2018

22 Mar : World Water Day 2019 Symposium: The World’s Water in the Era of the SDGs

On 22 March, UNU-IAS, in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNIC Tokyo along with the support of the GEOC and Suntory Holdings Ltd, will co-organise a symposium in observance of World Water Day. “Leaving no one behind” is the central premise of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the key theme of the UN’s efforts for water in 2019. How can we make quality water available for everyone? Eminent water and human rights experts will gather to discuss water, sanitation, and sustainable development for all.

24 Jan : World Wetlands Day 2019

On 24 January 2019, UNU-IAS and Wetlands International Japan will co-organize a symposium to observe World Wetlands Day (WWD) 2019. This year’s theme for WWD is “Wetlands and Climate Change”. Celebrated every year on 2 February, WWD marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands in the Iranian city of Ramsar on the same day in 1971.

25 Jan : Solutions to the Problem of Plastic Waste

UNU-IAS will hold a seminar to discuss solutions to the issue of plastic pollution affecting our oceans.

18 Jan : Building Vibrant Communities and Dynamic Partnerships for the SDGs

UNU-IAS and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan, in cooperation with the Global Environmental Outreach Centre (GEOC), will co-organise a symposium on the important role of multi-stakeholder partnerships in implementing the UN Sustainable Development agenda, particularly at the regional and local levels.

17 Dec :Advancing Partnerships for SDG Localization

UNU-IAS will organise a symposium to discuss the importance of partnerships for localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This symposium will examine what is taking place to build sustainable communities in Japan, offering best practices from several local governments for other communities to consider as they determine appropriate measures in the era of SDGs.

12 Oct :International Day for Disaster Reduction 2018: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Disaster Risk Reduction

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 13 October as the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR) in order to promote a global culture of disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation, and preparedness. 2018 marks the third year of the Sendai Seven Campaign, which uses the IDDR to draw attention to the seven targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which was adopted as a global plan to reduce disaster losses. The overall IDDR theme for this year is reduction of economic loss resulting from disasters (Target (c) of the Sendai Framework).

2 Oct : IUCN 70th Anniversary Symposium: Nature-Based Solutions for the SDGs

UNU-IAS and the Japan Committee for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN-J) will co-organize a symposium to commemorate IUCN’s 70th anniversary. As the international environmental community begins discussions on a post-2020 global framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity, this event will highlight nature-based solutions proposed by IUCN for SDGs success, with a focus on the importance of collaboration across diverse fields and sectors.

1-11 June : SDG Panel Exhibition: Sophia University United Nations Week

A panel exhibition on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), organized under the theme of “Our World of Partnership”, will be jointly held by Sophia University, UNU-IAS, and the Global Environment Outreach Centre (GEOC) during Sophia United Nations Week.

20 June : Sustainable Coexistence with Coral Reefs

IYOR 2018 is a year-long campaign of events and initiatives hosted by governments and non-governmental organizations around the world to promote conservation action and strengthen long-term collaborations for coral reef conservation. As part of such activities, the seminar will focus on the challenges of balancing coral reef conservation and socioeconomic development, with speakers from government, academia, as well as social entrepreneurs from Okinawa.

24 May : International Day for Biological Diversity

 The theme of IDB 2018 will be “Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity”, and the symposium will focus on biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).