The regional seminar on implementation of international humanitarian law was held in Minsk

The regional seminar on implementation of international humanitarian law was held in Minsk

Oleg Slizhevsky, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Belarus, Chairman of the Commission on Implementation of International Humanitarian Law under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, and George Drndarski, Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mission in the Republic of Belarus, delivered a welcoming speech at the opening of the Seventh Regional Seminar on Implementation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). The Seminar was jointly organized by the ICRC Regional Delegation to the Russian Federation, Belarus and Moldova and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus.

Actual challenges in the field of humanitarian activities, restoration of family ties, protection of cultural property during an armed conflict, protection of personal data as a means of protecting individual rights – these and many other issues were discussed in Minsk between 29 and 31 October 2019 by representatives of the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Culture, Healthcare from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, as well as by experts of the ICRC, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.

As Oleg Slizhevsky stressed, Belarus consistently pursues a policy of a peaceful State, a safe and reliable neighbour and a mediator in the settlement of disputes. As part of the work of the Commission on the Implementation of International Humanitarian Law under the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, work is being done to ensure the proper implementation of international humanitarian law, legal education and the dissemination of knowledge of international humanitarian law.

In turn, George Drndarski praised the degree and effectiveness of cooperation between the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus, the reliability and strategic content of joint activities in the field of international humanitarian law.

Adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals with 169 targets that the UN is committed to working towards through the year 2030 with the hope of creating lasting positive change and freedom in the general areas of People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership. The purpose of these goals is to create a framework for development programs that will focus on eradicating poverty, hunger, violence, fear, and disease and promoting literacy, equality, human rights, sanitation and hygiene, education, and physical, mental, and social well-being. These goals are meant to build on the Millennium Development Goals and work towards the three key areas the UN identifies for sustainability, which are economic, social, and environmental development.

The SDG Initiative

In addition to the implementation of the SDGs, 17 various universities have worked to create an initiative to educate learners about the SDGs and how they can contribute to achieving them. Coursera is the primary platform where these courses are offered for the general public in the form of online classes with the hope of increasing participation in the work being done towards these goals. The courses often provide a hands-on experience with an NGO or international organization who is working to achieve the SDGs through their work. The participating universities hope to offer a global education on these goals and ways to get involved.

The SDGs and Courses Offered

The SDGs are 17 goals with a total of 169 targets among them, most of which are meant to be achieved by 2030. These goals strive to work towards sustainable economic, social, and environmental development on a global scale. You can read in-depth reports about these goals and the progress being made towards achieving them at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org. Courses offered through the SDG initiative cover one or more of the goals through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

No poverty (Goal 1)

• Goal 1—No poverty: End poverty in all its forms everywhere. The hope for this goal is to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030 (defined by people living under $1.25/day) and to reduce the number of men, women, and children living in poverty by at least half. It also strives to implement social protections and measures for all people, including increasing and ensuring equal economic and social access for all people and reducing the vulnerability of the poor to situations such as climate-related events and other shocks and disasters.

Available MOOCs on SDG 1:

• Leiden University (SDG Partner Project)
  Political Economy of Institutions and development
  ​PROJECT Partnering with Development Done Differently. Participants will analyse a (local) NGO and suggest possible improvements for effectiveness. 
• University of Taiwan (SDG Partner Project)
  Welfare and Rights of Youth
  PROJECT Working with local Taiwan organisations. The goal of the project is to facilitate the action of protecting children and youth and to create strategies promoting their rights. Note: Course is in Chinese
• Other courses available:
  1. University of Geneva: Children’s Human Rights: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
  2. University of Oslo: What Works: Promising Practices in International Development
  3. University of York: Improving Children’s Lives: Reducing Child Poverty and Inequality Around the World
  4. Harvard University: Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
  5. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  6. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Zero hunger (Goal 2)

• Goal 2—Zero hunger: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. This goal strives to end hunger and ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all people all year round by the year 2030. It also strives to end malnutrition, particularly for children under the age of five, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and older persons. It hopes to double the agriculture and incomes for small-scale farmers/producers, ensure sustainable and resilient food production systems, and maintain genetic diversity in seeds, plants, and animals.

Available MOOCs on SDG 2:

• University of Reading: Our Hungry Planet: Agriculture, People and Food Security
• Other Courses available:
  1. Leiden University (NeoLMS): Remote Food Security Monitoring
  2. Harvard University: Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
  3. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  4. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Good health and well-being (Goal 3)

• Goal 3—Good health and well-being: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Through this goal, the hope is to significantly reduce the maternal mortality rate, end preventable deaths for newborns and children under five years of age, and end the disease epidemics for AIDs, malaria, tuberculosis, tropical diseases, hepatitis, water-borne diseases, and other communicable diseases. It also strives to reduce premature mortality from communicable diseases, strengthen prevention and treatment of substance abuse, and halve the number of deaths and injuries from traffic accidents. This goal also focuses on promoting global access to sexual and reproductive health services, achieving universal health coverage, and reducing the number of deaths from hazardous chemicals in air, water, and soil.

