First Summer School for the Sustainable Development Goals
The secretary general, UCLG-A, participated in the first summer school for sustainable development goals in Marseille, France, from 9 to 13 July 2016.
The meeting was also attended by delegates from academia, practitioners, decision making leaders at regional, national and local levels, including representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (MAEDI); the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); the Union for the Mediterranean, the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI); the International Council for Science (ICSU); French National Institute for Heath and Medical Research (INSERM), the World Water Council, etc.
The opening ceremony received messages by Mr. Bernard Valero, director of Villa Méditerranée; Mr. Jean Moatti, Chair and CEO of the French Institute for Research and Development (IRD); Mr. Yvon Berlan, president of Aix-Marseille University (AMU); among others.
The meeting was organized around four main topics:
Scientific challenges and societal stakes addressed on Friday 8 July 2016, which included the institutional framework of development stakes; financing the sustainable development goals; the role of sciences and the scientific community in the implementation of the sustainable development goals;
Successful partnership on Saturday 9 July 2016, which included institutional partnership between International and European organizations, NGOs, the Business sector, and civil society; how universities are taking over the SDGs; SDGs, the socio-economic worlds and territories; transition from COP21 to COP22, the main engagement meetings; SDGs, public policies, territories and governance;
Global health challenges on Monday 11 July 2016, which included new appearances, epidemiologic watch, new approaches; public health and role of the population; global view on the SDGs; youth, education and employment;
Climatic hazardousness and vulnerability of the ecosystems, which included climatic riskiness and vulnerability of marine and terrestrial ecosystems; preservation of the biodiversity and the ecosystems; food security and nutrition; fight against desertification; sustainable management of natural resources; public-private partnership; elimination of poverty and hunger and guaranteeing access to water for all.
The UCLG-A secretary general addressed the meeting during the panel on SDGs, the socio-economic worlds and territories.
The first Summer School on the SDGs is seen as an opportunity to start exchanging on the way to really address the implementation challenge of the SDGs. Partnership is key to that effect. The way forward is to build a very active ongoing dialogue between all stakeholders at all levels.
Marseille, 13 July 2016
Jean Pierre Elong Mbassi
Secretary General, UCLG-A
