Utah Valley University (UVU) delegation will contribute to the activities of the high-level political forum (HLPF) on sustainable development in 2018. HLPF will be held under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council from Monday, 9 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018. It will include the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Monday, 16 July, to Wednesday, 18 July 2018.
The theme of the HLPF 2018 will be “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”. The forum will review in depth the following Sustainable Development Goals:
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
UVU delegation plans to make an oral statement during the ministerial meeting of the forum. This happened thanks to UVU partnership with the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS), an NGO in general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Committee from non-governmental organizations made among eight non-governmental organizations from around the world to be heard by ECOSOC during HLPF.
In the statement, delegation members will speak about the importance of the implementation of three mountain targets, which are part of two SDGs included in the agenda of the HLPF: SDG6 and SDG15. UVU students advocate the sustainable mountain development agenda of the United Nations in the State of Utah, North America and globally since 2007. Since 2015, they focus on implementation of the mountain targets as part of the 2030 Development Agenda of the United Nations.
The written statement jointly submitted by the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, the Mountain Institute and Utah China Friendship Improvement Sharing Hands Development and Commerce, three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, was accepted by the United Nations Secretariat for delivery during HLPF on May 30, 2018. We appreciate support from all three NGOs to the developed student engaged learning initiative at UVU with focus on implementation of three mountain targets.
The statement emphasizes that “…High Level Political Forum provides an opportunity to address the challenges facing mountain communities to transform them into more sustainable and resilient societies and to bring them to the center of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Two sustainable development goals under the review of this forum contain three mountain targets: Target 6.6: by 2020, protect and restore water related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes; Target 15.1: by 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements; Target 15.4: by 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development. ”
It also reports about collaborative experiences with Utah Valley
University, a Mountain Partnership member since 2006, as one of the examples to transform mountain communities towards sustainable and resilient societies. ” Since joining the Mountain Partnership, the university encourages faculty and students to
contribute to the sustainable mountain development agenda of the United Nations in the State of Utah, North America, and in developing countries globally. It allowed the university also to implement the mountain targets under the Sustainable Development Goal 4.7, which states that “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture ’s contribution to sustainable development.””
One UVU faculty and five students, members of the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs will represent UVU delegation during four days ministerial meeting.
We thank College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Global Engaged Learning office, Department of History and Political Science and National Security Studies program for sponsoring our visit to the United Nations.
Damon Ashcraft, Vice President, Sustainable Mountain Development Club
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STUDENT REFLECTIVE ESSAYS
Damon Ashcraft-UIMF prepares to participate at HLPF
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Samuel Elzinga-UIMF at UN High Level Political Forum A Protocol Perspective
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Andrew Jensen -Preparations to advocate the mountain targets at High Level Political Forum