Available MOOCs on SDG 3:

• Leiden University (SDG Partner Project)
  De-mystifying Mindfulness
  PROJECT You are challenged to create a real life project to spread the awareness of Mindfulness. The course works in collaboration with the Oxford Mindfulness centre, and project examples include the Mindful Garden by Leiden University’s Centre for Innovation together with local The Hague partner
• Other courses available:
  1. University of Cape Town: Organ Donation: From Death to Life
  2. University of Copenhagen: Diabetes – the Essential Facts; An introduction to Global Health
  3. University of Geneva: Global Health at the Human-Animal-Ecosystem Interface; Ebola: vaincre ensemble!; In the footsteps of Zika…approaching the unknown; Global Health: an interdisciplinary overview
  4. University of Manchester: Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 1: Understanding Complex Problems; Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 2: Developing Effective Interventions
  5. Utrecht University: Ebola: Essential Knowledge for Healthcare professionals
  6. Harvard University: Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
  7. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  8. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Quality education (Goal 4)

• Goal 4—Quality education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The first target of this goal is to ensure that all children complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education. This goal also focuses on ensuring that all children have access to quality early childhood education and care, ensuring access affordable vocational training (including university) for all people, and increasing the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills for employment. The goal also strives to eliminate gender disparity in education, as well as a significant portion of illiteracy in youth and adults. It also hopes to ensure that all learners acquire knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development and to build education facilities that are safe and sensitive to all needs, including disabilities.

Available MOOCs on SDG 4:

• University of Taiwan (SDG Partner Project)
  Welfare and Rights of Youth
  PROJECT Working with local Taiwan organisations. The goal of the project is to facilitate the action of protecting children and youth and to create strategies promoting their rights. Note: Course is in Chinese
• Other courses available:
  1. McMaster University: Mindshift; Experimentation for Improvement
  2. University of Geneva: Children’s Human Rights: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
  3. Harvard University: Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
  4. UNICEF: Social Norms, Social Change
  5. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  6. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Gender equality (Goal 5)

• Goal 5—Gender equality: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. This goal will work to end global discrimination of women and girls, end all forms of violence against women and girls, and eliminate harmful practices against women and girls such as childhood marriage and female genital mutilation. It also strives to provide services for those doing unpaid care and domestic work, ensure full and effective participation of women at all political, economic, and public levels of decision-making, and ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Available MOOCs on SDG 5:

• University of Taiwan (SDG Partner Project)
  Welfare and Rights of Youth
  PROJECT Working with local Taiwan organisations. The goal of the project is to facilitate the action of protecting children and youth and to create strategies promoting their rights. Note: Course is in Chinese
• Other courses available:
  1. University of Geneva: Children’s Human Rights: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
  2. Macquarie University: Big History – diversity and inclusion
  3. University of Manchester: Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 1: Understanding Complex Problems; Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 2: Developing Effective Interventions
  4. Harvard University: Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
  5. Stanford University: International Women’s Health and Human Rights
  6. UNICEF: Social Norms, Social Change
  7. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  8. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Clean water and sanitation (Goal 6)

• Goal 6—Clean water and sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. This goal hopes to provide equal access to safe and affordable drinking water for all people, as well as achieving adequate sanitation and hygiene for all. It strives to improve water quality through the reduction of pollution and increase water-use efficiency. Through this goal, they also hope to implement water resource management and increase the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems.

Available MOOCs on SDG 6:

• Other courses available:
  1. University of Geneva: Water Resources Management and Policy; Droit International de l’Eau Douce; Children’s Human Rights: An Interdisciplinary Introduction; Ecosystem Services: a Method of Sustainable Development; Global Health: An Interdisciplinary Overview
  2. University of Manchester: Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 1: Understanding Complex Problems; Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 2: Developing Effective Interventions
  3. Stanford University: International Women’s Health and Human Rights
  4. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  5. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Affordable and clean energy (Goal 7)

• Goal 7—Affordable and clean energy: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. This goal strives to ensure that all people have access to affordable, reliable, modern energy source and increase the share of renewable energy resources. It also hopes to double the rate of improvement in energy efficiency through the enhancement of international cooperation in access to clean energy research and technology and through the expansion of infrastructure and technology.

Available MOOCs on SDG 7:

1. University of Cape Town: Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries
2. University of Geneva: Water Resources Management and Policy; Droit International de l’Eau Douce
3. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
4. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Decent work and economic growth (Goal 8)

• Goal 8—Decent work and economic growth: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. This goal focuses on sustaining per capita economic growth and growing gross domestic product in the least developed countries. It also strives to help countries achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversity, technological upgrades, and more, as well as promoting development-oriented policies to support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation. They also want to improve global resource efficiency in consumption and production, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, and reduce the number of youth not in employment, education, or training. Through this goal, they also hope to eradicate forced labor, modern slavery, and human trafficking, as well as promote safe and secure work environments, protect labor rights, promote sustainable tourism, and strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions.

