APFSD2025 – Civil society engagement

From 25-28 February 2025, the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) will be held at the United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. Aoi Horiuchi, THINK Lobby Deputy Director and Senior Advocacy Officer, will participate in this Forum.

The UN Forum, now in its 12th year, is organised annually to support follow-up and review progress at the Asia-Pacific regional level on the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This regional platform aims to inform, empower, and support Asia-Pacific countries (especially least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States) in their efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their targets set out by the 2030 Agenda by identifying regional trends and sharing best practices and lessons learned. The Forum convenes United Nations system bodies, member States, international organisations, civil society, and other stakeholders whose reflections feed into and inform the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, which reviews sustainable development progress at the global level.

This year’s APFSD is organizsed under the theme: “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no one behind in Asia and the Pacific”, with intensive discussions on the following five goals to be reviewed by the HLPF.

• Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being)
• Goal 5 (Gender Equality)
• Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
• Goal 14 (Life below Water)
• Goal 17 (Partnerships for Goals)

The APFSD will feature reports on progress initiatives by UN Member States, round tables focusing on each goal, and side events by various actors, with the discussions in the Plenary session being broadcast live on the UN Web TV.

• 12th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development – Day 1 – Morning Plenary
  https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1n/k1n77nzfl6
• 12th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development – Day 1 – Afternoon Plenary
  https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1v/k1vvi3mn79
• 12th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development – Day 2 – Morning Plenary
  https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k18/k18phuuw3n
• 12th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development – Day 3 – Afternoon Plenary
  https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1y/k1ysy5vvbv
• 12th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development – Day 4 – Afternoon Plenary
  https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1b/k1bq7mbqvz

At this year’s HLPF, the Government of Japan is scheduled to present the Voluntary National Review (VNR), a report on the progress of the SDGs, and they are expected to report on its progress at the APFSD. This will be the third VNR by the Government of Japan, followed by submissions in 2017 and 2021.

In conjunction with the announcement of the VNR by the government, the Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs (SDGs Japan), of which JANIC is a member, has assessed the progress of the SDGs by the government from a civil society perspective and compiled recommendations for their realisation as ‘Spotlight Report’ (2017, 2021). This year’s Spotlight Report is launched at the SDGs Japan anniversary event ‘5 years and 10 months left for the SDGs: Prospects for Achievement – VNR and Spotlight Report,’ which will be held on Thursday 27 February, in Japanese language only, in conjunction with the APFSD.

“5 years and 10 months left for the SDGs: Prospects for Achievement – VNR and Spotlight Report“

• Date: Thursday 27 February 2025, 13:00-16:30 JST
• Venue: Hibiya Library & Culture Center, Studio Plus (Small Hall), online (zoom)
• Participation fee: Free of charge
• Registration: https://forms.gle/YiGZ8kgNcpuJwFHj9
• Details: https://www.sdgs-japan.net/single-post/250227

We will also introduce the Spotlight Report and exchange views with civil society in the Asian region, such as at the Asia Pacific People’s Forum on Sustainable Development (APPFSD), which will be held immediately before the APFSD and official side events held during the APFSD.

Side events can also be attended online, see below, and we look forward to seeing you there.

Asia Pacific People’s Forum on Sustainable Development (APPFSD)

• Date: 23 (Sun) and 24 (Mon) February 2025
• Place: Bangkok, Thailand
• Organiser: Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (AP-RCEM)
• Details: http://asiapacificrcem.org/

Bangkok Consultation on Global Agenda 2025

• Date: Wednesday, 26 February 2025, 21:30-24:00 Japan time (19:30-22:00 Bangkok time)
• Place: Bangkok, Thailand, online (Zoom)
• Main agenda:
  1) Voluntary National Review (VNR) and High-level Political Forum (HLPF) (NY, July 14-23, 2025)
  2) Follow-to the 2024 UN Summit of the Future (SOTF)
  3) UN 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) (Seville, Spain, June 30 to July 3), 4) UN 2nd World Summit on Financing for Development (FfD4) (Seville, Spain, June 30 to July 3)
  4) UN 2nd World Summit on Social Development (WSSD-2) (Doha, Qater, Nov. 6-8)
  5) Global Summits – G7 (Canada), G20 (South Africa) and BRICS (Brazil)
  6) International Civil Society Week (ICSW) (Bangkok, Nov. 1-5, 2025)
  Organised by Action for Sustainable Development (A4SD), Asia Civil Society Partnership for Sustainable Development (APSD), Global Summit Watch, Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), Asia Development Alliance (ADA), Asia Futures Forum (AFF).
• Online registration: https://bit.ly/BKK-Consultation-Global-Agenda-2025

APFSD2025 official side event: ’Voluntary National Review, UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with a focus on Gender Equality

• Date: Thursday 27 February 2025 , 18:45-20:00 JST (16:45-18:00 Bangkok time)
• Place: United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, Thailand
• Organisers: Action for Sustainable Development (A4SD), Asia Civil Society Partnership for Sustainable Development (APSD), Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP), Asia Development Alliance (ADA), Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs, etc.
• Online registration: http://bit.ly/APSD-Side-Event-AFPSD