[VNR Lab] National experience of the Voluntary National Review (VNR) process: Japan

This lab will focus on the Voluntary National Review (VNR) preparation process in Japan, highlighting the methodology and principles of the country’s VNR report, preparation process and follow-up actions. The VNR lab could also reflect on the impact on COVID-19 on the VNR preparations and SDG implementation.

Concept Note, Program and Speakers: Link

Registration: https://forms.office.com/r/bKgy4pYS0S

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Human Rights, please email the co-chairs at bobbinassar@gmail.com or bknotts@uua.org.

2nd Open Science Conference: From Tackling the Pandemic to Addressing Climate Change

You are invited to attend the Second United Nations Open Science Conference, From Tackling the Pandemic to Addressing Climate Change. This three-day virtual Conference will take place on 21-23 July 2021 and is organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications, the Dag Hammarskjöld Library and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development Goals.

The conference will bring the global discussion on the connection between open science and climate action to the United Nations in New York and will highlight open science initiatives and infrastructures from around the world as well as policies that can strengthen these. Policy makers, librarians, publishers and research practitioners will discuss what open science has learned – and is still learning – from tackling COVID-19, and how this can be applied into actions addressing the global climate crisis, at the interface of science, technology, policy and research.

In cooperation with the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), the Conference will also engage with early career leaders advancing openness in research and education at a time of lockdowns, and has invited them into conversation with established leaders and policy makers in this key area for advancing the 2030 Agenda.

More information on the conference programme, including registration, is available on the website (Twitter hashtag: #OpenScienceUN).

Kind regards,

Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UNDESA

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

Webinar on Adaptation Communications

Webinar on Adaptation Communications: draft supplementary guidance for voluntary use by Parties in communicating adaptation information through Adaptation Communications

Pursuant to decision 9/CMA.1, paragraph 15, the Adaptation Committee (AC) is hosting a webinar on adaptation communications: draft supplementary guidance for voluntary use by Parties in communicating adaptation information. During the webinar, the Adaptation Committee will present its progress to date on this work and invite reflections from Party representatives, practitioners, and other experts engaged in work relevant to the adaptation communications. The input received during this webinar will inform the AC’s efforts to refine and finalize this work by June 2022.

The webinar will be guided by the following objectives:

1. Soliciting input on the draft supplementary guidance from Parties, practitioners, scientific actors, and other experts;
2. Hearing experiences of Parties who have already prepared, or are in the process of preparing, their adaptation communications;
3. Hearing experiences of Parties or practitioners who have used other UNFCCC guidance materials relevant to adaptation or other workstreams.

The agenda for the webinar and further details will be made available soon at http://unfccc.int/event/AC-webinar-AdComs.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org.

Financing Global Climate Action and Promoting Digital Solutions

Financing Global Climate Action and Promoting Digital Solutions

Session 4 of the UN DESA Global Policy Dialogues for Climate Action

How has the COVID-19 crisis put climate finance at risk?
What are examples of good projects that are leading the path to jumpstart more investment in climate mitigation and adaptation efforts?
What are some of the innovative applications of digital technology for mitigating the climate crisis?

Join UN DESA, finance experts, policymakers, and climate and sustainable development practitioners for a discussion of the best approaches for ensuring that climate financing measures are included in rebuilding efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that such efforts are inclusive and help the most vulnerable. Additionally, experts will discuss emerging digital solutions to the climate crisis, including ideas related to the Internet of Things, for climate adaptation and mitigation and ways to scale them up.

Register here by 29 June 2021: bit.ly/climate30june

More information: bit.ly/DESAdialogues

The event is free and open to all, and will be streamed live on UN DESA’s Facebook page. It will be held in English with captions available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The event is made possible by the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund. All are welcome!

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org.

7th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

Seventh Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2022)

The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction is the main global forum to assess and discuss progress on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The seventh session of the Global Platform (GP2022) will be organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) from 23 to 28 May 2022, in Bali, Indonesia, hosted by the Government of Indonesia. The event will be co-chaired by the Government of Indonesia and UNDRR.