Available MOOCs on SDG 8:

• University of Cape Town (SDG Partner Project)
  Becoming a Changemaker: introduction to social innovation
  PROJECT Partnered with Rlabs. Participants create a project of their own to create a social innovation or enterprise.
• Other courses available:
  1. McMaster University: Finance for Everybody: Decisions; Finance for Everybody: Markets; Finance for Everybody: Value; Finance of Everybody: Debt
  2. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  3. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9)

• Goal 9—Industry, innovation and infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. This goal strives to increase and improve infrastructure to support economic development and human well-being, as well as promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization. The goal focuses on increasing access to financial services for small-scale industrial enterprises, increasing use of clean technology and industrial processes, and increasing research, upgraded technologies, and innovation.

Available MOOCs on SDG 9:

• University of Cape Town (SDG Partner Project)
  Becoming a Changemaker: introduction to social innovation
  PROJECT Partnered with Rlabs. Participants create a project of their own to create a social innovation or enterprise.
• University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
• KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Reduced Inequalities (Goal 10)

• Goal 10—Reduced inequalities: Reduce inequality in and among countries. This goal focuses on increasing and sustaining income growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population, as well as promoting global inclusion, ensuring equal opportunities and reducing inequalities in legislation and policies, and adopting policies that will promote equality and social protection. The goal also wants to improve regulation of and strengthen global financial markets, increase representation of developing countries in global decision-making processes, and facilitate migration and mobility of people that is safe, orderly, and responsible.

Available MOOCs on SDG 10:

• Leiden University (SDG Partner Project)
  Political Economy of Institutions and development
  ​PROJECT Partnering with Development Done Differently. Participants will analyse a (local) NGO and suggest possible improvements for effectiveness. 
• University of Taiwan (SDG Partner Project)
  Welfare and Rights of Youth
  PROJECTWorking with local Taiwan organisations. The goal of the project is to facilitate the action of protecting children and youth and to create strategies promoting their rights. Note: Course is in Chinese
• Other courses available:
  1. University of Geneva: Children’s Human Rights: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
  2. University of London: Global Diplomacy – Diplomacy in the Modern World
  3. Macquarie University: Big History – diversity and inclusion
  4. Harvard University: Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
  5. Stanford University: International Women’s Health and Human Rights
  6. UNICEF: Social Norms, Social Change
  7. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  8. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11)

• Goal 11—Sustainable cities and communities: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The target areas of this goal strive to provide access to safe and affordable housing for all, access to safe and affordable transportation for all, and inclusive and sustainable urbanization, planning, and management. It also hopes to achieve strengthened efforts in protecting cultural and natural heritage, reduction in the number of deaths and economic losses related to disaster, and reduction in the adverse environmental impact on cities from air quality and waste management. It also hopes to provide global access to safe and inclusive green spaces.

Available MOOCs on SDG 11:

• Leiden University (SDG Partner Project)
  Political Economy of Institutions and development
  ​PROJECT Partnering with Development Done Differently. Participants will analyse a (local) NGO and suggest possible improvements for effectiveness.
• Lund University (SDG Partner Project)
  Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities
  ​PROJECT Partnering with WWF and ICLEI.
• Other available courses:
  1. University of Geneva: Ecosystem Services: a Method of Sustainable Development
  2. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  3. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Responsible consumption and production (Goal 12)

• Goal 12—Responsible consumption and production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. This goal includes the implementation of a 10-year framework for sustainable consumption and production and hopes to achieve sustainable management of natural resources. It also strives to reduce global food waste by half, achieve environmentally sound management of chemicals and wastes, reduce waste overall, and encourage companies to adopt sustainable practices. This goal will also promote sustainable procurement practices and work to increase information and awareness on sustainable development and lifestyles.

Available MOOCs on SDG 12:

• Lund University (SDG Partner Project)
  Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities
  ​PROJECT Partnering with WWF and ICLEI.
• University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future​

Climate change (Goal 13)

• Goal 13—Climate change: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. This goal strives to strengthen the capacity to deal with climate-related hazards and natural disasters, in addition to integrating climate change measures into national policies and improving education and awareness surrounding climate change and its impact.

Available MOOCs on SDG 13:

• Other courses available:
  1. University of Arizona: Biosphere 2: Science for the future of our planet
  2. University of Cape Town: Climate Change Mitigation in Developing Countries
  3. University of Chicago: Global Warming
  4. University of Geneva: Ecosystem Services: a Method of Sustainable Development
  5. University of Manchester: Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 1: Understanding Complex Problems; Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries Part 2: Developing Effective Interventions
  6. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  7. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Life below water (Goal 14)

• Goal 14—Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The targets of this goal focus on preventing and reducing marine pollution, managing and protecting marine and coastal ecosystems, and minimizing the effects of ocean acidification. It also strives to regulate harvesting and end overfishing, as well as conserve at least 10 percent of marine and coastal areas by 2020 and prohibit certain types of fisheries from overfishing and overcapacity. Finally, it hopes to increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and other developing countries through sustainable use of marine resources.

