sector to join live webinars and ask senior UN officials in real-time. It is the interactive version of UNSSC’s Peer Talk, an online library of informative videos from UN senior colleagues sharing knowledge, viewpoints and ideas on topics related to their work on sustainable development. Peer Talk LIVE is free and open to everyone. Visit the UNSSC website regularly for the next announcement.

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