Campaign Activation Workshop: Making the 2030 Agenda accountable: What is the role for civil society?

Campaign Activation Workshop | Activation Space

Host: Global Policy Forum, Global Policy Watch, Social Watch

The Campaign
How can the SDGs be used to hold governments and the private sector accountable for global issues like climate, the pandemic or finances? The High Level Political Forum (HLPF) is tasked with overseeing implementation of the 2030 Agenda, but it has proven itself to be insufficient. Civil society around the world organize campaigns on finances, trade, health, gender and the environment, utilizing spaces beyond the HLPF to advance accountability to the SDGs. As the SDGs are intrinsically interrelated, how can the campaigns be mutually supportive and identify reference points beyond the HLPF? What reforms are required in the HLPF to enable genuine global accountability?

The Opportunity
The SDGs were widely acknowledged to be ‘off track’ pre-COVID-19 and they suffered a major setback in 2020, with increased inequalities, growing poverty, overburdening of women with extra care work and more domestic violence and major educational challenges on top of the catastrophic health problems and continuing environmental destruction. The need for major changes and not just a ‘return to normal’ should lead to reinvigorating the 2030 Agenda and strengthening of its accountability mechanisms. Systemic changes require a global systemic approach articulating ongoing civil society campaigns.

The Participants
Participants interested in strengthening accountability to the 2030 Agenda as well as those planning to attend the 2021 HLPF. This includes Civil Society, UN secretariat, and government delegates.

The Contribution
Workshop attendees can explain how their ongoing campaigns and initiatives envisage to hold governments and the private sector accountable and be ready to explore the accountability for externalities and global impacts outside borders.

The Take Aways
This session will encourage participants to think beyond traditional accountability mechanisms (the HLPF & Voluntary National Reviews) and gain tools and information to reimagine and reinvent accountability in their own streams of work. More and better mechanisms are required for global challenges beyond national control, from the pandemic to climate change to finances. The HLPF needs to be reformed to enable approaching these issues and civil society campaigns within and beyond the HLPF can play a key role.

Speakers

All Members

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IT Support

Global Policy Watch

Barbara Adams

Barbara Adams was trained as an economist in the UK and served

Third World Network

Chee Yoke Ling

Chee Yoke Ling is the Executive Director of Third World Network, an

Equidad de Genero: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia

Emilia Reyes

Emilia Reyes is the Co-Convenor of Women Working Group on Financing for

Third World Network

Ranja Sengupta

Ranja Sengupta works as Senior Researcher and Coordinator of the Trade Programme

Social Watch

Roberto Bissio

Roberto Bissio, from Uruguay, coordinates the secretariat of Social Watch, a network

Asia Pacific Women on Law and Development

Wardarina

Wardarina Thaib, who works at Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and