Last week, we shared an overview of our engagement at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum 2024, focused on building awareness of and support for the work of libraries as development actors. Complementing this, and as part of our drive to share more about the work of our Governing Board members, we’re happy to offer a personal perspective Alejandro Santa, one of the GB representatives on the delegation.   

The High-Level Political Forum is a great opportunity to engage governments and international organisations directly, helping them to understand better all that libraries can do to deliver on the sustainable development agenda.

But it is also a great chance to listen to the discussions taking place between decision-makers, in order to understand ourselves what matters to them right now. We’re therefore grateful to Alejandro Santa, IFLA Governing Board Member and Regional Council Chair, for his reports on two key sessions.

Two men in suits in a meeting room, with a bookshelf in the background. The man on the left is holding a book in a wrapper that has been presented to him
HE Mr Ricardo Logorio, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations, with Alejandro Santa, IFLA Regional Council Chair and Member of the Governing Board

The Webinar “Delivering the Future We Want”

A UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue with the High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs” was held on Monday, July 15, 2024.

With just six years left until 2030, the world must step up action in order to overcome the existing and emerging complex challenges related to accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This edition of the UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue series featured members of the UN High-Level Advisory Board (HLAB) on Economic and Social Affairs in an interactive Global Policy Dialogue where they were able to share ideas for addressing global challenges and accelerating the implementation of the SDGs.

A particular emphasis was placed on the SDGs in focus during the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development in 2024, and the role of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in preparing for the Summit of the Future in September.

The dialogue was divided into two panels. In the first panel, the following speakers took the floor: Ibrahim Elbadawi, Managing Director, Economic Research Forum for the Arab World, Iran and Turkey; Nargis Kassenova, Senior Fellow and Director of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University; and Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

In this first part, panellists analysed the emerging socioeconomic risks and opportunities and their impact on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Emphasis was placed on the following SDGs: Climate Action (SDG13); Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG16); Partnerships for the Goals (SDG17); No Poverty (SDG1); and Zero Hunger (SDG2).

A poll was conducted to vote among these SDGs to determine which of them was the most difficult to achieve. The result was: “Climate Action”.

Ibrahim Elbadawi mentioned the economic challenges faced by countries in Africa and the Middle East that make it difficult for them to achieve the SDGs. He also referred to the importance of maintaining peace in these regions.

Nargis Kassenova stressed the importance of proper planning to achieve the SDGs, the involvement of the international community and the UN, and interregional cooperation.

Rola Dashti spoke of the importance of achieving zero poverty and the situation in low-, middle- and high-income countries. She also highlighted the need to empower and create opportunities for women and the importance of financial inclusion, and mentioned the impact of climate on productivity.

This was followed by a Q&A session for the panelists, in which IFLA asked whether we were adequately integrating cultural factors and actors into our efforts to deliver on the SDGs. Rola Dashti answered his question by linking it to the role of women. In this regard, she stated that the issue of women is very polarizing in the Arab region due to cultural issues. She stressed that women’s participation is moving from the private to the public sphere, and that it is necessary to achieve a balance between the role of men and women in these two spheres.

To close the panel, a poll was conducted on the following topic: “What measure is most needed to strengthen our capacity to cope with complex challenges and advance the SDGs”. Participants answered the following: “Improve public engagement” and “Strengthen the science-policy-society interface”.

In the second panel, the following speakers took the floor: Izabella Mônica Vieira Teixeira, former Minister of Environment of Brazil; Armida Salsiah Alisjabana, Executive Secretary, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); and Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). In this Panel, HLAB members discussed ways to build our capacities to cope with complex global challenges and generate synergies to promote the SDGs.

Izabella Teixeira highlighted the importance of active youth participation. She also addressed the critical issue of climate change and the role of social protection systems.

Armida Salsiah Alisjabana referred to cross-border risks, such as air pollution, and the need for regional cooperation to mitigate them. Claver Gatete spoke of the importance of collaboration among the countries of his region to find solutions to common problems and challenges, given that these countries understand the benefits for their own societies.

