High Level Policy Forum in New York: Voice Local Needs at Global Level
Bernadia I. Tjandradewi with other Secretary General at the Local and Regional Governments’ Forum – High Level Political Forum held in New York.
JULY 9-18, 2018, UN Headquarters in New York, US, hosted a High Level Political Forum (HLPF), UN’s main platform on sustainable development, which also undertakes a central role in the follow-up of the 2030 agenda. HLPF 2018 was the main event from series of preparations and one of it is the 5th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development back in 28-30 March 2018 held in Bangkok. HLPF 2018 took theme “Transformation towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies.” UCLG ASPAC, represented by Secretary General Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, contributed with other global leaders as part of Global Taskforce and delivered her support in the side event of HLPF. The Global Taskforce, through the Local and Regional Governments’ Forum in the Framework of the HLPF, jointly organised with the United Nations Department of Economic Affairs (UNDESA), UN-Habitat and the Local2030 network, sent out the spirit of putting people at the centre of the development agenda. Discussion in the forum also revealed an acknowledgement on the role of local and regional governments in accelerating transformation towards the sustainable and resilient societies, which then led to the need to harness collective power of local and regional governments. Moreover, Parks Tau, President of UCLG, also brought up the support needed by local and regional governments in
implementing and monitoring the global agendas. HLPF also saw the adoption of the Statement of the Local and Regional Governments within the Global Taskforce. It stated various commitments played by constituencies and also the political will of local and regional governments on SDGs localisation. Strengthening the ownership of the goals among local and regional governments was one among other key messages.
Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi in the book launching of Local Reports on SDGs from Japan - cases of Kitakyushu City, Toyama City and Shimokawa Town, in HLPF side event, “Towards Sustainable Cities in Asia-Pacific” together with the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment of Japan, Mayor of Kitakyushu, representatives of UNU IAS, UNESCAP, UN-Habitat, Keio University and IGES,
UCLG ASPAC Secretary General also shared the organisation’s experience and view on SDGs localisation in HLPF side event “Towards Sustainable Cities in Asia-Pacific” organised by the Government of Japan, UNU Institute of Advanced Studies, UNESCAP, and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) on 17 July 2018. This event focused on SDG 11 (sustainable cities), taking into account specific environmental challenges faced by cities located in the Asia-Pacific region. She shared the road map on localising the SDGs, some challenges and good enabling environment needed to support local governments in the implementation. UCLG has also released its assessment on involvement of local governments in Voluntary National Reports. The finding shows that less than 50 per cent of 99 countries have engaged or involved local governments in its VNR. To access the Local and Regional Governments Report to the 2018 HLPF – Towards the Localization of the SDGs, please click: https://www.uclg.org/sites/default/files/towards_the_localization_of_the_sdgs.pdf.