WE are aligned with the UN 2030 agenda

Through its intersectoral and multi-stakeholder activities, the Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights contributes to the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in the following ways:

• by recognising that human rights are part and parcel of every SDG and that SDGs can only be accelerated with human rights;
• by enhancing linkages between human rights and implementation of SGDs;
• by encouraging and fostering platforms for sharing experiences, knowledge, and information to support ASEM partners and other relevant stakeholders in the implementation of human rights and SGDs.

See more on our past work related to thematic areas of the Sustainable Development goals here.

Since 2012, the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) has been involved in work dedicated to sustainable development with the focus on the post-2015 development agenda and accompanying indicators to measure progress. After the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change in 2015, the ENVforum has been organising various capacity building activities and research focused on implementing and monitoring SDGs on national level, and on low carbon development. In doing so, we engage civil society, governments, and businesses on national, regional, and international levels to build capacity on issues of sustainability and climate change.

On 2030 Agenda, ENVforum organizes:

• The ASEAN Capacity Building Workshop Series which consists of national workshops; annual regional conference; and research on SDGs implementation on national level
  • ENVforum contributes by providing capacity building and knowledge exchange activities which hope to fulfil the pledge “no one left behind” among developing ASEM partner countries
    • The High Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2020 stressed the need for international cooperation to address the economic aspects of COVID-19 crisis keeping in mind the SDGs and priorities of 2030 Agenda. Leaving no one behind, especially after this crisis, is the priority.Diverse research on SDGs and its implementation including:

• Sustainable Consumption and Production in Lao PDR after the Voluntary National Review
• Closing the Loop: ASEM’s Transition Towards Achieving a Circular Economy
• Implementation Guide for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)I Burmese Edition
• Handbook for ASEAN Government Officials on Climate Change and SDGs
• Who Will Pay for the Sustainable Development Goals?

• Flagship Annual Conference on specific SDGs for eg. in 2018-2020 ENVforum has been focusing on SDG 12, addressing the need for need for innovative pathways for sustainable consumption and production. Other thematic areas include securing means of implementation eg. financing

• Since 2013, ASEF, via the ENVforum, has been regularly contributing to the Sustainable Development Transformation Forum (SDTF), hosted and organised by UN Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD), as a knowledge partner, bringing experts on sustainable development and presenting outcomes of ENVforum research on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• ENVforum contributes to the drafting of Incheon Communique, an official document disseminated widely, including to UN bodies

• On UNFCCC (Climate Change)
  • The ENVforum has been organising side-events on low carbon development and other topics related to climate change during the COP sessions
    • In 2019, the event on plastic and GHGs ENVforum co-organised was among the shortlisted ones as official COP25 side-events

• The ENVforum has also conducted research on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement
  • The “Handbook for ASEAN Government Officials on Climate Change and SDGs” was published in 2016 and will be updated again before COP26
  • The handbook serves as a resource on climate change for ASEAN government officials and other government officials involved in climate policies.

ASEF’s support to contemporary creativity in Asia and Europe – particularly in the area of cultural mobility – has been also recognised by UNESCO as a good practice. Two projects were acknowledged: Mobility First!, ASEF’s travel grant for artists and the 53 Mobility Funding Guides published on culture360.ASEF.org. UNESCO’s recognition comes in Re-shaping Cultural Policies (2018), its biennial global report on advancing creativity in development.

In line with SDG 17.17 (civil society partnerships), ASEF supports civil society participation at UNESCO, with focus on the intergovernmental dialogue on contemporary creativity & its role in sustainable development. Here, civil society refers to non-governmental organisations, non-profit organisations, professionals in the culture sector and associated sectors, groups that support the work of artists and cultural communities.