The Global Platform takes place at a critical time: seven years from the adoption of the Sendai Framework and just over two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exposed how underlying vulnerabilities and inequities have catastrophic consequences for the most exposed across the world. The pandemic has demonstrated just how essential prevention and the risk reduction agenda is if we are to achieve a sustainable future for all. The 2022 Global Platform will provide a unique and timely opportunity to showcase the importance of international solidarity and cooperation, as well as to discuss ways to tackle underlying risk drivers both locally and globally. Additionally, it will explore how to strengthen disaster risk governance and how to build stronger systems for managing all types of risks. GP2022 offers a chance for all stakeholders to recommit, with urgency, to accelerate progress on disaster risk reduction towards the achievement of sustainable development.

How to apply:

Please refer to the GP2022 concept note and GP2022 list of sessions for information on the Global Platform focus and sessions. For information on the Organizing Teams, please refer to the Terms of Reference.

To apply to join an Organizing Team, please fill in the online form by 23 June, 2021. In the form, please indicate if your participation in an Organizing Team requires the provision of disability-related accommodation. For any questions, please reach out to the Global Platform team on globalplatform@un.org

Stakeholder coordination:

The GP2022 will be organized in an inclusive, consultative, and open manner. Wide stakeholder consultation and participation in the Global Platform will be encouraged, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility by all groups. The engagement of stakeholder groups in the GP2022 will be facilitated through the UNDRR Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism, with stakeholder representatives invited to contact their relevant stakeholder focal points for more information.

GP2022 format:

The official programme of the GP2022 will be conducted in all six official UN languages. Additional information on the format of, and participation in, the GP2022 will be made available on a dedicated website as planning progresses and the current global context evolves.

For further information on the GP2022, please contact globalplatform@un.org.

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace, and Security, please visit ngocdps.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Social Development, please visit ngosocdev.org. For more information on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP. For more information on the NGO Committee on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN.

The Climate Crisis and Developing Economies: A conversation with the Director of Power Shift Africa

WHAT THE WEST OWES THE REST

The Climate Crisis & Developing Economies: A conversation with Mohamed Adow, Director of Power Shift Africa

President Biden has ushered in the most ambitious climate plan in US history. But his wafer-slim majority in Congress gives him little time to push through his agenda before midterm elections in 18 months. The faith community must push for the realization of scaled up US climate ambition in coming months and years, following COP26 in November and in preparation for decisive 2024 Presidential elections.

Mohamed Adow is an international climate policy expert and ardent advocate for the people of developing nations – who are disproportionately affected by climate change but play almost no role in causing it. Hailing from a pastoralist community in Northern Kenya that faces increasing droughts, Adow’s experience on the frontlines of the climate crisis anchor his work as a voice for those most vulnerable to climate change. He is an outspoken and deeply respected leader among policy makers, NGOs, and the media on Africa and climate justice.

Mohamed is the Founder and Director of Power Shift Africa, a nongovernmental organization and thinktank based in Kenya that he formed in 2018 to mobilize climate action in Africa and shift climate and energy policies to zero carbon.

Join the event here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86137939600?from=addon#success

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, please visit facebook.com/NGOCoRIP.

Gearing Up for Glasgow: Faith, Climate Action and COP26

Hello everyone,

Warm greetings! If any of you are based in the UK or are interested in working with UK-based faith communities in the lead-up to COP26, please do join a special online gathering on Tuesday, 1 June, 6:30pm BST.

Register here!

Background:

The UK hosts the United Nations Climate Change summit (COP26) this November, where governments will gather to negotiate the future of our planet. Civil society groups, including faith communities, are ramping up their actions on climate justice in the leadup to COP26.

Many of us have already been involved in excellent workshops and webinars this year, equipping us with the information and skills we need to act. This session is ideal for you if you are:

Based in the UK, or work with groups based in the UK
A person of (any) faith and/or would like to work with faith communities
Focusing on COP26 in your work on climate change
Eager to amplify your actions by connecting with others

This online session will provide an open, flexible space for you to join up with others who want to take similar actions. Be prepared to come with ideas and plans to work with others and to form connections organically. You will:

Join with climate activists from different faith traditions linking up on a geographical, tactical or issue basis
Explore and engage with in-depth conversations to enable exciting plans to emerge
Have opportunities to move with other faith activists from mobilising for events to organising your own actions
Connect your climate activism with the work of Make COP Count, the COP26 Coalition and the wider climate justice movement

When you register, tell us what themes or ideas you would like the breakout rooms to hold. We want the session to provide you with the space to develop the networks and relationships you need to take action. You will be able to move between breakout rooms throughout the session, or join new ones based on new themes or actions that emerge.

