Research Conference Agenda

Bangkok, 15-16 November

Rooms: Beta 1 (2nd Floor) & Omega (6th Floor)

Context

Southern Voice is a vibrant network of fifty think tanks in Africa, Asia and Latin America that serves as an open platform for the discussion of SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. In this spirit, the Research Conference is an opportunity to bring together experts to validate the research findings, policy recommendations as well as to shape the future programmes of Southern Voice.

During 2018, Southern Voice has been pursuing its research on the implementation of the SDGs, financing for development, and on rethinking development effectiveness. During the conference, we will focus on the following two initiatives,

The research conference will be an interactive space to interpret, synthesise and extract lessons and recommendations from emerging research findings. All sessions will be interactive, and participants are encouraged to be provocative and to share their insights on the issues that will be discussed.

Objectives

  • Share and discuss Southern Voice’s research programmes and emerging findings.
  • Generate new ideas and policy recommendations based on Southern Voice’s research.
  • Create an opportunity for participants to engage and explore jointly policy issues related to the 2030 Agenda.

 

Day 1: State of SDGs in the Global South
08:30 – 09:00Introductions and set the scene
Room: Beta (2nd Floor)
Debapriya Bhattacharya, Chair & Andrea Ordóñez, Director
09:00 – 11:00Plenary: How are global systemic issues affecting the progress on the SDGs?
Room: Beta (2nd Floor)

Not only national policy processes explain the outcomes of a given country, global systemic issues also play a role. These global issues include i) the trends resulting from rapid changes in the economic and social global systems, such as the fourth industrial revolution and ii) the policies and decisions taken at the global level, that have an impact on national implementation of the SDGs. These include issues such as trade agreements and rules, UN agreements and global partnerships.

The session will start with an overview of the issue and insights from two national case studies that explore the interconnections between global systemic issues and SDG progress at the national level. Participants will discuss how some of these global issues impact the achievement of a selection of SDGs.

Moderator: Vaqar Ahmed (SDPI)
Case studies showcased: CEPA Sri Lanka & CSEA Nigeria
Discussant: Shantanu Mukherjee (UN DESA)
11:00 – 11:30Break
Outside Beta (2nd floor)
11:30 – 13:00Parallel Session 1: Leave no one Behind, moving from identification to action
Room: Beta (2nd Floor)

The principle of Leave no one Behind (LNOB) as a moral imperative is already positioned in the global debates due to the active engagement of civil society. However, implementing it in practice brings a set of challenges with it. This includes on the one hand, national policymaking, and on the other, managing the differentiated impacts that global issues have on society.

This session will focus on the following questions: What can be done at the national level to reach those being left behind? What are the roles of agency and social mobilization on promoting the principle to Leave no one Behind? Discussion will focus on a selection of goals and targets.

The session will follow a format similar to the previous plenary.

Moderator: Ibrahima Hathie (IPAR)
Case studies showcased: ARU Bolivia & PAC India
Discussant: Andrew Hurst (IDRC)

Parallel Session 2: What are the policy implications of the interconnections of the SDGs?
Room: Omega (6th Floor)

The diversity of goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda pose the challenge of how to handle the possible synergies and trade-offs that occur among them. While existing research focuses primarily on the theoretical relations between goals, Southern Voice research looks at the practical implications. For example, some synergies arise at the regional or national level, while others occur at the household and individual level. This will imply different policy choices. Also, analysis of synergies and trade-offs can shed light on the prioritization and sequences of policies for a successful implementation of the SDGs.

The session will explore what are the policy implications of some of the most salient interrelations observed among goals, and how can synergies be leveraged to assure that no one is left behind.

The session will follow a format similar to that of the previous plenary.

Moderator: Gala Diaz Langou (CIPPEC)
Presenters: GRADE Peru
& ISSER Ghana
Discussant: Dr. Henri Rueff (CDE)
13:00 – 14:00Lunch
Cuisine Unplugged
14:00 – 15:30Parallel Sessions 3,4 & 5: How are regions implementing the SDGs? (Africa, Asia and Latin America)
Room: Beta (2nd Floor) & Omega (6th Floor)

Three parallel sessions to discuss the implementation of the SDGs in three regions: Africa, Asia and Latin America. Each session will be kicked off by a short perspective of how countries and regional bodies are adopting the agenda to guide the debate among participants.

Africa
Chair: Chukwuka Onyekwena (CSEA)
Regional Lead: Ibrahim Kasirye (EPRC)
Country case studies: Ghana and Nigeria

Asia
Chair: Nisha Arunatilake (IPS)
Regional Lead: Mustafizur Rahman (CPD)
Country case studies: India and Sri Lanka

Latin America
Chair: Pablo Hurtado (ASIES)
Regional Lead: Margarita Beneke de Sanfeliu (FUSADES)
Country case studies: Bolivia and Peru
15:30 – 16:00Break
Outside Beta (2nd floor)
16:00 – 17:15Synthesis Session: What is the current outlook on global progress on the SDGs?
Room: Beta (2nd Floor)

In the plenary session, the different regions will present two or three key points from the discussions in the parallel sessions. This will inform a discussion on the global outlook on the SDGs to date.

Moderator: Minh-Thu Pham (United Nations Foundation)

17:15 – 17:30Wrap up and closing remarks

Day 2: New Metrics of Development Effectiveness
Room: Beta (2nd Floor)
09:00 – 09:15Introduction to the day
Andrea Ordóñez (Southern Voice)
09:15 – 10:15Keynote: Development Effectiveness of international cooperation in the context of the 2030 Agenda

In preparation for a new programme that Southern Voice envisions for 2019-2020, this session will open a consultation on how to shape this new programme. This session will focus on a presentation on the status of the knowledge and the debate on development effectiveness of international cooperation in the context of the 2030 Agenda.

Moderator: Dan Peters (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation)
Presenter: Debapriya Bhattacharya (Southern Voice, CPD)
Discussant: Stephan Klingebiel (GDI)
10:15 – 10:30 Break
10:30 – 12:00Interactive Session: Thinking together about the future of Development Effectiveness
Based on the previous presentation, the session will focus on gathering feedback from participants on what are the key areas that require new evidence, and how a new research programme can support the global discussions on effectiveness.
12:00 – 13:15Synthesis Session

Final session to bring together the insights gathered and consolidate a common understanding of the issues.

Moderator: Minh-Thu Pham (United Nations Foundation)
13:15 – 13:30Wrap up and closing remarks
13:30 – 14:30Lunch
Cuisine Unplugged

 

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