Fifth session of the Open Working Group (OWG) on Sustainable Development Goals took place on 25-27 November 2013 in New York City. During the meeting the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) organised a side event on 26 November titled “Sustainable Development Goals for a Small Planet. Connecting Global and National Levels in 14 Asia-Pacific and European Countries”.
This Side Event featured recommendations drawn from the newest ENVforum Publication “Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators for a Small Planet, Part 1: Methodology and Goal Framework.”
• Quality of growth and employment
• Settlements, infrastructure and transport
• Sustainable consumption and production
• Economic sectors
In particular, the event stressed the following:
• How the SDGs are (or are not) translated into the national level as country-level goals, targets and indicators
• Challenges related to SDGs formulation and how to overcome them.
The overall focus of the 5th Open Working Goup (OWG) were:
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- Sustained and inclusive economic growth
- Macroeconomic policy questions (including international trade, international financial system and external debt sustainability)
- Infrastructure development and industrialization.
The Open Working Group was established on 22nd of January 2013 by decision 67/555 (see A/67/L.48/rev.1) of the General Assembly. The Member States have decided to use an innovative, constituency-based system of representation that is new to limited membership bodies of the General Assembly. This means that most of the seats in the OWG are shared by several countries. It aims to conclude its work with a set of Sustainable Development Goals.
