Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

20 May 2020

A virtual APFSD was organized by ESCAP. However, as against regular 3 days APFSD (and 3 days CSOs Forum) this APFSD was only organized for a day and had severely curtailed discussion and hardly anytime for the CSOs. Ajay Jha was nominated by the farmers constituency for making an intervention which did not materialized due to paucity of time. Many country delegations also could not make their intervention due to lack of time and also due to complications in the platform for discussion. However, CSOs registered their protest by writing to the Executive Secretary of the ESCAP. The APFSD was preceded by a session of the ESCAP with the APRCEM (18th May) and APRCEM meeting for strategizing intervention during the APFSD.The statement of the farmers’ constituency is attached for your reference.

Planning Meeting for Asia Pacific Research Workshop

31 March 2020

A virtual planning meeting was organised by Asia Pacific Research Network to take stock of the COVID pandemic and state responses and also to plan for Research workshop for organizations in South Asia. The planning meeting also finalised the Training Needs Assessment tools and timeline. Later APRN came out with a statement for the governments in South Asia to respond through pro poor measures strengthening social solidarity and rights based approaches.

National Consultation with Farmers

24 January 2020, Jaipur

A National Consultation with farmers was organized as a part of “Leave No One Behind” Consultations towards the preparation of India’s Voluntary National Report 2020 (VNR 2020), to be presented in the UN’s High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July 2020. The Consultation witnessed participation of more than 200 farmers and all major national farmers’ organizations.

Training on SDGs

25-26 July 2019, Kolkata

Islamic Relief and OFFER Network organized a training of the NGOs from Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Ajay Jha participated in the training and oriented the participants on localizing the SDGs.

SDGs conclave

20th April 2019, Delhi

Institute of Policy Studies and Advocacy organized a symposium to discuss major aspects of the SDGs with department of Economics, JamiaMilliaIslamia University. The participants included representatives from NITI Aayog, NFI, Oxfam, WNTA and JNU. Ajay K Jha provided an overview of implementation of SDG 13 globally and in India, and gaps and challenges.

Progress on Agenda 2030 in South Asia

March 2019

BCPH/PAIRVI led publication of the book titled “Tackling Challenges to achieve SDGs in South Asia.” The publications contains overview of progress in south Asia (by PAIRVI), country reports from Afghanistan (by Young Greens Organization), India ( by PAIRVI), Bangladesh (by Coast BD), Nepal (NACASUD), Sri Lanka (by Centre for Environment and Development), Pakistan (by Pakistan Development Alliance) and papers on SDG 2 (By Roots of Equity, Pakistan), SDG 4 (by National Coalition on Education, India), SDG 6 (by Wateraid, India), SDG 8 (By Azaad Foundation, India), SDG 10 (by GCAP Asia & Pacific), SDG 13 (by ICCAD, Bangladesh), SDG 17 (by Centre for Research and Advocacy, India), Discrimination based on Work and Descent (By Asia Dalit Rights Foundation), Persons with Disability (by STEP, Pakistan), and Gender Equality (by Beyond Beijing Committee, Nepal). This publication was launched during the Asia Pacific Peoples Forum on Sustainable Development and also during a side event organized by ESCAP South and South West Asia at APFSD.

Asia Pacific Peoples Forum on Sustainable Development and 6th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development

Asia Pacific Peoples Forum on Sustainable Development (APPFSD, 24th to 26th March) and 6th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD, 27th to 29th March)

Beyond Copenhagen has played a key role in shaping regional space on Agenda 2030, Asia Pacific Peoples Forum and organizing CSOs engagement with Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development through the Asia pacific Regional CSOs engagement mechanism since beginning. It participated in the 6th edition of the Peoples Forum and APFSD. It was invited to speak on the plenary on Monitoring and Accountability in the Agenda 2030, and Speak on sub regional (south asia) priorities in a side event organized by ESCAP South and South West Asia Office. Ajay K jha also participated in the meeting with the eminent persons panel appointed by the Executive Secretary of the ESCAP to reshape ESCAP’s engagement with the Agenda 2030.

UNEA 4 and GMGSF

March 2019

Ajay K Jha representing CECOEDECON was invited as a fully funded participant for the UNEA 4 and the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum being organized by the UNEP during 7th to 15th March at Nairobi. Ajay spoke on the panel discussing “Environmental challenges related to poverty and natural resources including agriculture, sustainable food systems and climate change.” He also delivered the key note address in a workshop on “ Creating synergy in poverty eradication and environmental challenges.” Representing farmers constituency, Ajay Jha also led drafting of two farmers constituency statements, and collective statement delivered in the closing session of the UNEA 4. Besides, APRCEM delegation also interacted with UNEA 4 President, acting director of the UN Environment, attended the workshop on UNEP work programme, and followed several resolutions including ones on biodiversity and deforestation, food loss and waste, chemical and wastes, geo-engineering governance etc.

Participatory Environmental Governance: Citizen Monitoring and Actions

22-23 February 2019, Patna

The workshop was organized at AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies, Patna where around 30 participants actively participated in the workshop. During the workshop participants were imparted hands on experiment as well as theoretical aspects of environmental governance. The workshop mainly emphasized on introduction to various kinds of pollutions, their source and impacts on health, ecology, and livelihoods, environmental laws/regulations and its compliance, applicable norms/standards/limits of some important pollutants, regulatory and enforcement agencies related to environmental quality/pollution, basic pollution monitoring methods and practices, using simple instruments, and possibility of formation of citizens pollution monitoring groups in future.

3rd Forum of Environment Ministers and High Officials from Asia Pacific

24-25 January, 2019 | Singapore

The Forum was held at marina Sands Bay Convention Centre and attended by 26 Environment Ministers, President of Sri Lanka, prime Minister of Tuvalu and Dy prime Minister of Singapore besides High Officials from more than 50 countries. Mr. Parihar, Chair of the CPCB represented India and also chaired the High Officials Meeting on 24th.

The Forum was organized to reflect on the Theme of the UNEA 4, “Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production,” which will be organized from 11th to 15th March at UN Environment headquarters at Nairobi. The Forum came out with a chairs summary, which captured the concerns raised by the CSOs on challenges in promoting grassroots innovation, containing chemical pollution, monitoring of global geo engineering governance among others.

A brief report of the Forum can be read here.