[PDFlist] Fw: Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, Samoa 21-22 October, 2019 UPDATE

[Casper Joseph Fa'asala]

Bula Solo,


Would be glad to be part of this discussions and updates.

The SDG Taskforce in Fiji is interesting also and would be great to
have a similar body or a Forum set up here in the Solomon Islands.
Could the Fiji Taskforce share their TOR to help other Pacific
neighbouring countries to establish such a working group as well.


Vinaka

Casper

On 11/8/19, Soloveni Vitoso <infor at pacificdisability.org> wrote:
> FYI
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> Hello Everyone,
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> Here's a short update from the Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development
> meeting that was held in Apia, Samoa on the 21 October and 22 October, 2019.
> Followed by an organised VNR workshop for the Pacific SIDS that are
> reporting in 2020.
>
>
>
> The confirmed CSO delegates were from Fiji & PDF. From Fiji - HoK Sulique
> Waqa and FWRM Losana Tuiraviravi were both at the event however we weren't
> able to meet the representatives from PDF. Other CSOs reps from Pacific SIDS
> member countries were present but most of them were sponsored or were part
> of the Government delegations.
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> As usual the event went through its formalities and was opened by Ms Noumea
> Simi - Chair of SDG taskforce, Samoa.
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> Day One
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> Session One - Where do we currently stand in the 2030 Agenda and the SAMOA
> pathway in the Pacific?
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> Mainly focused on the background of the spaces High Level Political Forum,
> Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development and the Pacific Forum on
> Sustainable Development.
>
> ·        HLPF - overview of the review process, presented on the findings
> from HLPF and additionally some of the VNR review process.
>
> ·        APFSD - overview of the event. Within the room there were only 5
> that attended HLPF, 7 attended APFSD from the Pacific at PFSD. APFSD missing
> link- trying to understand from other countries, where everyone else is
> standing. Is our progress good enough or not. APFSD tries to provide that as
> a platform. A platform where they can share, identifying common challenges/
> solution. Finding opportunities. Reviewing goals towards HLPF. 1200
> participants, 32 side events, pre events CSO, academia etc. APFSD 25-27
> March, 2020.
>
> ·        Political Challenges - Importance of organising and coordination.
> Context of the blue pacific, bring together the importance of working
> together. Unique vulnerability, remote and isolation. New narrative to
> question the understanding, leverage of our collective benefit. Leverage the
> unique advantage. Partners and stakeholder, challenges and complexities of
> working in the region. For government stakeholders with small
> administration. Limited resources and capacities etc. 2107 Pac Roadmap on
> the Development framework encapsulates the various global frameworks. Strong
> accountabilities of parliaments to the public. Report - Pacific Sustainable
> Development - engaging with development partners. 2020 - FSM, SI, PNG and
> Samoa (2nd report).
>
> ·        Data challenge - Leader's task- sub set indicators, BASIS OF
> reporting. Recognising SDG partnership and implementation. 2018- Regional
> publications towards HLPF. Regional progress - High cost of sending money
> (remittance) 4 x higher. Marine conservation, reducing NCD- awareness,
> education on the risk factors, higher rates of reporting. Most countries
> doing well integrating the international frameworks in the region.
> Recognition global methodologies for the global issues, develop national
> mechanism to capture the story better, Tonga - deprivation measure. VNR
> process - desire to have effective database system in country level. -
> Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu. Regional data hub being developed. Still further
> support needed in the region.
>
> Intervention:
>
> TONGA
>
> SGD3 more work. 17 and 16 some work needs to be done. Align the national
> strategy to the SDGs.Eg.SDG14 - indicators - challenges of measures with no
> existing methodologies. VNR experience - no consultant involved. Engaging of
> multi stakeholders in the process and writing the report. Clear examples of
> working together. The importance of monitoring the commitments of SDG; no
> purpose of having good reports with no monitoring.
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> VANUATU
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> SDG- helped in bringing issues to the forefront. More detailed manner.
> Vanuatu 2030 - 2 years of consultation, 6 provinces. Developed a national
> framework. Useful tool, the Pacific data hub. VNR- good opportunity to
> review national systems. Another tool to report on national systems and
> priorities. Useful way of engaging with partners and stakeholder. Good
> feedback and support. First country for peer review assistance from SPC and
> PIFS. Review of stakeholder engagement; best practices activities, countries
> can share, promotes peer to peer learning, expertise from within the region.
