Brief summary of presentation of information made

Moderator- Mr Thomas Stelzer, Former Assistant Secretary-General for policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs

Development Cooperation already had a base for building on: the MDGs and the inclusiveness involved in the formation of the SDGs.

 

Khalifa bin Jassim Al Kuwari – General Manager, Qatar Fund for Development

• Need cooperation to achieve the SDGs, but also have to adapt the way we work to achieve them
• Cooperation must involve all areas including science and technology
• Productivity is the new norm
• Education of girls is necessary- GDP is increased by 3%each year girls stay in school.
• The greatest risk to achievement is conflict and disasters, both of which have increased
• The SDGs are the best tool for sustaining peace
• Qatar is committed to SDG 16 (Promotion of Peace and Just society)

 

Mr Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP

• SDGs promote the idea that all nations are players in development
• Previously, the fundamental premise was that development came from the global north towards the global south. It was not a mutual partnership because of the inherent imbalance of power
• Now recognized actions in one part of the world affect development not just in that nation but also in other nations around the world
• There is a shared interest to invest in one another built on the premise that there will be global benefits if we act together. Benefitting others also benefits yourself.
• There is a need to work together to face the challenges of the world, including conflict, natural disasters, climate change and migration.
• Forced migration first affected neighbouring countries but issue is now global
• In Syria, UN agencies were forced to shut down because the UN States failed to recognize the need for stabilization
• The pathway in humanitarian situations is the same whatever the cause – it must lead on to rebuilding and development
• The SDG focus is on inequality, which is the main driver of conflict. Conflict occurs in areas where the benefits of development have not been shared
• The only way forward is to invest in development, not weapons of war
• There is a need to go upstream to tackle the roots of failure to advance development

 

H.E. Yusuf-Garad Omar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion, Republic of Somalia

• Implementation of SDGs is beneficial to all mankind
• Continual assessment of their implementation is needed
• Good governance is essential
• Somalia is implementing public service reform, including education, business, health and infrastructure
• The barriers to implementation in Somalia are not ideological but financial
• Capacity building for implementation is needed for people and institutions

 

Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, Canada

• SDGs bring together all nations of the UN to face the massive global challenges
• Canada has a focus on health and gender equality in their domestic and foreign policy
• Best way to achieve the SDGs is through achieving gender equality
• Committed to working with all stakeholders
• Global Partnership Initiative from Canada focuses on SDG 17

 

H.E. Ms Marie Chatardova, President of ECOSOC

• Encouraging numbers of Voluntary National Reviews of the implementation of the SDGs
• However, rising gaps of equality in some nations that is threatening the social fabric of the nation
• ECOSOC involved in strengthening data collection and measurement in reviews, strengthening domestic institutions, engaging youth and promoting entrepreneurship

 

H.E. Dr Sayed Aqa, Vice President Islamic Relief Bank

• Partnership is essential to achieve the SDGs
• There is a challenge of capacity, in order to both plan for and implement the SDGs
• Role of Islamic finance is to seek partnership based on Islamic values of financial integrity, consider themselves bank of developers rather than bank of financiers
• IRB is implementing ‘Initiative of Diverse Linkages’ – a 2year commitment to the transfer of knowledge and skills
• Role of IRB to scale up finances available
• South-South partnership has a significant role with transfer of best practice
• IRB is involved with engaging people, especially the young

 

Dr Ahmed Al Meraikhi, UN Secretary-General Humanitarian Envoy

• Need to build partnerships between humanitarian aid and development
• Humanitarian commitments of today will take 7 years to accomplish and a further 20 million are at risk of famine

 

H.E. Mr Bader Al-Dafa, Executive Director, Global Dryland Alliance

• Concentrates on SDG 6 to provide clean drinking water
• Important to prioritise countries and programmes rather than a scattergun approach as it increases effectiveness
• Qatar concentrating on 10 goals but especially Health (SDG 4), Education (SDG3) and development and economic growth (SDG 8)

 

Comments from floor

Director, Gates Foundation

• First time all significant nations signed up to same document
• Gates foundation producing a report this year on progress towards the goals. Indicates we are not on target to achieve them.

 

Gambia Minister of Interior

• Recognises it is a fragile state
• Political will is present but has no financial resources
• Is planning development around the SDGs

 

Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, ECOSOC

• Need to target most vulnerable from the start
• Importance of coherence of all sectors
• Compels us to look at accountability in a new way, not just to donors but now also upward, downward and inward

 

Moderator Closing Remarks

• SDG 16 is the link between them all
• SDGs overcame the Us & Them attitude. All are working for a better world

What was of particular significance to share with The Salvation Army globally?

• The SDGs are being used as a framework for development across the world
• Development is not donor-recipient but standing together in mutual partnership
• The diversity of people, agencies, faith traditions and governments working to achieve the SDGs is outstanding
• Partnerships with others is an essential part of achieving the SDGs
• We are still not on target to achieve the SDGs
• A new type of accountability has been called for, not just to the donors but an upward, downward and inward accountability

 

Web links for more information

www.un.org

Tags: SDG17: Partnerships for the Goals