Side event: A key to achieving SDGs: Rights holders’ meaningful engagement and strengthening regional processes in the achievement of the 2030 Agenda

On July 12, Mabel Bianco, president of FEIM, participated in a side event in New York. This event was organized by the FEIM Foundation together with the Asia Pacific Regional Civil Society Engagement Mechanism (APRCEM), UNECE Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (ECE RCEM), the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

The event aimed to address the challenges in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthen the participation of rights holders and civil society organizations in development processes, especially at the regional level.

The global context presents multiple crises, such as hunger, conflicts, economic crises and inequalities, which threaten the achievement of the SDGs. The UN ESCAP progress report for 2024 indicates that an additional 32 years would be needed to achieve most of the targets, with limited data available.

The event focused on including cross-regional and global debates, connecting national, regional and global dynamics, and strengthening policy coherence with UN Special Procedures and treaty bodies.

The ECLAC Director dedicated a few words to Mabel Bianco.

The objectives of the event included identifying gaps in the implementation of the SDGs, forging cross-regional narratives to integrate civil society in the planning, implementation and review processes of the 2030 Agenda, and pressuring member states, UN agencies and other international institutions to ensure meaningful participation and avoid corporate capture and the erosion of democratic spaces.

The closing remarks and recommendations were made by Mabel Bianco, who pointed out the importance of considering voluntary country reports at the regional level prior to the global presentation, which would allow for a better analysis since the region shares problems and characteristics that are more difficult at the global level. Unfortunately, this proposal was not accepted.