Concept notes and papers
In support of the 2018 session of ECOSOC, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) convened an e-Discussion on the 2018 main ECOSOC theme from 26 March to 13 April 2018. The discussions, entitled “From global to local: supporting sustainable and resilient societies in urban and rural communities”, focused on current and emerging challenges to building sustainable and resilient societies, and the actions that need to be taken by national and subnational institutions to translate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into reality. The e-Discussion generated approximately 100 contributions and approximately 2,240 visitors from 154 countries. The Discussion engaged dozens of participants from civil society, local governments and their associations, the private sector, academia and the UN system. Many shared best practices and provided concrete suggestions for achieving the SDGs, especially at the local level. The contributions reflect a wide range of perspectives from different actors and regions on how international, national and local actors can work together to translate global commitments into local action and build sustainable and resilient societies and communities.
