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Policy & Global Development

ISGlobal at the UN High-Level Political Forum for the 2030 Agenda

The institution formed part of the panel that presented Spain’s action plan and participated in a preparation meeting between government and civil society

20.07.2018

Yesterday, Spain presented its Action Plan to implement the Sustainable Development Goals at the UN High-Level Political Forum that took place in New York from July 9 to July 18. Leire Pajin, director of Global Development at ISGlobal, took part in the official panel chaired by the Foreign Affairs Minister Josep Borell, with the interventions of the Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, and the High Commissioner for the 2030 Agenda, Cristina Gallach

“Spain is one of the 47 countries that voluntarily presented a report on the measures they have implemented,” comments Pajín, who represented the knowledge centres. “This voluntary ‘exam’ is a key mechanism in the follow-up of global progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals,” she adds.   

For the ISGlobal representative, “the plan is a revised and much improved version of the original plan outlined by the previous government, prepared in an inclusive manner and in a very different political and social context.” In fact, a few hours before presenting the plan, the government organised a meeting with different actors and civil society organisations in order to promote dialogue and review the recommendations developed by the coalition Futuro en Común. ISGlobal participated in the meeting by highlighting the key role of research centres in the implementation of the plan and in the development of innovative solutions. “This plan comes not only from the government, but from the whole Spanish society,” explains Pajín. “Now we have to kick-start the plan and combine long-term vision with short-term results,” she said after the meeting.

It should be noted that ISGlobal is fully committed with the Sustainable Development Goals since their launch in 2015, and is actively involved in the  Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a multinational initiative led by Jeffrey Sachs in coordination with the UN, and in REDS, its Spanish counterpart. 

About the High-Level Political Forum

Every year, the High-Level Political Forum picks a specific topic and analyses the related SDGs. This year’s topic was “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”, and the analysis, reviews and debates focused on SDG6 (Clean water and sanitation), 7 (Affordable and clean energy), 11 (Safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities), 12 (Sustainable consumption and production patterns), 15 (Terrestrial ecosystems), and 17 (Partnerships).