The meeting was closed by Navid Hanif, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, who emphasized the need to question economic orthodoxy.

Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Side-Event

The side event of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) brought together a diverse group of participants, including members from Latin American and Caribbean parliaments, Mexican federal Representatives, representatives of governments and the academia, as well as members of the United Nations System. The session was opened by Silvia Hernández, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, who welcomed the high number of attendees and highlighted the importance of the event as an opportunity to address the region’s future challenges.

José Manuel Salazar, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, began his presentation with a reflection on the document “Asia 2050” published in 2011 by the Asian Development Bank.

Salazar pointed out that, unfortunately, the description of Latin America as a region with low investment levels and high inequality is still relevant. He outlined the three major development challenges the region faces: low growth capacity; high inequality and low social mobility; and weak institutional capacities and ineffective governance.

He proposed three key areas to work on: productive development, inequality reduction and institutional strengthening, stressing the need to think ahead and improve institutional capacities to address the necessary transformations.

Senator Juan Antonio Coloma, President of the Committee on Future Challenges of the Chilean Senate, emphasized the importance of increasing legislative prospective capacities through the creation of new committees. Coloma highlighted that immediacy and emotionality are predominant in today’s political ecosystem, stressing the need to adopt long-term approaches.

He shared Chile’s experience with the Congress of the Future, which for the past 11 years has been addressing non-contingent issues such as artificial intelligence and diseases of the future, allowing for a less polarized and more reflective political climate.

Representative Rodrigo Goñi, president of the Committee of the Future of the Uruguayan House of Representatives, continued the discussion by highlighting the ‘perfect storm’ that is already affecting the region. Goñi pointed out that the committees of the future are not magic, but they offer tools to address the complex challenges of a polarized world, integrating diverse knowledge and promoting anticipatory governance. He stressed the need to engage legislators in these challenges and promote regional cooperation to face the complex future.

Daniel Zovatto, external consultant with ECLAC and international expert, summarized the first conference of parliamentary committees of the future in Santiago de Chile, which marked the launching of the Parliamentary Network of Committees of the Future from Latin America and the Caribbean. During the conference, participants addressed global and regional topics and identified opportunities and risks. Zovatto highlighted the importance of strengthening the existing committees of the future and creating new ones, always seeking a better coordination among branches of government. He also emphasized the need to address intergenerational challenges and promote regional cooperation to turn dystopian futures into development opportunities.

Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, presented a preview of the Summit of the Future 2024. He stressed the need of an anticipatory and effective governance to cope with global and regional challenges. Ryder also highlighted the importance of partnerships and cooperation among the UN, civil society and local and regional governments in order to achieve a more systemic and lasting cooperation.

Finally, Paula Narváez, President of ECOSOC and co-organizer of the event gave inspiring closing remarks. She thanked all participants and speakers for their significant contributions and highlighted the relevance of the discussions held during the event. She also stressed the importance of strengthening the institutional capacities for anticipatory governance and reaffirmed the commitment of ECOSOC and ECLAC to promote the declaration on future generations. Narváez invited all countries and actors present at the event to engage in collective efforts to face common challenges and to build a more inclusive and sustainable future for the region.

The ECLAC event focused on the importance of looking for a strategic approach to anticipate and be prepared for future challenges and opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean. Committees of the future emerge as key tools to foster an inclusive and sustainable development in the region. In this context, libraries and librarians play an essential role in providing access to varied information and in promoting knowledge, thus facilitating the formulation of informed public policies and strengthening the social fabric in the region.

In my capacity as Chair of the Regional Council and Member of the Governing Board, I participated at this event and emphasized the crucial value of libraries —especially parliamentary libraries— as guardians of verified information. I also expressed the libraries’ commitment to contribute to the proposals and to improve them by providing access to reliable and varied information.

At the event, I had the opportunity to thank ECLAC for its continuous support to libraries and to highlight the work carried out by Wouter Schallier, Chief of the Hernán Santa Cruz Library and Web Services Unit of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).