The European Committee of the Regions, Eurocities, and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, have joined forces to organize a workshop on the implementation of SDGs at regional and local level. This event will take place during the European Week of Regions and Cities. Registrations opened on Monday 9 July. The event code is 9WS73.

Following the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, the European Commission is proceeding with the translation of SDGs within the EU. Among other initiatives, it has created a multi-stakeholder’s platform on SDGs, where its 30 members, representing a wide variety of interests, advise on SDGs delivery and help to speed up its process. The creation of the platform itself already highlights a new drive towards inclusiveness; it shows that the EU is shifting towards new ways of governance to face the challenge of sustainability, thereby maximizing the potential of all actors to contribute to SDGs.

At this event, we will explore how regions and cities in particular contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development agenda. We will address what sustainable development means at their level, how they translate it on the ground, and the steps involved in “localizing SDGs”. We will also discuss how to link these efforts with progress and support at EU and national levels, as well as the key role of cities and regions in SDGs governance.

This event is directed as much at regions and cities, which are already working on SDGs and are willing to exchange on their experience, as at regions and cities, which are not yet engaged in SDGs but which want to know where to start.

Programme of the event:

We will debate with leading regions and cities on the added-value of their mobilisation on sustainable development, how they translated it on the ground and where to start when you want to “localize SDGs”.

We will also debate on how to link these efforts with progress and support at EU and national levels, what kind of governance we need to boost implementation.

14:30 – 14:35: Setting the scene

14:35 – 15:15: Panel 1: SDGs & Europe – Multi-level governance for Europe

Moderator: Bert Kuby, Head of Unit, European Committee of the Regions

Panellists:

• Daphne Von Buxoeveden, Policy Officer, European Commission Secretariat General, responsible for the EC multi-stakeholders’ platform on SDGs
• Annika Lindblom, Secretary General, National Commission on Sustainable Development, Counsellor, Ministry of the Environment, Finland
• Natalia Vera, Secretary General, Network of Regional Government for Sustainable Development
• Arnoldas Abramavičius, Member of the EC multi-stakeholder Platform on SDGs, Member of the Committee of the Regions and local, Mayor of Zarasai, Lithuania

Q&As

15:15 – 15:55: Panel 2: Localising SDGs

Moderator: Silvia Ganzerla, Policy Director, Eurocities

Panellists:

• Stefano Marta, Coordinator, Territorial Approach to SDGs, OECD
• Hans Sakkers, Head of department of European and International Affairs, City of Utrecht
• Enric Nomdedéu i Biosca, Autonomous Employment Secretary and General Director of the Valencian Employment and Training Service, Region of Valencia, Spain
• Bert Janssens, Coordinator International and Europe, Flemish association of municipalities, VVSG, Belgium

Q&As

15:55 – 16:00: Conclusion and next step – Angelika Poth-Mogele, Executive Director, CEMR

Come and join us on 9 October! Register at https://europa.eu/regions-and-cities/ with the event code 9WS73.

The Square Conference Centre is located in Rue Mont des Arts, 1000 Brussel