The SF Blogs Space

The ‘SF Blogs Space’ is a space for personal commentary and views about topics that interest SF Fellows and Associates and the wide range of stakeholders who have attended events under the Stakeholder Forum banner and are consistent with SF’s vision and mission.

The blogs found here are more likely to be a personal online journal or commentary related to an event or subject and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Stakeholder Forum as an organisation. Many blogs are collaborative and include multiple authors often writing on a single theme or event. The SF team hopes that you find current and past submissions to be both interesting and informative.

If you have a Blog that you think meets the general criteria outlined above, please write to us at [email protected]

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From Sendai, to Paris, to Geneva: Global Platform 2025 Unites Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction

By Jamie Cummings, Associate, Stakeholder Forum, 11 June 2025

The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 (GP2025) in Geneva has concluded on the eve of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body meetings (SBs) for climate in Bonn. Participants of both sessions are entering the SBs with a renewed sense of urgency and a clear roadmap for breaking down the silos that have long separated climate action from disaster risk reduction. Over five intensive days at GP2025 (June 2-6), representatives from across the globe gathered to bridge the critical gap between the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Mr. Anderson Banda, Director of SHOC at the Southern African Development Community, delivered a memorable line at the conference, based on Professor Virginia Murray’s original work: “Disasters are not natural. They are products of the decisions we make. And better decisions are informed by data.” This fundamental truth echoed throughout the preparatory Stakeholder Forum sessions, where access to disaggregated data was a hot topic.

During the meeting, grassroots organizations engaged directly with UN entities including UNFCCC and UNDRR alongside country-level participants. Mr. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for UNDRR, further emphasized the changing landscape of risk: “At the outset, when UNDRR first released the Global Assessment on DRR (GAR), hazards were considered a constant. This is no longer the case. Hazards are now intensifying in frequency and intensity and completely changing geographies.”
Based on personal experience, I can attest that disasters are wholly reshaping communities. I grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, where Hurricane Helene left an entirely new landscape in her wake last September.

In the closing Stakeholder Forum session, I shared a story from my own experience that illustrated the power of community-centered disaster response. When Hurricane Helene devastated my hometown and traditional emergency services couldn’t reach isolated families due to washed-out roads, I witnessed a local Appalachian mule ranch step in with an extraordinary solution. They organized a mule brigade that could traverse the impassable terrain to deliver life-saving supplies like insulin to families in desperate need.

This wasn’t just a disaster response; it was a testament to what I learned firsthand—that the communities who have known their land best for centuries often hold the solutions for our most modern crises. It perfectly encapsulated what was emphasized throughout the Forum: resilience cannot be built from the top down alone, but it must be scaled up through inclusive, people-centered anticipatory action.

One of the most significant outcomes of GP2025 was the clear mandate to integrate disaster risk reduction with climate adaptation, as demonstrated by the response to Hurricane Helene in the Southeastern United States. The sessions consistently emphasized that coherence between frameworks isn’t just efficient—it’s essential. Whether aligning the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage with local needs or ensuring complementarity between UNFCCC and Sendai Gender Action Plans, the message was clear: our frameworks must speak to each other, not past each other.

The discussions revealed several key priorities for moving forward:

• Technology and Innovation: The future belongs to fast, flexible, and open-source digital infrastructures that empower grassroots volunteers, often the true first responders when traditional systems fail. Early warning systems must be localized, making them not just accessible but trusted and actionable at the community level.
• Urban Resilience: Cities must embrace “building forward better,” not just building back better. This means innovating beyond simply reconstructing vulnerabilities and ensuring accessibility enhancements benefit everyone, particularly persons with disabilities.
• Youth and Intergenerational Engagement: Bottom-up approaches and youth engagement emerged as fundamental requirements, not optional add-ons. The energy and insights of young voices must be institutionalized in leadership structures and decision-making processes.
• Inclusion of Gender, Disability, Local Knowledge, and Marginalized Voices: Women-led organizations were recognized as being at the forefront of implementing Gender Action Plans, innovating practical solutions, and building communication channels in areas with limited technology access. The sessions reaffirmed that greater coherence across climate, DRR, and gender agendas is non-negotiable, with intersectional data and inclusive participation moving from aspiration to standard practice. The disability rights community’s message was particularly powerful: not just “nothing about us, without us,” but more broadly “nothing without us”—emphasizing meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in every stage of planning and implementation.

