The first meeting of this working group will take place at the Green Tree Foundation, New York, on the 17th to 19th of January 2016 and will be organized with the support of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) Office for ECOSOC Support and Coordination.
The Shared Societies Project is a Club de Madrid global initiative that provides leaders with greater understanding of the benefits of social cohesion, the incentives and means to act to advance it. The project has compiled numerous examples of practices that showcase that social cohesion is not only needed but possible. In this framework, the Working Group will be asked to consider the basis, if any, for the assumption that a shared society is more likely to promote sustainability and the assumption that a sustainable society is more likely to facilitate social inclusion.
The Post-2015 Development Process undertaken by the United Nations and the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in December in Paris has given the debate impetus, as the implementation of the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will require a reorientation of all aspects of development.
The expected outcome is a report describing the nature of the relationship between Shared Societies and environmental sustainability, and how a more inclusive participative and shared society can provide the framework in which social, economic and environmental well being can be realized for all. You can check here or read below the list of participants:
Members of the Working Group on Environmental Sustainability and Shared Societies attending first meeting in New York
Laura Chinchilla, former President of Costa Rica and Club de Madrid Member
Zlatko Lagumdzija, former Prime Minister of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Club de Madrid Member
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Club de Madrid Member (participation via web streaming)
Frederic Bontems, Director for Sustainable Development, French Government
Carter Brandon, Chief Economist for the Environment and Natural Resources Global Practice at the World Bank
Dalee Sambo Dorough, Chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Thomas Gass, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
Elliott Harris, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNEP’s New York Office
Lamia Kamal-Chaoui, Senior Advisor and Coordinator of the OECD Inclusive Growth Initiative and the Knowledge Sharing Alliance
Ashish Kothari, Founder Member of the Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group
Beatriz Merino, former National Ombudsman of Peru and Club de Madrid NetPLUSS member
Roberto Mukaro Borrero, Consultant and member of United Nations Indigenous Peoples Major Group
Patrick Reinsborough, Executive Director of the Center for Story-based Strategy
Doug Saunders, Journalist, author of “Arrival Cities.”
Sarah Silver, Executive Director, The Alan B. Slifka Foundation
Youba Sokona, Special Advisor on Sustainable Development, South Centre
Juan Somavía, former Director-General of the International Labor Organization and Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Chile
Alfred Tolle, Coordinator of Wisdom Conferences
Katherine Trebeck, Senior Research and Policy Officer, Oxfam
Veerle Vanderweerd, Former Director of the UNDP Environment and Energy Group
