The South-East Asia Multi-Stakeholder Forum on the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals provides governments, development partners, civil society, academia, the private sector, and other stakeholders opportunities to share subregional perspectives, discuss collaborative measures to address subregional priorities, and exchange good practices to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The outcomes and recommendations derived from the Forum will feed into regional and global processes, including the annual Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) and the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
In preparation for the 2023 HLPF review of SDGs 6 (clean water and sanitation), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and 17 (partnerships for the goals) in 2023, this Forum is part of a series of five sub-regional forums taking a holistic approach towards financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the new global environment and delivering urgent near-term action. Moreover, it will showcase activities in Southeast Asia that address these SDGs. Deliberations will share knowledge about success stories, challenges, and best practices; identify areas of concern; and suggest ways forward in terms of policies, partnerships, and coordinated actions at all levels.
As countries implement substantial COVID-19 recovery packages, it becomes increasingly important that these measures also promote financing and investment opportunities in sectors that help build economies to become more resilient to future shocks, are socially inclusive, and are ecologically sustainable. To support this challenge, dialogue among policymakers and experts from the subregion will delve into topics such as investing in sustainable infrastructure and accelerating the transition to sustainable energy. The Forum will also discuss how public and private finance can lead the transition toward a climate-resilient world, focusing on the supportive policy and regulatory framework for making clean investments in ASEAN countries. In addition, it will discuss opportunities for governments to encourage private sector investment in these countries.
The Forum will highlight salient points emanating from the discussions and aims to foster the development of partnerships and private sector representatives together with countries, initiatives seeking to raise capital for climate investment, and concrete action plans for the subregion’s inclusive, resilient, and sustainable recovery.
FURTHER INFORMATION
All questions regarding the Forum can be sent to escap-sro-sea@un.org. Please be informed that all sessions will be conducted in English.
- Welcome remarks: Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary, UN ESCAP
- Opening Remarks: Ms Eksiri Pintaruchi, Director General, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand
Water is at the core of sustainable development. Water resources, and the range of services they provide, underpin poverty reduction, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Despite the general availability of water resources in South-East Asia, most countries experience water shortages due to improper water resource management, rapid urbanization, and natural causes such as flooding or drought.
This session will discuss the challenges, initiatives, and recommendations for ensuring access to water and the sufficiency of water supply in South-East Asia, specifically in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Introductory remarks: Mr. Firdaus Dahlan, Director, Centre for IMT-GT Subregional Cooperation
Key Remarks: Mr. Kyaw Thu, Urban Development Specialist, Asian Development Bank
Moderator: Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director, Mekong Institute
Presenter: Ms. Solène Le Doze, Environmental Affairs Officer Environment and Development Policy Section, Environment and Development Division, ESCAP
Panelists :
- Mr. Haneda Sri Mulyanto, Emergency Response Sub-Directorate Head, Directorate of Hazardous Waste and Non-Hazardous Waste-Contaminated Site Remediation and Emergency Response, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia
- Ms. Therese Tiu, Principal Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Malaysia.
- Ms. Chawee Wongprasittiporn, Expert on Strategy, Office of National Water Resources (ONWR), Thailand
- Ms. Ravadee Prasertcharoensuk, Director, SDF Thailand
Q & A Session
Wrap-up and Summary
Closing remarks: Mr. Ruhimat Soerakoesoemah, Head, Sub-regional Office for Southeast Asia, ESCAP.
This session will focus on the status, trends, emerging issues, and interlinkages of SDG 11 in South-East Asia within the context of sustainable urban recoveries from multiple connected crises. It will identify current best practices to foster recoveries and develop sustainable cities and communities in South-East Asia, as well as new opportunities to scale up partnerships and technical cooperation among different actors to achieve SDG11.
Opening Remarks: Dr. Viengnam Douangphachanh, Director General Department of Housing and Urban Planning, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Lao People's Democratic Republic
Presenter: Mr. Curt Garrigan, Chief, SUDS/EDD, ESCAP
Moderator: Mr. Riccardo Maroso, UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia-Pacific, Bangkok
Panelists:
- Ms. Bernadia Tjandradewi, Secretary General, United Cities & Local Governments Asia-Pacific, Indonesia
- Ms. Norliza Hashim, CEO, Urbanice, Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Government of Malaysia
- Ms. Elaine Tan, Director, Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore
- Kai Ra Cabaron, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) Philippines
Q & A Session
Wrap-up and Summary: Mr. Riccardo Maroso, UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia-Pacific, Bangkok
Closing remarks: Mr. Ruhimat Soerakoesoemah, Head, Sub-regional Office for Southeast Asia, ESCAP
The session will focus on these challenges and identify solutions and opportunities for governments, development finance institutions, and the private sector to catalyse energy investment opportunities in the sub-region.
Key remarks: Mr. Senda Hurmuzam Kanam. Head of Survey and Testing Center for Electricity, New, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia
Presenter:
- Mr. Michael Williamson, Section Chief, Energy Division, ESCAP
- Ms. Subathirai Sivakumaran, Section Chief, Financing for Development Section, Macroeconomic Policy and Financing for Development Division (MPFD), ESCAP
Moderator: Mr. David Walker, Senior Staff Writer, Insurance Asset Risk.
Panelists:
- Dr. Poonpat Leesombatpiboon, Executive Director, International Affairs Division, Ministry of Energy
- Ms Zi Xin Lee, Singapore
- Mr. Nuki Agya Utama, Executive Director, ASEAN Centre for Energy
- Ms. Hien Minh Tran, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Viet Nam
- Mr. Nishant Kumar, Managing Director Asia at GuarantCo (part of PIDG)
- Mr. Jose Antonio Montalban, Pro-People Engineers and Leaders (PROPEL)
- Mr. David Marques Pereira, ESG Originator, DZ Bank AG.