Underlying all discussions was the critical need for scaled finance. With persisting gaps in traditional funding, innovative mechanisms, including fintech, digital assets, and private sector investments, emerged as potential game-changers. The upshot: resilience is an investable and attractive target, but only if we get the data and transparency aspects right to demonstrate clear returns on investment.

Looking Toward 2030: An Immediate Call to Action

As we stand at this intersection of the Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement, the 2030 deadline is not a distant target but an immediate call to action—2025 marks 10 years of Paris and Sendai. The Global Platform 2025 has provided us with the tools, knowledge, and most importantly, the partnerships needed to ensure that by 2030, no community faces disaster alone, unprepared, or unheard.

The path forward requires bold political action that tackles the root causes of why hazards become disasters. It demands that we embed DRR within existing cultural frameworks rather than imposing external solutions, honoring the wisdom and knowledge systems that communities have developed over generations.

The mule brigade in Asheville shows us that when we combine community knowledge with modern frameworks, when we break down silos between climate and disaster risk reduction, and when we center marginalized voices in our planning, we not only survive disasters but we build truly resilient communities.

The work continues, but the foundation laid at GP2025 gives us reason for greater integrated action and a renewed energy to move these altruistic agendas forward.

You can watch Jamie’s comments during the closing session of the 3rd Stakeholder Forum 2025 | UNDRR here.

Stakeholder Forum Associate Jamie Cummings is a vulnerability project manager of a Belmont Forum-funded grant, Re-Energize Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience. She serves as the climate change focal point for Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism at the UNFCCC Bonn Climate Conferences and COPs in both Sharm el Sheikh (2022) and Dubai (2023).

 

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As the United Nations High-level Political Forum 2025 is Nearly Upon us

By Felix Dodds, Fellow, Stakeholder Forum, 1 April 2025

The 2025 High-Level Political Forum is set to begin on July 14th and will run until July 23rd, marking only five years until the end – a review or recommitment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, along with their targets.

Many new people have been engaged since the 2015 UN General Assembly when the 2030 Agenda was negotiated, and we thought it might be worth providing an overview of how we arrived at this point.  How did the Sustainable Development Goals come about?

The Millennium Development Goals

For those older readers here, they may remember the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) from 2000,

There were eight Millennium Development Goals with 21 quantifiable targets and 60 indicators. The process of agreeing on these was significantly different from that of negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals nearly 15 years later.

The MDGs were not, as many people think, part of the Millennium Development Summit Declaration, but rather a set of distinct goals and targets. These were not negotiated but drawn from OECD goals and targets, as well as some targets within the Millennium Declaration – they were compiled by the UN, not governments. The UN Division on Statistics proposed the indicators, and the package only applied to developing countries.

Due to the lack of transparency and stakeholder engagement, non-profits were generally opposed to them for the first few years until they saw development aid align with their interests. Most environmental stakeholders gave the Millennium Development Summit a miss, as it appeared there would be no outcome in the months leading up to the Summit. The environmental stakeholders were focusing on the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg and thought that its outcome could be merged into any MDG process.  There was MDG 7, Ensure Environmental Sustainability, whose targets addressed specific aspects of the environment.

• To integrate the principles of sustainable development into every nation’s policy and programme, and also reverse the depletion of environmental resources.
• To reduce biodiversity loss and achieve a substantial reduction in the rate of loss by 2010.
• To halve the proportion of the universal population without sustainable access to clean and safe drinking water [and basic sanitation by 2015 added after WSSD].
• To achieve substantial improvement in the lives of a minimum of 100 million slum dwellers by 2020.

Preparation for WSSD aimed to set goals and targets for sustainable consumption and production, renewable energy, climate change, and oceans. These hopes were dashed with the impact of 9/11 and the election of George Bush. The only addition to the MDGs from WSSD was a target on sanitation. In the other areas, we saw the development of coalitions of the willing to work on the issue.

By 2006, President Mbeki of South Africa addressed the UN General Assembly, stating that the outcomes from the WSSD were dead.

At the following UN General Assembly in 2007, President Lula of Brazil said, ‘Let’s do something about it,’ and called for a Rio+20 in 2012, marking the twentieth anniversary of the 1992 Earth Summit, which had agreed on Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration, and two conventions on climate change and biodiversity.