Agenda:

6:30 Welcome and introductions
6:45 Breakout discussions
7:30 Plenary feedback
7:40 Announcements and sharings: Make COP Count and the COP26 Coalition
8:00 Close

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values, and Global Concerns-NY, please visit csvgc-ny.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org.

Strengthening Sustainable Forest and Ocean Management to Mitigate Climate Change

Session 3 of the UN DESA Global Policy Dialogues for Climate Action

Wednesday, 26 May 2021, 8:00 – 9:30 am EDT

How do the restoration and protection of forests and the ocean help address the climate change and biodiversity crises?
How should countries and the private sector best identify, finance and mentor sustainable forest and ocean management systems?
How do we ensure that sustainable forest and ocean management is inclusive?

Leading voices in the fields of forest and ocean ecosystem restoration and management will discuss practical approaches for using these natural resources in ways that minimize the impacts of climate change, all in the context of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-cutting issues such as financing, governance, data and leaving no one behind will be part of the discussion.

Register here by 25 May 2021: bit.ly/climate26may

The event is free and open to all, and will be streamed live on UN DESA’s Facebook page. It will be held in English with captions available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The event is made possible by the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund. All are welcome!

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org. For more information on the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations, please visit rngos.wordpress.com.

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2021

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a frontline technology with profound implications for human beings, cultures, societies and the environment. AI has the potential to be our ally in the struggle for a more equitable, fair, and sustainable future. It is remarkable that AI generated some of the earliest alerts about the COVID-19 outbreak, even before it was confirmed, by routinely scanning hundreds or thousands of governmental and media data sources in multiple languages. This analytical capacity has also helped accelerate the discovery of the vaccines, and even understanding the protein structures. Self-learning algorithms and smart machines are playing an increasingly important role in our efforts to recover from the current crisis. Digital platforms and infrastructure have been broadened to keep our economies, our schools and our societies going.

We must always keep in mind that AI technologies also possess significant risks and challenges, especially in terms of deepening the existing divides, exacerbating gender disparities, and infringing on human dignity and human rights. This is why there are many initiatives that have emerged to ensure that these technologies help to overcome the current crisis and mitigate future risks, while tackling the downsides. Thus, the European Union is launching its AI rulebook and UNESCO member states are negotiating the Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.

This high level session is aimed at taking stock of where we are and how to move forward with the tools that we have and that are about to be developed. Speakers will share their perspectives on how to make sure that developments in these technologies do not create new forms of exclusion and inequalities, including gender, and how to justly distribute the benefits.

Register here: itu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KKDgPi8ESj6ACfGeMhB9ng

View the full program and list of speakers here: itu.int/net4/wsis/forum/2021/Agenda/Session/353

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CoNGO Notes: CoNGO is a civil society focal point with the WSIS Forum. See former CoNGO President, Cyril Ritchie, in this interview with ITU: youtube,com/watch?v=cYA8UauD28U. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Education, Learning, and Literacy, please visit facebook.com/NGOCELLatUN. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

COP26: Glasgow Climate Change Conference

The COP26 UN climate change conference set to take place in Glasgow in November 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19. This decision has been taken by the COP Bureau of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), with the UK and its Italian partners.

Dates for a rescheduled conference in 2021, hosted in Glasgow by the UK in partnership with Italy, have been set to 1-12 November 2021.

In light of the ongoing, worldwide effects of COVID-19, holding an ambitious, inclusive COP26 in November 2020 was no longer possible. Rescheduling will ensure all parties can focus on the issues to be discussed at this vital conference and allow more time for the necessary preparations to take place. We will continue to work with all involved to increase climate ambition, build resilience and lower emissions.

COP 26 side events/exhibits – organizations with admission status in the UNFCCC process and Parties partnering with an admitted organization(s) are eligible to apply for a side event and/or an exhibit, using the side events and exhibits online application system (SEORS) managed by the UNFCCC secretariat. The schedule for its opening for COP 26 will be announced on this site. Eligibility, selection and allocation criteria are available on this webpage.

More COP26 info from the host country provided here: ukcop26.org

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CoNGO Notes: For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-NY, please visit ngocsd-ny.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development-Vienna, please visit ngocsdvienna.org. For more information on the NGO Committee on Financing for Development, please visit ngosonffd.org.

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