NEWS
HLPF2025 in-person side event - From Local Action to Global Acceleration: Civil Society-Led Solutions to Rescue the 2030 Agenda
In-Person Event – Thursday, July 17th 2025 from 11:15 AM to 12:45 PM
Please Register here to join this event
Bahá’í International Community’s UN Office, 866 UN Plaza, New York (Corner of East 48th Street and 1st Avenue) .
Title: From Local Action to Global Acceleration: Civil Society-Led Solutions to Rescue the 2030 Agenda
Topic: Localization and Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for Accelerated SDG Implementation
This captures the main thematic focus, aligned with the broader HLPF 2025 agenda—specifically highlighting:
- Localization of the SDGs
- Civil society leadership
- Inclusive and equitable partnerships
- Financing and governance reforms
- SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Inclusive Growth), and SDG 17 (Partnerships)
Organizer: Forus International and its members
With contributions from members of the Forus network featured in the global report, including national and regional civil society organizations from Finland, Nigeria, Indonesia, the Gambia, ADA and others.
In collaboration with the governments of Nigeria (confirmed) and Finland (confirmed), UNDP already part of Local2030 (Confirmed)
Governor’s Office, Kaduna State Nigeria, Government of Finland, Local2030 Coalition, NNNGO – Nigeria Network of NGOs, TANGO – The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, FINGO – Finnish NGO Platform, INFID – International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development, Asia Development Alliance, JANIC – Japan NGO Center for International Cooperation
Brief Description of the event
With time running out to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, it’s clearer than ever that the most meaningful change often starts close to home. This side event, “From Local Action to Global Acceleration: Civil Society-Led Solutions to Rescue the 2030 Agenda,” will spotlight how communities, civil society, and their partners are driving SDG progress from the ground up.
Organized by Forus International, and co-hosted by the Governments of Nigeria and Finland, the Local2030 Coalition, and a vibrant mix of national and regional civil society platforms, the session will launch a new global report showcasing real-world experiences from over 20 countries. These stories demonstrate how local leadership, inclusive partnerships, and community-rooted solutions are advancing SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), and SDG 17 (partnerships).
The event will bring together civil society leaders, UN agencies, and government representatives from VNR countries to reflect on how to scale up locally led development. Discussions will focus on breaking systemic barriers, strengthening bottom-up accountability, and unlocking financing for grassroots actors—especially through tools like Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) and civic monitoring frameworks.
Above all, this event is about amplifying the voices and lessons of those working closest to the challenges—and solutions—of sustainable development. It offers a timely opportunity to rethink how we support and scale the people-powered change needed to rescue the 2030 Agenda.
Context and Rationale:
As the 2030 Agenda enters its final five years, urgent, systemic shifts are needed to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite national-level commitments, the pace of implementation remains uneven, particularly at the local level. Localization—empowering local actors to lead and deliver on the SDGs—has emerged as one of the most promising and under-leveraged strategies to close the gap. However, the systemic barriers facing civil society and local governments continue to constrain impact.
This side event will launch a new report by Forus International and its global network of members , From Commitment to Action: Advancing SDG Implementation Through Localization and Partnerships, which presents evidence from over 20 countries and offers actionable insights on how localization, driven by civil society and inclusive partnerships, can accelerate results.
The event will share insights from the report and create space for exchange on how to localize the SDGs more effectively through innovative financing, governance reforms, and equitable partnerships.
The event will also highlight specific contributions to the SDGs under in-depth review at the 2025 HLPF—particularly SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (inclusive economic growth), and SDG 17 (partnerships)—drawing connections between local realities and global policy processes.
Objectives:
- Launch and share key findings from the Forus global report on SDG localization and partnerships.
- Demonstrate how locally led development and civil society action contribute in advancing SDG implementation.
- Share case-based policy recommendations and financing solutions from diverse regional experiences.
- Promote localization as a strategic lever for the rescue plan of the 2030 Agenda.
- Foster dialogue between member states, civil society, and development partners on how to scale locally driven, partnership-based solutions.
Proposed Format (90 minutes):
- Opening Remarks (10 minutes)
- Moderator: Forus
- Speakers:
- Representative from the Governments of Finland – Eeva Furman, Chief specialist, Secretary General of Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development. Prime Minister´s Office/ Finland
- Representative from the Government of Nigeria – His Excellency the Governor, Kaduna State
- Representative UN Etxea – Arantza ACHA, Director
- Presentation of Key Report Findings (10 min)
- Jyotsna Mohan
- Panel Discussion (35 min)-Moderator -ADA
- Framing report findings – CSO leaders:
- Nigeria (NNNGO) – Mr. Oluseyi Oyebisi
- Finland (Fingo) – Ms. Silla Ristimäki
- Japan (JANIC / ACE) – Ms. Yuka Iwatsuki
Government representatives—Nigeria and Finland
Contact for queries:
Jyotsna Mohan – jyotsna@forus-international.org Clarisse Sih – clarisse@forus-international.org
WhatsApp: +91 9654440441
Organized by: Forus International with its members and partners