Q & A Session
Closing remarks: Mr. Senda Hurmuzam Kanam, Head of Survey and Testing Center for Electricity, New, Renewable Energy, and Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia
Mr. Ruhimat Soerakoesoemah, Head, Sub-regional Office for Southeast Asia, UN ESCAP
The transport sector is one of the key drivers behind the implementation of SDG 9 and the rest of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
This session will showcase the role of freight transport policies and strategies for the realization of SDGs in Southeast Asia. The session will also consider the importance of international freight operations and the potential impact of deeper inter-regional transport connectivity, such as through the Lao-China Railway, in promoting sustainable transport for sustainable development in Southeast Asia. In doing so, it will make a case for deepening subregional cooperation and multi-stakeholder collaboration to fully explore the potential of freight transport in realizing SDGs.
Introductory remarks and Moderator: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Transport Connectivity, and Logistics Section, ESCAP
Presenter: Mr. Sandeep Jain, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section, ESCAP.
Panelists:
- Mr. Phanthaphap Phounsavath, Deputy Director General, Department of Transport, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Lao PDR
- Mr. Mohamed Suhaimi Yaacob, Chief Corporate Officer, Kereta Api Tanah Melayu Berhad
- Ms. Jerawun Hongsakul, Director of Rail Transport Regulation Division, Department of Rail Transport
- Kazakhstan (TBC).
- Mr. Beny Irzanto, Senior Officer, Transport Division, ASEAN Secretariats
- Ms. Ekaterina Kozyreva, President IEC International, Paris
- Mr. Paul Apthrop, Lead Consultant, Sustainable Freight Transport, ESCAP
- Mr. Rahmat Maulana Sidik, Indonesia for Global Justice (IGJ)
- Dr. Guineng Chen, Team Lead, Data and Policy Analytics, International Transport Forum at the OECD
Wrap-up and Summary and Closing remarks: Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Transport Connectivity, and Logistics Section, ESCAP
This session will present key messages for the SEA subregion and lessons learned from COVID-19 recovery efforts, as examined in the 2022 Partnership Report. It will also discuss the main topics covered in the 2023 edition.
Master of Ceremony: Ms. Juliet Nicole Braslow, Sustainable Development Officer, ESCAP
Key Remarks: Mrs. Andriah Feby Misna, Director of Various New Energy and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia.
Presenters:
- Ms. Mizuho Okimoto-Kaewtathip, Regional Team Leader - Inclusive Growth and Prosperity Advisor, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bangkok Regional Hub
- Ms. Juliet Nicole Braslow, Sustainable Development Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Audience engagement activity: Live-polling on converging crises and SDG solutions partnerships-oriented Ms. Juliet Nicole Braslow, Sustainable Development Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Moderator: Mr. Oliver Paddison, Chief of the Section of Countries in Special Situations, ESCAP.
Panel Discussion
The panel discussion will provide a multi-stakeholder perspective on SDG 17, in terms of policy approaches and best practices, with a particular focus on the nexus of food, energy, and finance.
Panelists:
- Dr. Marie Lisa Dacanay, Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia (ISEA)
- Mr. Octavio B. Peralta, Executive Director, Global Compact Network Philippines
- Ms.Tran Thi Tuyet, Vietnam Country Coordinator, Water and Energy for Food Grand Challenge (WE4)
- Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director, Mekong Institute, Thailand
- Mr. Kraisid Tontisitin, Senator, Member of the Bureau of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Thailand
Vote of Thanks: Ms. Juliet Nicole Braslow, Sustainable Development Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
The VNR session will include the five countries in the sub-region presenting their VNR in 2023: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam and will engage a broad range of stakeholders to share advice and lessons learnt.
Furthermore, building on the ESCAP VNR Twinning Programme, it will provide an opportunity for countries within the Southeast region to share how they are demonstrating leadership on SDGs and promoting South-South Cooperation.
Opening and welcome: Ms. Caitlin Porter, Senior VNR Advisor, ESCAP
1st Panel discussion – Leveraging on VNRs to accelerate policy reforms and align SDGs to national plans and programmes
Moderator: Mr. Riccardo Mesiano, Head, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO), Timor-
Leste
Panelists:
- Mr. Inocencio De Jesus Xavier, Coordinator, Human Rights Defenders Network (RDDU), Representative of Timor-Leste NGO Forum (FONGTIL), Timor-Leste
- Prof Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria, President, Society for the Promotion of SDG (Malaysia)
- Mr. Mar Sophal, Program Manager, Socio-Economic Equity in Development (SEED), The NGO FORUM, Cambodia
- Ms.Thanyaporn Krichtitayawuth (Thanya) Executive Director of Global Compact Network Thailand
Q&A
Audience engagement activity: Live-polling Ms. Caitlin Porter, Senior VNR Advisor, ESCAP.
2nd Panel discussion – The role of data promoting evidence-based policy for the VNRs
- Mr. Arman Bidarbakht Nia, Statistics Division, UNESCAP
Panelists:
- Ms. Huraini Hurairah, Head of Secretariat, Special National Coordination, Committee for Sustainable Development Goals, Prime Minister’s Office, Brunei Darussalam
- Mr. Poch Sovanndy, Deputy Director General for Planning, Cambodia
- Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga, Official Department of Science, and Natural Resources & Environment (DSENRE) Ministry of Planning and Investment, Viet Nam
Stakeholder perspectives on the role of VNRs
Ms. Robeliza Halip, Coordinator, Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples (REP)
Key reflections and wrap-up: Ms. Caitlin Porter, Senior VNR Advisor, ESCAP
Mr. Ruhimat Soerakoesoemah, Head, Sub-regional Office for Southeast Asia, UN ESCAP
Closing Remarks: Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Mekong Institute
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