The Rio+20 Conference was agreed upon by the UN General Assembly in June 2012, following the Rio+20 Summit in June 2012. It had two themes: reform of the UN environment and sustainable architecture, as well as the Green Economy. Rio+20 would also review progress and identify critical emerging issues.

In July 2011, at a government retreat in Solo, Indonesia, Paula Caballero of the Colombian government, supported by the governments of Guatemala, Peru, and the United Arab Emeritus, called for Rio+20 to develop sustainable development goals that could feed into the upcoming review of the Millennium Development Goals so as not initially a replacement but an addition.

I was at that meeting and would chair the UN Conference on Sustainable Societies and Responsive Citizens two months later in Bonn. We reorganized the conference so it could come up with a set of indicative SDGs.

These suggestions, which originated from a UN Conference, were included in the policy briefs for Rio+20.

We were unable to get indicative SDGs in the Rio+20 outcome, but there were two significant outcomes.

1. That it called for an intergovernmental committee of 30 countries to develop suggestions for SDGs.
2. The emerging issues in the outcome document are largely reflected in the SDGs as goals.

The 30 countries became 60 with seats hared such as

• Seven seats for Africa;
• Seven seats for Asia and the Pacific;
• Six seats for Latin America and the Caribbean;
• Five seats Western European and others (WEOG); and
• Five seats for Eastern Europe.

The shared seats had interesting ones, such as

• Australia/Netherlands/United Kingdom
• Cyprus/Singapore/United Arab Emirates
• India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka

 To replace the MDGs, there were:

• 100 National Consultations
• 11 Thematic Consultations
• Two High-Level Panel Reports (2011 and 2013)
• Two Secretary-General Reports
• Rio+20
• 13 sessions of the Sustainable Development Goals Open Working Group
• 8 Intergovernmental Negotiations Sessions

We ended up with 17 Goals, 169 targets, and 241 indicators.

What is the difference between MDGs and SDGs?

• Stakeholders were not engaged in the MDGs but were with the SDGs.
• The MDGs just applied to developing countries.
• The SDGs apply to ALL countries.
• The MDGs address development.
• The SDGs are addressing sustainable development.
• The MDGs address the problems.
• The SDGs address the symptoms and causes.

There are several books which, if interested, you might read.

One I wrote with Ambassador David Donoghue, co-chair of the negotiations. And Jimena, the lead negotiator for Guatemala – the book is called Negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals: A Transformational Agenda for an Insecure World.  (2016)

Another to read is Transforming Multilateral Diplomacy: The Inside Story of the Sustainable Development Goals (2018) by Ambassador Macharia Kamau, Pamela Chasek, and David O’Connor (a Stakeholder Forum Fellow).

Heroes in Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage (2022), which I co-edited with Chris Spence’ examines eight intergovernmental negotiations, including the SDGs, as well as the climate agreements and the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting chemicals.  The Sustainable Development Goals chapter is about Paula Caballero and was written by Irena Zubcevic, Director of the Stakeholder Forum. Each chapter tells the story of the key person who made that success possible.

A final thought: With the US withdrawing from implementing the SDGs and the climate change agreement, the next four years are going to be very challenging.

Felix Dodds, an SF Fellow, has been a leading thinker on global governance for 30 years. Now an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina and formerly the Vice President of Multilateral Affairs at the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainable Solutions Service at Arizona State University, he was an advisor to the Ford Foundation and their grantees for the development of the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

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Reflections from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body (SB58) Meetings in Bonn, Germany, June 2023

Introduction – Empowering the Future: The Vital Role of Youth Stakeholders in Global Climate Governance

As the world grapples with the intensifying realities of the climate crisis, a new beacon of hope emerges from a powerful source: the impassioned voices of young people. In the realm of global climate governance, where decisions shape the trajectory of our planet’s future, the inclusion of youth as stakeholders is not just a matter of choice—it is an absolute necessity. As the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process takes center stage, the energy, innovation, and perspectives that young individuals bring to the table are igniting a transformative shift that has the power to reshape our response to the climate emergency.

