Joint SDG Fund: A Time to Act

Through this Joint Programme, female tea garden workers and their families in Sylhet Division, one of the most left behind population groups of the country, will enjoy strengthened and more coordinated access to national social protection coverage and local social services, in a more empowering and non-discriminatory environment contributing to decent work. On the ground, the women and their families, as well as trade unions, will be more empowered to claim their rights to social protection and development, information and participation, as well as labour rights.

To commemorate 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with Allegra Baiocchi, UN Resident Coordinator for Costa Rica and Sam Vaghar, Social Entrepreneur for Millenium Campus Network and Advisor to UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo for a discussion on practical and innovative solutions in investing in women’s economic empowerment and developing innovative investment mechanisms to advance gender equality. Investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. However, women remain disproportionately affected by poverty, violence and discrimination as well as socio-economic and climate-related shocks and disasters, more particularly the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Joint Programme (JP) aims to support the Government of Malawi (GoM) to adapt the national social protection system to meet emergency food needs and reduce the vulnerability of those most at risk of food insecurity by 2022, while strengthening the social protection system for all vulnerable households across the lifecycle.

Leveraging the expertise of three implementing UN agencies to accomplish its targets, UNICEF, WFP, and ILO have in-country and regional expertise in providing direct social protection system implementation and technical assistance. The programme combines advancing an innovative Shock-Sensitive Social Protection (SSSP) prototype with reinforced financial structures and the transformation of existing policies into legal frameworks to enhance the social protection system to be more robust, comprehensive, and sustainable, leaving no one behind.

Oceans Health and Wealth with Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer & Global Head Sustainability Strategy, Advisory and Finance (SSAF), Credit Suisse and Casey Clark, CFA, Managing Director, Global Head of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Investments, Portfolio Manager, and member of Rockefeller Capital Management’s Management Committee will explore practical, profitable, and creative solutions, the SDGs are beginning to be integrated into public budgeting and planning by governments while the financial markets and investment community have also started to embrace the SDGs. The Swiss investment bank Credit Suisse has partnered with Rockefeller Asset Management to launch an impact fund that will finance projects improving ocean health, raising $212m pre-launch.

The businesses claim that the ‘Ocean Engagement Fund’ is the first impact fund of its kind, in that it is solely dedicated to and fully aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water. The Goal includes targets to address issues such as overfishing, marine pollution and acidification, and to boost conservation and restoration.

At the same time, Small Island Developing States over-reliance on economic sectors such as tourism and fisheries, high-debt-levels, and severe constraints to mobilizing both private and public finance amplify vulnerabilities.

This conversation will foster a unique opportunity to showcase the action that is being done by the UN, Governments and private sector, to speak about how important these partnerships are in these urgent times for the lives of the most vulnerable and for the planet.

Supporting Mental Health Awareness month, Luz Kyncl LCSW, CHC, Licensed Psychotherapist, Certified Health Coach, Public Speaker and Author explores creative solutions in channeling the importance of accessing healthy diets and mental health. Drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition - conflict, climate variability, economic downturns, and COVID-19 have a great impact on leading healthy lives.

Mental health intersects and influences the SDGs - poverty eradication, nutrition, health, education, women’s empowerment and more. Poverty directly affects mental health, through malnutrition which can impair brain development and function - deficiencies can inhibit intellectual and physical potential and cause lifelong disability.

Efforts to eradicate poverty, prevent conflicts and disasters, and promote education will not be successful unless mental health is prioritized. Poor mental health and unfulfilled human potential pose major risks to the changes that are needed if we are to reach the SDGs.