Available MOOCs on SDG 14:

• Other courses available:
  1. University of Geneva: Water Resources Management and Policy
• University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
• KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Life on land (Goal 15)

• Goal 15—Life on land: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. This goal focuses on ensuring conservation and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, including promoting the implementation of sustainable management of forests, combating desertification, and ensuring the conservation of mountain ecosystems. It will also work to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, promote fair sharing of genetic resources, end poaching and trafficking of protected species, and prevent the introduction and negative impact of alien species on various ecosystems. It also hopes to promote the integration of ecosystem and biodiversity values into planning and development processes.

Available MOOCs on SDG 15:

• University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
• KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Peace, justice, and strong institutions (Goal 16)

• Goal 16—Peace, justice, and strong institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. This goals purpose is to reduce all forms of violence and violent deaths, end abuse, trafficking, and exploitation of children, and promote rule of law at all levels to ensure access to justice. Included in this goal is the reduction of illegal financial and arms flow, the reduction of corruption and bribery, and the development of accountable and transparent institutions. Additionally, this goal strives to ensure responsive, inclusive, and participatory decision-making at all levels, broaden the participation of countries in global governance, provide legal identity and birth registration for all people, and ensure public access to information and the protection of fundamental freedoms.

Available MOOCs on SDG 16:

• Leiden University (SDG Partner Project)
  Political Economy of Institutions and development
  ​PROJECT Partnering with Development Done Differently. Participants will analyse a (local) NGO and suggest possible improvements for effectiveness. 
• University of Taiwan (SDG Partner Project)
  Welfare and Rights of Youth
  PROJECT Working with local Taiwan organisations. The goal of the project is to facilitate the action of protecting children and youth and to create strategies promoting their rights. Note: Course is in Chinese
• Other courses available:
  1. University of Geneva: Children’s Human Rights: An Interdisciplinary Introduction; Droit International de l’Eau Douce; Water Resources Management and Policy
  2. Leiden University: The Changing Global Order; EU Policy & Implementation: making Europe work!; Federalism & Decentralisation: Evaluating Africa’s Track Record; Heritage under Threat; International Law in Action 1: A guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in the Hague; International Law in Action 2: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes; The Rooseveltian Century; Security & Safety Challenges in a Globalized World; Terrorism & Counterterrorism: comparing Theory & Practice
  3. University of London: Global Diplomacy – Diplomacy in the Modern World
  4. Rutgers University: Revolutionary Ideas: Utility, Justice, Equality, Freedom
  5. University of Taiwan: Welfare and Rights of Youth
  6. Utrecht University: Human rights for Open Societies
  7. Harvard University: Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
  8. University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
  9. SDG Academy: Environmental Security and Sustaining Peace
  10. KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

Partnership for the goals (Goal 17)

• Goal 17—Partnership for the goals: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. This goal targets the specific areas of finance, technology, capacity-building, trade, and systemic issues. In the area of finance, this goal plans to work towards strengthening domestic resource mobilization, fully implementing development assistance commitments in developing countries, and increasing financial assistance and access for developing countries. For technology, the goal strives to enhance regional and international cooperation and access to science, technology, and innovation, as well as promote environmentally sound technologies, and fully implement mechanisms to improve technology and capacity-building in the areas of science, technology, and innovation. The capacity-building target focuses on enhancing international support for capacity-building in developing countries. Around trade, this goal works to promote a universal, inclusive trade system through the World Trade Organization, increase exports of developing countries, and implement duty-free/quota-free market access for developing countries. The targets for systemic issues, also known as policy and institutional coherence, focus on enhancing global macroeconomic stability, enhancing policy coherence, respecting individual countries’ leadership and policies, enhancing global partnership in sustainable development, promoting effective partnerships between public, private-public, and civil society, enhancing support for capacity-building in developing countries, and build on initiatives to development measurements of sustainable development.

Available MOOCs on SDG 17:

• University of Arizona (SDG Partner Project)
  The Orbital Perspective
  PROJECT Earthrise-2068 is a project that celebrates our profound interdependence and brings together astronauts, scientists, experts, philosophers, engineers, students and everyday citizens to conceive a positive future and act to achieve it. Using the 50 and 100-year anniversaries of the first viewing of Earth from space, the project will encourage a worldwide systems approach that regards our planet in a comprehensive way that can lead to healing interpersonal conflict and yield a new conscience for the planet’s care and protection.
• Leiden University (SDG Partner Project)
  Political Economy of Institutions and development
  ​PROJECT Partnering with Development Done Differently. Participants will analyse a (local) NGO and suggest possible improvements for effectiveness. 
• University of Copenhagen: The Sustainable Development Goals – A global, transdisciplinary vision for the future
• KU Leuven: The UN Sustainable Development Goals: an Interdisciplinary Academic Introduction

The Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus with the support of the National Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals of the UNDP/UNICEF/UNFPA project “Supporting the Functioning of the Architecture for Management of Sustainable Development Goals in the Republic of Belarus” announces a contest “From Global Goals to Local Action”. The aim of the contest is to draw attention of the public and journalists to the topic of sustainable development, discuss sustainable development goals in mass media and involve active citizens and organizations in achieving the SDGs.

