Online via Zoom – AsiaDHRRA, Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), ASEAN Secretariat, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Asian Partnership for Sustainable Development (APSD), co-organized the 8th Asia Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) side event, on 22 March 2021.
The side event theme “Multi-stakeholder Partnerships: Antidote to Covid19 and Booster to SDG Action”, served as a venue for the multi-sector co-organizers representing farmers organizations, rural development NGOs, a platform of regional CSO networks, a UN agency for food and agriculture, and an inter-governmental body to present their efforts on COVID-19 recovery initiates and connecting implications to SDG on review – highlighting the challenges, but more importantly the opportunities that could be explored towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
It aimed to communicate results, inspire and encourage development stakeholders to do better together; and from concrete experiences, instruct policymakers to support mainstreaming and integration in their policymaking and development programming.
The highlights of the event are:
Presenter 1: Mr. Pierre Ferrand, Agriculture Officer and Regional focal point for Agroecology and UN Decade of Family Farming, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Agroecology as an approach builds community resiliency for a greener, and more inclusive sustainable food and agriculture systems in the new normal optimizing local production inputs through the use of efficient resources; conserving, protecting, and enhancing natural ecosystems; protecting and improving rural livelihoods, equity, and social well-being, and connecting farmers to consumers. Agroecology as an approach can contribute to accelerating the achievement of SDGs. (Click here for the PPT)
Presenter 2: Ms. Esther Penunia, Secretary-General, Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA)
The RPOs played a key role in the relief, rehab, and reconstruction needs of their members and communities at the height of Covid19. This RPOs and the agriculture cooperatives played a direct role in connecting farmers and consumers; they contribute to accomplishing SDGs with initiatives directly linked to the UN Decade of Family Farming and ongoing conversations directed towards enhancing the global food systems, maximizing partnerships in various multi-stakeholder platforms. (Click here for the PPT)
Presenter 3: Ms. Maalini Ramalo, AsiaDHRRA Representative Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (AsiaDHRRA)
Strong community resiliency through the empowerment of RPOs is the best weapon for any disaster transcending the challenges towards building a better future. Strong partnerships anchored on trust and confidence move partners towards greater relevance and efficiency. The key to achieving 2030 SDGs is an investment in human capital development as well as sustaining and developing partnerships at various levels. (Click here for the PPT)
Presenter 4: Mr. Anselmo Lee, Regional Coordinator, Asia Civil Society Partnership for Sustainable Development (APSD)
An equally important challenge towards achieving SDGs is optimizing existing multi-stakeholder platforms towards broader and inclusive partnerships that accelerate development engagements, transparency, and accountability among others. (Click here for the PPT)
Presenter 5: Presented by Dr. Sita Sumrit, Head of the Poverty Eradication and Gender Division, ASEAN Secretariat
Building on various initiatives that leveraged regional cooperation towards more unified, collective, and responsive actions through the exit strategy from the Covid-19 crisis along with the complementarities of the ASEAN SDG work and the ASEAN Vision 2025. (Click here for the PPT)
