FAO at the 2024 UNECE Regional Forum for Sustainable Development

The 2024 UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regional Forum on Sustainable Development is an annual intergovernmental forum which aims to assess progress and exchange knowledge, best practices, and policy solutions to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in line with regional priorities.

Taking place 13-14 March in Geneva, Switzerland, the Forum provided the space for an in-depth review of the Goals to be reviewed by the HLPF in 2024: SDG 1 (no poverty); SDG 2 (zero hunger); SDG 13 (climate action); SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions); and SDG 17 (partnership for the Goals). The Forum it also support ed the presentation of voluntary national reviews (VNRs) at the 2024 HLPF. 

 

 

 

FAO participation at the 2024 UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

 

Tuesday 12 FEBRUARY | 12:00-13:30 (GMT+1)

Side Event: Women in Sustainable Food Systems and Climate Action 

Organized jointly by FAO and UN Women regional offices, the Side Event explored the critical role of women’s empowerment (SDG 5) in building sustainable food systems, realizing the SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and accelerating climate action (SDG 13). The perspectives of diverse rural women, civil society representatives, activists and policymakers from the region guided the interactive session. Participants showcased their experiences and identified good practices at local or regional levels. The discussion served as inputs for UN Women’s and FAO’s preparations for the Twenty-ninth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29), taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024.

LINK:  CONCEPT NOTE

 

 TUESDAY 12 FEBRUARY 

UN Food Systems Coordination Hub: Regional Meeting for Europe and Central Asia

The UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and the UN Issue-based Coalition on Sustainable Food Systems in Europe and Central Asia, of which FAO is a co-chair, convened Food Systems National Convenors and other experts from across the ECA region to assess the progress made in transforming food systems, facilitate regional knowledge sharing, and identify emerging patterns and solutions. A summary report from the meeting will be produced, that will include the shared outcomes among participating countries and stakeholders to strengthen their collaborative efforts in the transformation of food systems.

LINK:  EVENT WEBSITE 

 

Wednesday 13 FEBRUARY | 13:15-14:45 (GMT+1)

Side Event: VNR-VSR-VLR Studio: Unveiling Best Practices for Multilevel Governance in Localizing SDGs

Organized by UNECE in cooperation with UN DESA, UN-Habitat, Union of Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Side Event provided information on the latest developments on localizing the SDGs in the UNECE region; discussed experiences in the use of the data for evidence-based policymaking by cities; drew from concrete examples on cities and national administrations and UN agencies; and placed a special emphasis on exploring how collaborative structures between city and national governments can be optimized. FAO, as co-chair of the Local 2030 Coalition, spoke on the work of the Coalition on engaging with cities and local governments to localize the SDGs.

LINK:  CONCEPT NOTE | FAO VNR SUPPORT TOOLKIT

 

WEDNESDAY 13 FEBRUARY | 08:15-09:45 (GMT+1)

Side Event: Food Systems Transformation as an Accelerator for SDGs Implementation and Climate Action 

In this side event, co-organized by the UN Food Systems Hub and the Issue-based Coalition for Sustainable Food Systems in Europe and Central Asia, stakeholders from diverse sectors exchanged strategies for transforming food systems into powerful catalysts for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the climate goals. Drawing insights from global meetings like the UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2), the SDGs Summit, and COP28, participants explored actionable steps at both national and regional levels. The session spotlighted the crucial nexus between food, climate, and biodiversity, presenting transformative solutions like the Hub's Food systems and Climate Convergence Initiative.

LINKS: EVENT WEBSITE | concept note

 

WEDNESDAY 13 FEBRUARY | 15:00-18:00 (GMT+1)

 

SDG 13 Roundtable: Solving the Rubik’s cube of the planetary crisis: Linking up policy solutions for climate risks and biodiversity loss

FAO, represented by Raimund Jehle, FAO Europe and Central Asia, delivered an official FAO Statement in the 2024 UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development Roundtable on 13, ''Solving the Rubik’s cube of the planetary crisis: lining up policy solutions for climate risks and biodiversity loss". 

LINKS:  CONCEPT NOTE  | REWATCH | Read the full FAO statement

 

 

 

THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY | 10:00-13:00 (GMT+1)

SDG 2 Round table: Healthy and sustainable diets: enhancing the sustainability of food systems in the face of climate change impacts

SDG 2 is one of the Goals under review in 2024. The SDG 2 roundtable at the UNECE Regional Forum for Sustainable Development facilitated knowledge and experience exchange among Members on current and innovative policies and practices, through a multi-stakeholder, participatory and inclusive dialogue. It focused on exploring conditions for sustainable and efficient food systems. In particular, the discussion revolved around two SDG 2 aspects, key for ensuring food security and nutrition for all:  

• sustainable food production systems emphasizing healthy soils, climate, biodiversity, and nutrition linkages;
• creating an enabling environment for sustainable food choices, showcasing initiatives and incentives.

FAO, through its role as  co-chair of the UN Issue-based Coalition on Sustainable Food Systems in Europe and Central Asia, was a co-organizer of the SDG 2 Roundtable.

LINKS:  CONCEPT NOTE | Rewatch | READ THE FULL FAO STATEMENT

THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY | 13:15-14:45 (GMT+1)

Side Event: Breaking Down Barriers and Driving Finance for SDG 2 in the ECA Region: Policies, Partnerships and Innovations for the Final Push Towards 2030 

Organized by the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, this event examined the financial aspects of SDG 2 while fostering a targeted discussion on critical issues, opportunities, and innovative approaches related to scaling up financing and investment. To help Member Nations deliver on their SDG commitments, the event identified potential roles, responsibilities and opportunities for various public and private stakeholders in a revamped financing architecture. 

LINKS:  CONCEPT NOTE