> Processes of review of the VNR before presenting at HLPF. Domestic resource
> mobilisation - more prioritisation, process of VNR, data hub would
> help/assist. MEL- process of learning and evaluating, not only SDG but other
> reporting commitments. Consideration with climate events and disasters.
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>
>
> We closed off day one with a panel discussion from the various
> intergovernmental agencies on regional coherence and for sustainable
> development in the region. PIFS presented on the 1st Quadrennial report
> produced and the upcoming Biennial report to FEMM, PRSD and the proposal for
> 2050 strategy for the blue Pacific continent. ESCAP and DESA presented on
> the Outcome of the climate summit, SAMOA pathway mid-term review and the SDG
> summit, I think will be conducted next year at Lisbon (If I'm correct). This
> panel was moderated by Sulique (HoK).
>
>
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> Day Two
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> Kickstarted with the first panel on the topic of identifying cross border
> challenges in the implementation of the SDGs and unlocking the means of
> implementation to overcome these challenges. The session identified some of
> the key cross border challenges in the implementation of the SDGs and
> discussing how the MOI in the Regional Roadmap for Implementation of the
> 2030 Agenda for SDG in Asia and the Pacific in addressing this challenges.
> Presentations of data statistics, technology, finance, policy coherence,
> North-South, South-South, international and regional partnerships. Some of
> the presentation also included issues that needed to be addressed:
>
> ·        Climate Change
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> ·        Leaving no one behind
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> ·        Connectivity in the region
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> ·        Natural resource management
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>
>
> The next session continued from the previous session to further discuss of
> the experiences from small island nations which was later presented to the
> wider group.
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> Following session focused on Importance of VNRs for national implementation.
> Presenters shared of their experiences and processes on how can VNRs advance
> national implementation: institutions, policy coherence and mainstreaming of
> SDGs into national development plans, alignment with budget, integrated
> financial frameworks, data and stakeholder engagement. The speakers of the
> session were from DESA, ESCAP and PIFS.  The next session focused on
> Leveraging ocean resources for sustainable development in the Pacific
> examining how ocean resources in the Pacific can be better used to raise
> financial resources for sustainable development.  The presentation was
> delivered by ESCAP and also spoke on the opportunities for raising financial
> resources from oceans in a sustainable way. The 2020 Ocean Conference -
> what's in it for SIDS (as this was new to me, I quite could not figure
> myself through the presentation) but could pick on its providing the value
> of SDGs in this case Oceans.
>
> The last session of the day focused on Pacific perspectives on accelerating
> process for sustainable development in the Pacific, FWRM was fortunate to be
> part of the panel. This panel comprised of PIPSO, FWRM and MIANGO (Marshall
> Islands). PIPSO spoke on the Private public partnership approach and the
> Private sector contribution towards accelerating the SDGs. FWRM spoke on the
> level of engagements from local to global in the national advocacy work and
> at the same time focusing on Goal 5 mainly on GBV (focus of FWRMs work).
> MIANGO spoke on the stakeholder commitments in the Marshall Islands and the
> benefits of multistakeholder contributions towards the SDG.
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>
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> Fiji, Solomon Islands and PNG government delegates also had the opportunity
> to talk about their VNR processes. For Fiji government delegation they were
> represented by Mr Apolosi Lewaqai (Director Asia - Min of Foreign Affairs)
> and Ms Manisha Mudaliar (Senior Policy Analyst- Min of Economy). Vanuatu
> (CSO rep) spoke on the experiences of CSO involved in the VNR process
> towards APFSD and HLPF. The following 3 days was attended mainly by
> government representatives towards the VNR for HLPF 2020.
>
>
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> Interestingly on my way back to Suva, I sat with Nilesh (FWRM trustee) as he
> was in Samoa as well and chatted about the SDG work in Fiji. He was sharing
> that he is part of the Global technical team/group that looks into the SDG
> financing/financial resourcing as a Pacific rep. His also informed me to
> reach out to him for any discussions; the technical group are already
> preparing towards APFSD 2020.
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> Will share more or respond to question in the upcoming Fiji CSO taskforce
> meeting.
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> [LT]
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