The contest is held in the following categories:

• Best material and/or series of materials on environmental topics in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals;
• Best material and/or series of materials on social topics in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, including gender equality and youth issues;
• Best material and/or economic series in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals;
• Best material and/or series on vulnerable groups of population, including people with disabilities, following the principle of “Leaving no one behind”;
• Best contribution and/or series on inter-ministerial collaboration to achieve Sustainable Development Goals;
• Best material and/or a series of materials on projects aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goals and implemented by business, including impact investment projects;
• Best material and/or a series of materials on public initiatives aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Who can participate?

Editorial offices of mass media registered on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, online media, owners of Internet resources, as well as individual journalists from mass media, online publications and Internet resources are invited to participate upon submission of the editorial office or owner of the Internet resource in accordance with the contest nominations.

The contest accepts materials in various genres: essay, interview, article, TV and radio program, etc., as well as series of publications and programs published and broadcast between January 1 and November 20, 2019, in accordance with the contest nominations.

How to take part in the contest?

To take part in the contest, one should send an application as well as printed or electronic materials separately for each nomination (at least 10 publications — for newspapers and 5 for magazines, Internet resources, TV (radio) programs). When nominating collective works, the leading authors, but not more than three persons, shall be indicated.

Materials should be sent to the Ministry of Information of the Republic of Belarus with the note “For the national contest “From Global Goals to Local Action”. The results of the contest will be announced on December 25, 2019.

The first regional forum “Strengthening intersectoral cooperation for localization of Sustainable Development Goals and rural development” was held on 26-27 November 2019 in Klichev.

The purpose of the forum was to present and analyze best practices and develop innovative approaches to strengthen intersectoral cooperation for the localization of sustainable development goals and rural development. The key Sustainable Development Goals of the forum are Goal 17 (partnership for sustainable development), Goal 8 (decent wages and economic growth), Goal 11 (sustainable cities and towns), Goal 4 (quality education), Goal 5 (gender equality), Goal 9 (industrialization, innovation and infrastructure), Goal 12 (responsible consumption and production).

The forum was attended by representatives of initiative groups, business community, non-profit and private organizations, government agencies, executive committees of Bykhovsky, Klichevsky, Krasnopolsky, Slavgorodsky and Cherikovsky districts of Mogilev region and other regions of the Republic of Belarus; expert community of national level; foreign and international organizations.

The forum participants were greeted by Viktor Rebkovets, Chairman of the Klichev District Executive Committee; Svetlana Yezerskaya, Chairwoman of the Regional Council for Sustainable Development and Chairwoman of the Slavgorod District Council of Deputies; and Sergey Tarasyuk, Director of the International Fund for Rural Development.

The main topics of the forum were conditions for strengthening cooperation between local authorities, the public, and businesses to increase employment and self-employment and sustainable transition from occasional initiative to permanent business activity at the local level. The participants also discussed experience, approaches and innovations in establishing and strengthening partnerships and cooperation of local authorities, initiatives and businesses both at the district and inter-district levels, as well as their interaction with partners at the regional, national and international levels to enhance the sustainability of local development. The participants shared the experience of best practices and innovative approaches aimed at strengthening intersectoral cooperation for localization of Sustainable Development Goals and rural development. The following studies, practices and approaches were presented:

• Approaches to improving employment in rural areas of the Mogilev region based on the experience of the “Networking” project. (Martinovich Irina Mikhailovna, coordinator of the project “Networking to improve employment opportunities in rural areas of Mogilev region”);
• Social and economic development of pilot districts and employment (Alexei V. Shadrakov, Head of the Mogilev Regional Centre for Social and Economic Research “NIEI of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus”);
• Economics and employment: research results (Tatiana Chuyashova, entrepreneur, consultant);
• Territorial marketing, public participation and employment: research results (Eduard Churley, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, expert of the Agency for Marketing Research and Sociological Expertise “SocioExpert”).
• The forum also featured discussions at the following thematic platforms: “Enhancing rural economic development in Belarus: the role of local authorities (based on the results of the EU project “Mayors for economic growth”) and “Energy, climate and green economy as key aspects of sustainable development at the local level” (Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy).

The following presentations were made during the session “Key aspects of cross-sectoral collaboration for employment and self-employment growth, enhancing sustainable local development and local contributions to sustainable development goals”:

• Approaches to strengthening intersectoral cooperation in the context of the concepts of national and regional (Mogilev) sustainable development strategies (A. Shadrakov, Research and Economic Institute of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus);
• SDGs achievement accelerators in the context of regional development (Minchenko N., UNDP/UNICEF/UNFPA Advisor on Sustainable Development Goals);
• Innovations to accelerate economic growth and create new jobs (N. Efremenko, coordinator of the EU project “Mayors for Economic Growth” in Belarus);
• Energy, climate and green economy as key aspects of sustainable development at the local level (Andreenko N., Project Manager, NGO “Eco-Partnership”);
• Continuing education for all is a success factor of intersectoral cooperation for localization of SDGs (S. Savelova, Deputy Head of the Coordination Center “Education for Sustainable Development” at the Belarusian State Pedagogical University, coordinator of the “Education” part of the Sustainable Development Partnership Group);  
• Gender Equality and Inclusion — Untapped Potential for Local Development (N.V. Ryabova, Consultant Coach on Organizational Development);
• Localization of the SDGs and innovations in local participatory development management (Lampert A.).
   . 

