Arab Forum for Sustainable Development, 2018

The Arab Forum for Sustainable Development is an annual high-level regional platform, where multiple stakeholders discuss coordination pathways for the implementation, follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the Arab region. 
 
The report of the Forum is submitted to the Ministerial Session and Executive Committee of ESCWA. Its findings and recommendations, conveying key messages from the region and its countries, will be presented at the 2018 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), convened by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
 
The first segment of the Forum is dedicated to national experiences with a focus on voluntary national reviews, which is a key function of the Forum. Participants share experiences and lessons learned on countries’ response to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in terms of alignment and integration of policies, measurement systems, multi-stakeholder engagement and means of implementation. This segment sets the scene through discussions on where the region stands in the third year of the 2030 Agenda.
 
Theme of the Forum: Natural Resources, Future Generations and the Common Good
 
The second segment of the Forum is dedicated to the theme of Natural Resources, Future Generations and the Common Good, which fits within the broader theme of HLPF 2018, Transformation towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies. It provides a regional focus on SDGs 6, 7, 11, 12, 15 and 17, the Goals that will be reviewed during HLPF 2018.
 
Panel discussions will address the need for transformative, structural change in development planning and policymaking across all pillars of sustainable development. Such change would ensure that natural resources are managed and used sustainably for the common good, and that benefits are distributed equitably today and maintained for future generations. What is good for the planet is good for the people. Placing people at the heart of development planning must be the yardstick against which any achievement is measured.

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