The next 10 months will be marked by a global agenda of development that will be interesting for all of us. Read about the 7 most important events in 7 minutes.
- Changes in the United Nations
With a year of working as the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres proposed reform, prevention and peace as the main topics that will govern his mandate.
While the changes are not easy or fast, it is understood that the transformation Secretary General can make are aimed at generating greater flexibility and efficiency by various UN actorson issues with highest priority for the world and for the organization. The accomplishment of the SDGs, reduction of conflict-related risks, and the prevention of issues related to climate change and natural disasters are ranked as among the processes to be improved.
- Accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The year 2017 left us with a positive balance on many aspects where different variables proposed by the Sustainable Development Agenda yielded encouraging results for 2030. But if there is something that experts agree on, it is that all sectors must commit to work and contribute to accelerate the current rate of progress. Some of the efforts that should be included to make 2018 a prosperous year should be: global and local partnerships, the use of data and quantification, and sustained action in both developed and developing countries. The results of these efforts will be decisive for the meeting of Heads of State that will happen next year at the UN in order to evaluate the progress of the agenda so far.
The G7 Summit in Canada and the G20 Summit in Argentina, both during the current year, will be other stages for the international community. Inclusive growth and employment, climate change, security, food, new technologies and infrastructure for development and equality are the topics to be developed.
- Accelerate action on climate change
This year will be crucial since actions related to the Paris Agreement made by the states and the private sector can be seen at the first World Summit on Climate Action, in California. There, the leaders from all sectors will evaluateprogress through a process called the Talanoa Dialogue and will be able to lay the groundwork for setting the next national goals related to greenhouse gas emissions to be set in 2020.
- Greater compromise by the private sector
This year’s keys to the private sector are in follow up of the initiatives carried out during 2017. Some of them are: Principles for the Positive Impact on Finance from the Environmental Program of the United Nations, the new Platform of Financial Innovation for Action in favor of the SDGs of the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Alliance for Comparative Analysis. These initiatives will be relevant towards the end of the year, when the Secretary General’s summit on finance will take place and the global efforts needed to mobilize the volume of financing that contribute to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals will be assessed.
- The 70° Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
In a world where more and more threats are restricting the Human Rights of people around the globe, this year we celebrate the 70° anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the chance of incorporate the 30 articles of the Declaration to various lines of work. This goes from the reform of United Nations to the maintenance of the momentum of the SDGs through the central role for conflict prevention migration and refugee pacts.
- Pay attention to emigration and refugees
As it can be seen to this moment, 2018 will be a key year in various aspects and emigration and refugees are not an exception. The international community will negotiate the first Global Compact on Refugees in order to generate inquiries and make progress with a Pact for Refugees. This opportunity is truly significant because allows all voices to be heard, their safety and rights to be protected and, above all, nobody will be left behind.
- Gender equality and progress on women’s rights
2017 led to the emergence of various measures to promote gender equality and protect women in all their rights. From the United Nations, the Secretary General urged all offices to generate progress in relation to gender parity.
Taking into account the projections that are being studied, there are chances that it will take 200 years to close the economic gender gap. That is why the Bank of New York Mellon Corporation and the United Nations Foundation will publish a report with the objective of disseminating access to financial products and services, as well as expanding its impact on the achievement of gender equality.
On the other hand, in March, the Commission on the Status of Women will meet, which will focus on the empowerment of girls and women in rural areas. Gender will be an important topic also in the G7 and G20 summits as well.
Although the 7 previous points do not express hundreds of events and activities that will be developed during the year, the work to be done from here to 2030 is arduous, expensive and requires the joint work of all the actors involved.