Since the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, formal consultations have been increasingly used by international organisations to solicit public input into global policy-making on sustainable development. Today, civil society participation is considered an integral part of the deliberations of UNESCO member States, particularly on the topic of advancing creativity for development. ASEF supports this institutionalisation of civil society participation in existing intergovernmental institutions in the following ways:

• Co-ordinating the preparation of biennial civil society reports on the arts (with policy recommendations) for UNESCO member States in 2019& 2017
• Participating in the Conference of Parties and the Intergovernmental Committee meetings of UNESCO member States (2019, 2018, 2017, 2009)
• Presenting the key messages of biennial civil society reports to UNESCO member States at the Conference of Parties at UNESCO Headquarters (2017)
• Participating in the Civil Society Forums at UNESCO:
  • ASEF moderated the workshop on How to overcome obstacles to the mobility of artists and cultural professionals?at the second Civil Society Forum at UNESCO Headquarters on 4 June 2019
  • ASEF presented on Asian issues and challenges at the first Civil Society Forum at UNESCO Headquarters on 12 June 2017. Read the report of this forum here.
• Presenting to UNESCO member States on trends, issues & challenges in international cultural co-operation:
  • ASEF joined the panel, Participative Policy Monitoring to Promote the Diversity of Cultural Expressionson 14 June 2017 at the 6th Conference of Parties (COP6) at UNESCO Headquarters
  • ASEF joined the panel, Ensuring Artistic Freedom: A Public Policy Challengeon 3 May 2017 at World Press Freedom Day in Jakarta, Indonesia
• Moderating conversations with governments at UNESCO platforms:
  • ASEF moderated the panel, Re-Shaping Cultural Policies for the Status of Artists and Artistic Freedomon 4 May 2017 at World Press Freedom Day in Jakarta, Indonesia, discussing censorship in the arts with government officials from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia & Viet Nam
• Compiling best practices on contemporary creativity for UNESCO member States (see Mapping Cultural Diversitypublication, 2010)

ASEF’s education projects contribute to the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in various ways. Through its non-formal, interdisciplinary projects and ASEM-wide communication activities & campaigns, ASEF promotes UNESCO’s initiatives of Global Citizenship Education (GCED), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and, in particular, SDG4 on Lifelong Learning and Quality Education for all.

Thematically, ASEF’s education projects cover a wider range of SDGs next to its main focus on SDG4: these are, SDG3 (Health & Wellbeing), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth), SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals). Our projects are based on the principles of providing inclusive & equitable education opportunities, ensuring gender equality, improving well-being among youth education stakeholder, as well as empowering youth and educators with relevant skills & perspectives that will allow them to fully participate and contribute to sustainable societies.

For the secondary education level, the ASEF Classroom Network is a platform for exchange and capacity building for school leaders and teachers. The project’s objectives are aligned with SDG4 and focus on teacher professionalisation and enhancing teachers’ qualifications in contemporary education issues. Participatory research and comparative studies with teachers and students complement annual bi-regional training and networking activities.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) play a key role in contributing to inclusive & diverse societies and in driving innovation across various societal sectors – through education & research, knowledge transfer as well as their community engagement. ASEF’s Regional Conference on Higher Education (ARC), the Official Dialogue Partner of the ASEM Education Ministers Meeting, connects higher education stakeholders to build human capital, contribute to policy dialogues, and establish partnerships for collaboration that create more equitable, accessible and inclusive higher education systems. The ASEF Innovation Laboratories (ASEFInnolabs) places an emphasis on capacity building in the field of innovation and technology in higher education. Thereby, the project supports universities’ societal mission in contributing to sustainable development, in particular SDG8 on Decent work and economic growth and SDG9 on Industry, innovation and infrastructure.

In the field of youth, ASEF runs several long-term projects that are thematically aligned with one or several SDGs, for example the ASEF Summer University (ASEFSU) and the ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS). These education projects include interdisciplinary training & educational modules to develop 21^st century skills in young people and engages them in local community activities to directly contribute to the SDGs in their own societies. Projects outcomes are presented at relevant ASEM or UN-related meetings to showcase the Asia-Europe youth perspective and concrete actions.

• Since 2018, the ASEF Public Health Network (ASEF PHN) is also added on the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Strategic Partnerships Portal website: Strategic Partnership for International Health Regulations (2005) and Health Security (SPH), under Donor Partner Landscape (https://extranet.who.int/sph/donor/13276) covering Antimicrobial Resistance, Emergency Preparedness, Risk Communications and COVID-19.
• In 2018, ASEF PHN and the Santé publique France jointly host the “High-level Meeting on Risk Communications for Public Health Emergencies” with a special focus on how to reach special population, including migrants and ethnic minorities. The publication from the conference was used at the summer school for migrants health 2019 organised by WHO
• ASEF PHN’s conferences are usually attended by several UN representatives such as WHO, FAO and IOM depending on the theme of the conference.