During the discussions participants discussed what conditions at the local level are needed to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration for employment and self-employment growth and sustainable development in rural areas.

The Forum concluded with a panel discussion “Growth Points and Prospects for Sustainable Local Development” and a round table “Experiences and Prospects for Implementing Projects to Achieve UNDP/GEF TFM Priorities”, during which participants identified key accelerators (growth points) of local development and approaches to their implementation for employment and self-employment growth and localization of Sustainable Development Goals, taking into account global, national and regional challenges and development priorities.

On November 25-28, 2019 the third international seminar on the implementation of the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework was held in Minsk.

The seminar was aimed at increasing and improving the awareness, knowledge and understanding of the UN Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGFI) and the integration role of geospatial information. The workshop addressed the availability and accessibility of geospatial information and its integration with statistics and other data, in particular the data needs to support national development priorities and national implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda-2030.

The workshop considered the Global Geospatial Statistics Framework as an important link to integrate a range of data from both statistical and geospatial communities and to produce standardized and integrated statistics using geospatial data; the development of national spatial data infrastructures; and the orientation of data-based policy and decision-making.

Tim Traynor (International Cartographic Association), Inna Medvedeva (National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus), Alexandra Solovyova (Permanent Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in the Republic of Belarus), Carol Agius (UN Regional Committee on Global Geospatial Information Management for Europe) addressed the participants of the seminar with welcoming speeches.

The workshop highlighted the successes and leadership of Belarus in promoting sustainable development goals and integrating geospatial information into statistics.

During the first session Chi-Hai Theo (UN Secretariat, Global Geospatial Information Office) discussed the objectives of the seminar. Geospatial information reflects the physical world, where all human actions take place. It is important to create a digital display of this information – for government, citizens and businesses alike. This allows us to track what changes are happening now, to predict and model the challenges we will face in the future. The 21st century requires us to collect, process and interpret data of high quality and from different sources in order to make decisions based on reliable information. This is confirmed by the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2019, which states that to achieve social transformation, we will need to respond more quickly. The integration of geospatial and statistical information will help fill the data gaps for monitoring the SDGs.

Volker Taube (EACT Statistical Office) presented EACT’s activities to promote the availability of modern, reliable and quality data for indicator production. The availability of geospatial data is important for statistical cooperation, integration into various statistical systems, training programmes and technical partnerships.

Steven Vale (UNECE Statistical Division) presented the UNECE activities in support of the Sustainable Development Agenda to 2030. The sustainable development goals offer us the opportunity to look at data from a new perspective, to build new partnerships around it, and thus help our communities develop. One of the priorities for the Eastern European region is to promote the use of statistics for the Sustainable Development Goals. The use of geospatial data produces disaggregated data and embodies the principle of sustainable development “leave no one behind”. More information can be found in the Statistical Roadmap for the SDG and on the Statistics Division website.

Carol Agius (UN-GGIM: Europe Secretariat) presented UN-GGIM: Europe’s activities to promote the availability and accessibility of up-to-date, reliable and quality geospatial information for national sustainable development priorities. She stressed that data integration is very important for identifying activities and evidence-based decision-making, as well as for analyzing indicators of sustainable development goals and the obstacles that arise before the achievement of sustainable development goals. To that end, a new plan would be developed until 2022, taking into account the sustainable development goals.

ЧиХай Тео также представил интегрированную основу геопространственной информации как механизм для комплексного национального управления геопространственной информацией – основополагающие принципы, цели и стратегические направления для воплощения стратегических концепций высокого уровня в практические указания и меры по осуществлению.

Other sessions were devoted to the following themes:

• Integrated geospatial information framework – strengthening national capacities and capabilities in geospatial information management;
• Global statistical geospatial framework – strengthening the integration of statistical, geospatial and other data;
• Introduction of the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework;
• Integrated Geospatial Information Framework – country action plan.

Seminar presentations:

On November 20, a general meeting of the sustainable development partner group took place in Minsk. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the members of the group about the format of its work and activities carried out by the coordinators of the partner group, as well as to discuss the contribution of the group members to the solution of issues contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Alexander Skrabovsky, the coordinator of the sustainable development partner group on interaction with business, spoke at the opening of the general meeting. He drew attention to the importance of intrasector interaction, which will help to promote the SDGs. After all, a partner group is not a lobbying tool for individual organizations. It is a tool for joint successful resolution of issues that have not yet been resolved.

