04.02.2021Committee for Melbourne is a proud Supporting Partner at United Nations Forum

The incredible global impact of the Coronavirus pandemic has made people in Australia and around the world aware of the urgent need for action to ensure people’s basic needs are met, that the planet is made secure from the effects of climate change and that our future world is healthier, safer, fairer and more prosperous.

The UN argues that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the global blueprint to recover better from the pandemic. Working together to implement them by 2030 will mean we address the underlying factors which exacerbated the worldwide crisis – poverty, food insecurity, fragmented health systems, educational inequality and climate change.

The Committee for Melbourne supports the SDGs as a platform for Melbourne’s sustainable recovery in accordance with our guiding principles of Good Governance and Collaboration for our Road to Recovery.

In April, CfM members and supporters have the opportunity to take part in a two-day virtual Forum to discuss the sustainable partnerships that need to be formed by governments, companies, communities and individuals to get the world back on track to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement.

On 20 and 21 April 2021, the United Nations Association of Australia will bring together governments of all levels, businesses, universities, start-ups, students and community organisations to hear from, and interact with, leading speakers from within the UN and from companies, universities and organisations which partner with the UN.

This will be the most significant event in Australia in 2021 to focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While the major focus will be partnerships to progress the SDGs, the discussion sessions will be run under four streams – Gender Equality; Justice and Human Rights; Climate and Planet and Poverty and Inequality. These are four of the UN’s top ten priorities for 2021.

CfM Foundation Members Monash University, PwC Australia and the University of Melbourne are the Forum’s major partners, with each contributing speakers, specialist knowledge and their keen commitment to future economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Foundation Members Melbourne Water and RMIT will lead a conversation about Sustainable Cities and Communities, while PwC Australia will guide a discussion on moving Beyond Reconciliation Action Plans.

Corporate Member Yarra Valley Water is sponsoring the involvement in the Forum of five future leaders.

Forum Highlights:

• Gillian Triggs, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, UNHCR will speak live from Geneva as a special conclusion to Day 1.
• Sessions on partnering with the UN – partnering at the national and city level and partnering with young people. Partnership Broker Victoria Thom will run an interactive workshop around creating sustainable partnerships.
• Speakers will include a range of UN leaders from around the world. Already confirmed: Janelle Weissman, ED, UN Women Australia; Professor James Cockayne, Visiting Professor, UN University Centre for Policy Research and Kylie Porter, Global Compact Network Australia.
• Nationally prominent speakers include Professor John Thwaites AM, Co-Chair, Leadership Council, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), David Manne, Executive Director, Refugee Legal, Lorna Deng, Co-Founder DivTal and Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.
• Sessions will be run on Modern Slavery; Beyond Reconciliation Action Plans; Sustainable Finance; Women in Leadership and Biodiversity.

All the Forum details, including ticketing, can be found at www.partnershipsforum.unaa.org.au