On 18–19 September 2024, UNU-IAS co-organized a workshop on SDG localization. Held in Brussels and online, it brought together researchers and practitioners from Asia and Europe to discuss adapting the goals to the needs and priorities of a given region or community while aligning with national and global frameworks.
Opening remarks were delivered by Jean-Louis Moortgat (Director, Waseda University Brussels Office), Philippe De Lombaerde (Director, UNU Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies [UNU-CRIS]) and Akio Takemoto (Head of Programme and Administration, UNU-IAS). Dr. De Lombaerde stressed that localizing the SDGs is central to UNU's mission. It is crucial to mobilize efforts at all levels of government and develop policies to address the misalignment between politics and institutions.
The workshop featured presentations and discussions on assessment of local SDG monitoring, participatory action research in multi-stakeholder processes, initiatives such as the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), and other topics. Sharing insights from Asia, Mahesti Okitasari (Consultant, UNU-IAS) discussed governance transformation for localizing SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) in India. Upalat Korwatanasakul (Consultant, UNU-IAS; Professor, Waseda University) presented case studies from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines on COVID-19 and progress on subnational SDG localization.
Concluding the sessions, Dr. De Lombaerde remarked that we should not underestimate the role of the SDGs as a common language and a means of gaining support for sustainable development.
The workshop was co-organized by UNU-IAS, UNU-CRIS and Waseda University Brussels Office.