Irina Alkhovka, the coordinator of the partner group on social issues, presented the format of the group’s work and spoke about the interaction with all elements of the SDG management architecture (Council on Sustainable Development, parliamentary group, regional groups of sustainable development, etc.). She noted that within the sectoral groups it is important not to forget about the intersections between sectors in order to get systemic changes.

The participants of the general meeting analyzed examples of conflicts of interest of business, civil society and the state. They noted that it is important to communicate the position in a consolidated manner rather than from one person; to take into account and integrate the public opinion in the decision-making process; to transfer specific problems to the systemic level of their solution; to extend each sector to all other, rather than to consider them as being on the periphery.

Working in small groups, the participants of the general meeting discussed topical problems and critical issues related to the promotion of the sustainable development goals in Belarus, possible channels of influence on them and their contribution to this influence. The results of the small group work were presented by the coordinators of the partner group.

Irina Alkhovka, the coordinator of the partner group of sustainable development on social issues, drew attention to the importance of decision-making while taking into account the views of all stakeholders, interagency cooperation of government agencies in the development of government programs and regulations, the emergence of mechanisms to take into account the results of the work of the civil sector, improving statistics. It is necessary to understand through which mechanisms one can assess how the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals affects people. It is important to have as disaggregated data as possible and to see the intersections of the target audience and different sectors. She focused on the demographic situation and the ageing of the population, which will affect both business and the economy. How do elderly people make decisions, interact in society and how can we influence them? This is a new cross-cutting issue that should appear in all programmes.

Alexander Chubrik, coordinator of the sustainable development partner group on economic issues, focused on the fundamental problem – the lack of definition of the concepts of vulnerable groups and discrimination in the legislation. The second fundamental problem is involvement. Is the population ready to get involved in public activities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? The solution could be local self-governance, where such a tool as the civil budget could be introduced. When citizens feel responsible, engagement grows.

Alexander Skrabovskiy, coordinator of the sustainable development partner group on interaction with business, focused on the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals for each project and the possibility of joint activities for activists and officials, where they could jointly develop a common terminology and a common understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Evgeny Lobanov, coordinator of the sustainable development partners group on environmental issues, noted the importance of having a variety of expertise when planning large projects. As examples, he cited the E40 waterway construction project, where environmentalists do not see the economic effect, and the plant construction project in Brest, where the investor did not see the environmental dimension. This is a systemic challenge: there is a lack of expertise in different sectors to assess environmental, social and other aspects. This may be the role of the partner group in strengthening the discussion that such expertise is needed and helping to provide such expertise.

Sofia Savelova and Anatoly Muravyov, coordinators of the sustainable development partner group on education, focused on the approach to inclusiveness in society as a whole. Affected groups should be involved in the decision-making process at all levels. Indicators, however, should be developmental rather than performance-based.

Dmitry Karpievich, coordinator of the partner group for sustainable development in the regions, focused on the importance of transparency in all decision-making processes and inclusion in the process of sustainable development.

More information about the working format of the partner group for sustainable development and the form for joining it can be found here.

On November 20, a general meeting of the sustainable development partner group took place in Minsk. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the members of the group about the format of its work and activities carried out by the coordinators of the partner group, as well as to discuss the contribution of the group members to the solution of issues contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Alexander Skrabovsky, the coordinator of the sustainable development partner group on interaction with business, spoke at the opening of the general meeting. He drew attention to the importance of intrasector interaction, which will help to promote the SDGs. After all, a partner group is not a lobbying tool for individual organizations. It is a tool for joint successful resolution of issues that have not yet been resolved.

Irina Alkhovka, the coordinator of the partner group on social issues, presented the format of the group’s work and spoke about the interaction with all elements of the SDG management architecture (Council on Sustainable Development, parliamentary group, regional groups of sustainable development, etc.). She noted that within the sectoral groups it is important not to forget about the intersections between sectors in order to get systemic changes.

The participants of the general meeting analyzed examples of conflicts of interest of business, civil society and the state. They noted that it is important to communicate the position in a consolidated manner rather than from one person; to take into account and integrate the public opinion in the decision-making process; to transfer specific problems to the systemic level of their solution; to extend each sector to all other, rather than to consider them as being on the periphery.

Working in small groups, the participants of the general meeting discussed topical problems and critical issues related to the promotion of the sustainable development goals in Belarus, possible channels of influence on them and their contribution to this influence. The results of the small group work were presented by the coordinators of the partner group.

Irina Alkhovka, the coordinator of the partner group of sustainable development on social issues, drew attention to the importance of decision-making while taking into account the views of all stakeholders, interagency cooperation of government agencies in the development of government programs and regulations, the emergence of mechanisms to take into account the results of the work of the civil sector, improving statistics. It is necessary to understand through which mechanisms one can assess how the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals affects people. It is important to have as disaggregated data as possible and to see the intersections of the target audience and different sectors. She focused on the demographic situation and the ageing of the population, which will affect both business and the economy. How do elderly people make decisions, interact in society and how can we influence them? This is a new cross-cutting issue that should appear in all programmes.