The UNFCCC, with its ambitious goals of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to the changing climate, and fostering international cooperation, stands as a pivotal platform for global climate action. While the negotiations and discussions often involve diplomats, policymakers, and industry representatives, there’s a growing recognition that the participation of young people is crucial for holistic, impactful decision-making. This blog embarks on a journey to uncover why their engagement is not only significant but can potentially be a game-changer in our battle against climate change.

From youth-led climate strikes mobilizing millions across the world to innovative climate solutions devised by young minds, the evidence of their passion and commitment is undeniable. As we delve into the heart of this discussion, we’ll share three real-world instances where youth have participated in the latest UN climate summit the Subsidiary Body (SB58) Meetings in Bonn, Germany. These young people will share their perspectives on the conference, highlight the successes they witnessed, and also shed light on the challenges they face in navigating complex bureaucratic systems and gaining meaningful participation.

Join us in exploring the symbiotic relationship between young people and the UNFCCC climate governance process. As the world seeks viable solutions to combat the climate emergency, it becomes increasingly evident that the involvement of young stakeholders isn’t just a choice—it’s a pivotal step toward securing the planet we all share.

The first contribution comes from Sahana Kaur who is originally from Malaysia.

“I’ve wanted to attend an Intersessional in-person for a couple of years now, and finally had the opportunity to do so this June. My first few days at SB58 were definitely daunting since I’ve never previously been to a UN climate conference, but the other youth delegates were all incredibly friendly and I settled down quickly.

One of the first things that struck me was the sheer diversity present at the conference: in terms of countries represented, topics negotiated, causes advocated for, and more. I also quickly noticed the extent to which party delegates and non-party delegates are often separated in negotiations and other sessions, although engagement opportunities like bilaterals were helpful in bridging this gap.

At the SBs, I attended sessions on a range of themes (particularly ACE, adaptation, the Global Stocktake, and a few others) to better understand how negotiations are approached differently for each topic. Beyond negotiations, I participated in a number of bilaterals, receptions, organizational meetings, and so on. While the negotiations were interesting to follow because I got to see international climate policy being deliberated right in front of me, the bilaterals and meetings were amazing ways to engage more actively and directly with policy-makers and other non-party stakeholders.

On the whole, I had a great time at SB58 – I learned a lot about how negotiations are structured, was able to advocate for solutions I care about, and met plenty of other young people in the climate space. Despite how technical they can be, I think the SBs are a great introduction to UN climate policy processes because they are much smaller and less overwhelming than COPs. If anyone reading this has experience in climate action and is looking to engage more with the policy side of it, I would strongly recommend participating in an Intersessional if it is feasible. Funding and visas are of course often difficult to secure, but if you do manage to get both, I personally think the SBs can be an extremely educational and practical experience.”

Our next piece comes from Élitz-Doris Okwudili of Nigeria.

“Attending SB58 in Bonn was a transformative experience, enabling me to engage with influential stakeholders, participate in crucial discussions, and advocate for meaningful change. In this blog post, I’ll share my journey, key takeaways, and the moments that shaped my experience at SB58.

Decision to Attend and Overcoming Challenges

I joined SB58 with a clear purpose; to foster the AYM4COP campaign and support the Africa Youth Climate Action Plan. Despite initial challenges in securing a second-week badge, the process was facilitated by an expedited visa. This quick turnaround allowed me to immerse myself in the conference and seize the opportunities presented.

Expectations and Participation

I had high expectations for SB58, anticipating a dynamic and inclusive environment where youth voices would be heard and meaningful dialogue would shape climate policies. The conference met some of these expectations, with diverse events and activities focusing on loss and damage finance, and the Global Stocktake (GST). Engaging in these discussions provided a platform to contribute and network with passionate individuals committed to climate action.

Cultural Insights and Personal Growth

Beyond the formal proceedings, SB58 offered cultural insights and diverse perspectives. Interacting with colleagues from YOUNGO and renowned activists like Greta Thunberg and Patience Nabukalu of Fridays for Future (FFF) broadened my understanding of global climate movements. Immersing myself in Bonn’s vibrant atmosphere and embracing its cultural heritage enhanced my overall experience.

Personal Benefits and Three Key Takeaways

SB58 had a profound impact on my personal growth. It emphasized the significance of youth engagement in climate negotiations and policy-making. My top three takeaways are:

• Empowering Youth: SB58 reaffirmed our collective responsibility to amplify the voices of the next generation and drive sustainable solutions.

