What's New

Greetings from the SDG Lab's New Director

Dear Friends,

Delivering on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development requires transformative approaches that unite diverse and complementary expertise and sectors. The SDG Lab at UN Geneva has been doing this for the past six years—bringing together individuals and organizations focused on achieving the SDGs.

Seven years since its adoption, the 2030 Agenda is now at the midpoint of implementation. Many actors – the UN, international organizations, governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector – are rapidly accelerating the pace of progress while, at the same time, beginning to look beyond the 2030 horizon to discuss what will come next.

The SDG Lab is currently reflecting on its role, looking at what has worked and what has not. At the same time, we are thinking ahead and engaging in broader debates and workstreams on long-term sustainability with future generations in mind. This goes back to the core of sustainable development, which is grounded in the premise of meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

As mentioned by UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in his recent speech to the UN General Assembly in New York, it’s high time to overcome our focus on the short-term. Transformative change requires a responsibility to act with future generations in mind. Only if we adopt such long-term thinking will we be able to reshape our societies and systems in ways that are truly sustainable and aligned with our planetary boundaries.

As we enter this new “2.0” period of the Lab’s existence, we will continue to support stakeholders in finding and applying innovative solutions for the 2030 Agenda, by emphasizing the systemic nature and inter-connectedness of the SDGs. We will also invite you to join our journey in re-thinking sustainability in this critical decade of action.

I look forward to building on the trust and credibility the SDG Lab has garnered over these years and hope to continue to leverage our unique position at the UN Geneva’s Director-General’s Office, to continue the close partnership with all of you.

On behalf of the SDG Lab team, we look forward to working with all SDG actors – be they international organizations, Member States, civil society, or the private sector – for long-term, sustainable impact.

Regards,

Özge Aydogan

SDG Community Coffee - March 2023

What is foresight and how can this be applied for achieving sustainable development? At this first SDG community gathering of 2023, we will explore what foresight strategies are and how these can be used to rethink our efforts toward achieving long-term sustainability, looking at methods of horizon scanning, scenario analysis, and back-casting with an interactive panel discussion and group discussions.

This fire-side chat on long-term sustainability will see the participation of Özge Aydogan (Director SDG Lab, UNOG), Pablo Garcia Tello (EU Office, Section Head), CERN, and Nan Buzard (Head of Innovation, Foresight and Techplomacy) ICRC.

Data Ateliers to Take-Off in March

The SDG Lab, together with the Geneva Graduate Institute, and Deloitte Switzerland, launched the “Geneva SDG Data Forum”. Alternating between large roundtable events and focused workshops, the Geneva SDG Data Forum serves as an open forum to SDG practitioners from the wider International Geneva community, to discuss and learn about data practices, methodological obstacles, and how to use measurable indicators for the SDGs.

The second workshop of the series will focus on the opportunities of artificial intelligence and machine learning, to improve SDG Data collection and implementation. The workshop will take place on March 13th, from 12.30-14.00, at Deloitte Geneva.

Join our WhatsApp Group

Join our Geneva SDG Community WhatsApp group and stay abreast on the latest SDG events happening in Geneva. This group is an informal peer-to-peer information sharing platform, where participants can share events, publications, resources, and news related to the SDGs. Sign up here.

Re-launch of the SDG Lunch Collider

On March 6 the SDG Lunch Collider will make its return. This platform makes it possible to meet individuals from around Geneva working to implement the SDGs. It is an informal, and voluntary way to connect with people and expand your knowledge on the SDGs. Register here!

Year in Review

With much of the world in a post-COVID period, the lab reengaged the Geneva SDG Community towards in-person convening and leveraged the Lab's role in mobilizing Geneva-based actors towards key SDG opportunities and challenges. The SDG Lab reflects on key moments in 2022 that contributed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. Read more