Alexander Chubrik, coordinator of the sustainable development partner group on economic issues, focused on the fundamental problem – the lack of definition of the concepts of vulnerable groups and discrimination in the legislation. The second fundamental problem is involvement. Is the population ready to get involved in public activities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals? The solution could be local self-governance, where such a tool as the civil budget could be introduced. When citizens feel responsible, engagement grows.

Alexander Skrabovskiy, coordinator of the sustainable development partner group on interaction with business, focused on the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals for each project and the possibility of joint activities for activists and officials, where they could jointly develop a common terminology and a common understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Evgeny Lobanov, coordinator of the sustainable development partners group on environmental issues, noted the importance of having a variety of expertise when planning large projects. As examples, he cited the E40 waterway construction project, where environmentalists do not see the economic effect, and the plant construction project in Brest, where the investor did not see the environmental dimension. This is a systemic challenge: there is a lack of expertise in different sectors to assess environmental, social and other aspects. This may be the role of the partner group in strengthening the discussion that such expertise is needed and helping to provide such expertise.

Sofia Savelova and Anatoly Muravyov, coordinators of the sustainable development partner group on education, focused on the approach to inclusiveness in society as a whole. Affected groups should be involved in the decision-making process at all levels. Indicators, however, should be developmental rather than performance-based.

Dmitry Karpievich, coordinator of the partner group for sustainable development in the regions, focused on the importance of transparency in all decision-making processes and inclusion in the process of sustainable development.

More information about the working format of the partner group for sustainable development and the form for joining it can be found here.

A new business incubator opened in Gorki. The purpose of the business incubator is to stimulate entrepreneurial initiative. The development of small and medium-sized businesses in the regions creates new jobs, provides people with access to resources and opportunities, and provides decent work for young people who can invest in their education and training – an important contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth).

The business incubator is part of Gorki Technopark. There is a co-working area, an office, a meeting room and a server room. It is expected that the business incubator will host events and startup schools for young people, as half of the city’s residents are students of the local academy. Therefore, the development of youth entrepreneurship is an important task for the business incubator.

“By the example of this support center we see a good hybrid of the promising subject of the infrastructure of small and medium business support, which will soon develop in Belarus. It is very good that the business incubator is based in our oldest agricultural academy, because the target audience can get some business skills and knowledge,” said Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Belarus Dmitry Matusevich.

The Gorki Business Incubator was opened with the support of the project “Promotion of Employment and Self-Employment in Small and Medium-sized Cities of Belarus” implemented by the UNDP in the Republic of Belarus jointly with the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus and financed by the Russian Federation. Other pilot cities of the project, where business support centers were opened, are Baran, Glubokoje, Krichev, Mstislavl and Chausy.

On 5-7 November 2019, at the invitation of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Marianna Shchetkina, National Coordinator for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), visited the Kingdom of Sweden.

On 6 November 2019, M. Shchetkina took part in the conference on sustainable development organized by SIDA on the occasion of the Decade of the Eastern Partnership. In her speech the National Coordinator outlined the current directions of work in the country to achieve the SDGs and stressed the readiness of Belarus for closer cooperation on sustainable development issues with the States of the European Union and the Eastern Partnership countries. In particular, a proposal was made to involve the Eastern Partnership countries in the initiative of the European Sustainable Development Week.

Within the framework of the visit M. Shchetkina took part in the meeting with the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Andreas Norlen, organized for the delegations of the Eastern Partnership countries.

The cooperation between Belarus and Sweden in the field of development, including cooperation through international technical assistance projects, was discussed during the meetings of the National Coordinator with the Minister for International Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of Sweden, Peter Eriksson, and the Director General of SIDA, Carin Jamtin.

At the meeting with Maira Mora, Director General of the Secretariat of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), the possibilities of expanding cooperation between Belarus and this organization in the field of SDGs implementation were considered. An agreement was reached on the inclusion of a representative of Belarus in the CBSS working group on sustainable development, as well as on the development of possibilities for joint monitoring of the SDGs achievement process in the region.

Background: The Council of the Baltic Sea States is an international organization established in 1992 and headquartered in Stockholm. It consists of 11 countries (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Iceland) and the EU. Since 2009, Belarus has had observer status with the organization.

On the initiative of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Belarus in all of the regional centers and in the capital of Belarus a traditional action on free legal advice for mothers with many children and mothers raising children with disabilities. More than two hundred citizens took the consultations.

Only in the Ministry of Justice within the framework of the action 38 mothers received counseling and legal assistance. Most often citizens asked for clarification on the following issues: housing legislation, including the improvement of housing conditions,the procedure for the use of funds under the family capital programme, execution of court decisions, recovery of alimony and social benefits, the rights of families raising a disabled child and the provision of legal assistance within the framework of international treaties, the performance of separate notary actions.

Traditionally, the action takes place in cooperation with the Belarusian The Republican Collegium of Advocates and the Belarusian Notary Public Room.