MONTHLY NEWSLETTER, VOL 20, NO.10 - OCTOBER 2016

World leaders commit to respect, safety and dignity for refugees and migrants

On 19 September 2016, Member States adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants during the General Assembly’s high-level plenary meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants, also called the United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants. The Declaration includes commitments to protect the rights of refugees and migrants, to save lives and to achieve a more equitable sharing of the burden and responsibility for protecting and assisting refugees. It also puts forth a two-year process to develop two global compacts, one on refugees and one for safe, orderly and regular migration.

HIGHLIGHTS

Happy Birthday, SDGs!

In September of 2015, leaders of the world gathered in New York to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the most ambitious plan ever to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and create a better world. One year later, we are celebrating the first birthday of this agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), looking back at some of the key moments over this past year, including the announcement of the SDG Advocates, the agreement on global indicators to measure progress, national presentations and much more.

Putting a spotlight on globalization

Globalization or protectionism? Multilateralism or nationalism? Questions that would have been resoundingly responded to in favor of openness and international cooperation until recently, have increasingly been answered with isolationist and nationalistic solutions. While globalization has long been hailed as an engine for growth and global prosperity, it is increasingly being seen as a driver of unequal and unsustainable outcomes across the globe.

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Together: Respect, safety and dignity for all

“We must change the way we talk about refugees and migrants. And we must talk with them. Our words and dialogue matter. That is why today, the United Nations is launching a new campaign called “Together – Respect, Safety and Dignity for All,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during the opening of the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants which took place at UN Headquarters in New York on 19 September.

EXPERT VOICES

Role of partnerships for Small Island Developing States

On 22 September, the first annual Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue was held focusing on the launch of new partnerships devoted to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the launch of a new publication “Partnerships on Small Island Developing States 2016.” Following this event, we asked Ola Göransson, Partnerships Coordinator in UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development, about the role of partnerships and some of the new pledges made in support of SIDS.

The first UN World Data Forum – a critical opportunity

The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has created a new set of challenges for the world’s statistical community. Like the Goals themselves, the 169 targets and 230 indicators agreed through the SDG process are unprecedented in their scope – setting out what needs to be measured to monitor progress, inform decision-making, make sure no one is left behind, and hold governments accountable.

MORE FROM UNDESA

The World Economic and Social Survey 2016: Climate Change Resilience – An Opportunity for Reducing Inequalities will be released on 3 October. It advances our understanding of the climate and development nexus, particularly as it relates to challenges for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

It has now been two years since the conclusion of the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, its groundbreaking outcome document the SAMOA Pathway, and the announcement of over 300 partnerships devoted to the sustainable development of SIDS and the implementation of the SAMOA Pathway.