HLPF: Local and regional governments are represented in many sessions and side events through PLATFORMA

A delegation of 17 local and regional elected officials representing PLATFORMA is attending this week the 2019 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York. Convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, the HLPF is the main platform for the review of the 2030 Agenda. 

Under the theme Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality, this year’s edition will review Sustainable Development Goals 4 (education), 8 (decent jobs and economic growth), 10 (inequalities), 13 (climate action), and 16 (justice, solid institutions and peace), as well as SDG 17 (partnerships and means of implementation to achieve the goals).

PLATFORMA’s delegation is on site from 15 to 18 July, with a full agenda of active participation to a series of debates, including:

Monday 15 June

• HLPF Inter-ministerial panel on Financing the SDGs: Moving from words to action

Iñigo Urkullu Renteria, Lehendakari (President) of the Basque Government, Spain, is among the speakers.

• The Local and regional governments Day, organised by the Global Taskforce (GTF):

The GTF will present the Seville Commitment and the Global Taskforce Report to the HLPF.

Among the speakers are: Alfred Bosch, Minister of Foreign Action of Catalonia (GenCat), Carlos Martínez Mínguez, Mayor of Soria (FEMP) and European Vice-president of UCLG, Juan Espadas Cejas, Mayor of Seville and CEMR spokesperson on climate (FEMP), Jan Van Zanen, Mayor of Utrecht (VNG), Parks Tau, UCLG President, Emilia Saiz, UCLG Secretary General, Greg Munro, CLGF Secretary General, Marlène Siméon, Director of PLATFORMA, Paolo Ciccarelli, Head of Unit, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission.

• Side event organised by FEMP & PLATFORMA: the key role of partnerships for an inclusive implementation of the Agenda 2030 at local level: an open discussion

Among the speakers are: Carlos Martínez Mínguez, Mayor of Soria and European Vice-president of UCLG, Juan Espadas Cejas, Mayor of Seville and CEMR spokesperson on climate, Marlène Siméon, Director of PLATFORMA.

Tuesday 16 June

• UNDESA / GTF Local 2030 « Local Action for Global Commitments » (1st day)

The Local 2030 event facilitated by the UN-wide Local2030, focusing on Local level financing of the SDGs, the local dimensions of the SDGs under review at the 2019 HLPF and Voluntary Local Reviews.

Among the speakers are: Juan Espadas, Mayor of Seville (Spain, FEMP), Jan Van Zanen, Mayor of Utrecht (Netherlands, VNG), Parks Tau, UCLG President, Iñigo Urkullu Renteria, Lehendakari (President) of the Basque Country Region (Spain), Valérie Dumontet, Vice-President of the Aude Department (France, Cités Unies France), Wim Dries, Mayor of Genk, President of VVSG (Belgium),  Ullrich Sierau, Mayor of Dortmund (Germany, RGRE), Anders Knape, Councilor of Karlstadt, President of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities (Sweden, SALAR), Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG, Paolo Ciccarelli, Head of Unit at DG DEVCO, European Commission.

• Side event organised by AICCRE and the Government of Italy on “Financing the SDGs at local level”

Wim Dries, Mayor of Genk, Belgium, President of the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG), Parks Tau, President of UCLG and Stefano Manservisi, Director General of DG DEVCO are among the speakers.

• Meeting between the Mayors of Utrecht (VNG) Jan Van Zanen, of Dortmund (Germany, RGRE) Ullrich Sierau, of Kitchener (Canada) Berry Vrbanovic and SALGA President Cllr Thembi Nkandimeng with the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy, Ambassador Luis Alfonso De Alba.

Wednesday 17 June

• PLATFORMA breakfast meeting, in the presence of DG DEVCO Director General Stefano Manservisi

The objective is to highlight European local and regional governments good practices in terms of SDGs and decentralised cooperation.

• Meeting between the UN Secretary-General António Guterres and a delegation of Local and Regional Governments

The delegation includes Parks Tau, UCLG President, Valérie Dumontet, Vice-president of the Region of Aude (France, CUF), Jan Van Zanen, Mayor of Utrecht (Netherlands, VNG), Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of Kitchener (Canada), Joana Balsemao, Councillor of Cascais (Portugal), Carlos Martinez, Mayor of Soria (Spain, FEMP), Wim Dries, Mayor of Genk, President of the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (Belgium, VVSG), Anders Knape, Councillor of Karlstadt, President of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (Sweden), Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki (Finland), Ullrich Sierau, Mayor of Dortmund (Germany, RGRE).

• UNDESA / GTF Local 2030 « Local Action for Global Commitments » (2nd day)

With Andris Ravins, Mayor of Jelgava, Latvia, Vice Chair of LALRG, Carlos Martinez, Mayor of Soria (Spain, FEMP), Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki (Finland), Joana Balsemao, Councillor of Cascais (Portugal).

• Voluntary National Reviews Lab

The objective of this VNR Lab is to examine how VNRs can support the localization of SDGs by engaging local governments and local stakeholders in the process, while also discussing how national governments are capturing sub-national perspectives in their VNRs, including through integration of local data.

With Ullrich Sierau, Mayor of Dortmund, Germany (RGRE) and Anders Knape, Councilor, Municipality of Karlstadt, President of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities (SALAR), Sweden.

Thursday 18 June

• Side event organised by the European Union on “Delivering the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in Europe and the World – a EU review of progress”

Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Helsinki, Finland, is among the speakers.

What about the role local and regional governments’ associations?

PLATFORMA and CEMR have published on the occasion of the HLPF an infographic on how associations of towns and regions are drivers for change in localising the SDGs. This document is based on the main findings of a study to be published by mid-September.

More information:

The Global Taskforce has also compiled an agenda of key events happening during the HLPF.

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