• Loss and Damage Focus: Urgent discussions on loss and damage funding arrangements highlighted the importance of ensuring easy access to funds for vulnerable communities.

• Transitional Committee Inclusion: Advocating for youth participation in Transitional Committee workshops emerged as a priority to ensure effective climate action.

Memorable Moments and Ongoing Projects

SB58 provided memorable moments, from engaging in bilaterals with influential stakeholders like Dr. Salisu Mohammed Dahiru from the Nigerian Council of Climate Change (NCCC) to delving into discussions with the EU represented by Kajsa Fernström. These interactions reinforced our commitment to collaborative efforts and inspired ongoing projects addressing climate change challenges.

In conclusion, attending SB58 was a remarkable experience that empowered me to contribute to global climate action and foster meaningful change.”

Our third and final blog contribution is by Aditi Shetye from India.

“This piece presents my personal experience during week 2 of the UNFCCC SB58 Bonn Conference held in June of 2023. I had the opportunity to attend the second week of the conference with the help of the Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future. My attendance was the capacity of the Legal Advocacy Coordinator for World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ)– a youth led-NGO that works on the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion Initiative with Pacific Island Students Fight Climate Change (PISFCC) and in support of Vanuatu’s UN mission in New York. My intention to attend the SB meetings was multifaceted. One was to raise the importance of making progressive written submissions to the ICJ for the upcoming AO on States’ obligations on climate change. The second was to disseminate the Youth Climate Justice Handbook (YCJH) and thirdly, follow certain thematic negotiation blocs.

As a first-time attendee of the SB meetings, I had expected it to be as hectic as UNFCCC COPs usually are. However, it was a much better experience in comparison to the COPs. The negotiations were not very hard to follow, and the conference was easy to navigate. This allowed me to focus on the AO work I intended to carry out as well as understand the thematic negotiation blocs. I had the opportunity to set up bilateral meetings with party States as well as non-state actors to discuss their participation in the ICJ AO initiative. The intention was to convince States to make written submissions to the ICJ and offer them support in making progressive submissions to bolster youth participation in such processes. I was there with my fellow colleagues from Greenpeace Australia Pacific and PISFCC. With the help of members of YOUNGO, we were able to organise one action to ‘call all States’ to make progressive submissions to the ICJ and demand for the Legal Memorandum of the YCJH to be annexed as youth submissions. Being present at the meetings also allowed us to connect interested States with each other and begin the conversation on progressive written submissions. This allowed me to gauge States’ behaviour. With this invaluable information, and a follow-up after the Bonn conference, we were able to talk to some States’ embassies in the Hague and they were open to hearing our (youth) demands regarding the written submissions. After having reported these trends to my team, we curated effective strategies for the upcoming months to make an effective impact. This also helps us foster a strong network of State as well as non-state actors not just for the ICJ AO, but also for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Advisory Opinion on human rights against the climate emergency initiative.

Apart from my work with WYCJ, I was also able to follow negotiations towards the end (usually the crucial hours) on the global stock take and understand the incoming discussions at COP28. Understanding State behaviour enables my research on Climate Change Litigation while working in my capacity with the British Institute for International and Comparative Law (BIICL). This also enables me to inform my project which analyses trends related to corporate climate change cases in various jurisdictions.

Personally, the experience at the SB meetings was invaluable and helped me build my network further. I am grateful to the Stakeholder Forum for having given me the opportunity to attend the SB58 meetings this year. Regarding preparation for any such event, I have learned that I need to have an organized agenda for the work that needs to be carried out during the conferences. Some background information on how UN conferences work is always beneficial and helps in achieving the set goal. Given the intensity of such events, another important thing I have learned over the years is that I must remind myself to eat and stay hydrated at regular intervals.

Although my experience was good overall, there are a few common but vital issues that hinder attending such conferences. One of the main drawbacks is its accessibility for those who are from developing countries. Apart from the difficulty of finding funding for youth, the logistic issues of getting a visa always persist. It often happens that even if visa applications are made well in advance, the embassies fail to issue them on time. This poorly affects a certain group of youth for no fault of their own. This, in turn, does not allow for just and equal representation and hampering opportunities for youth from the global south countries.”

All three of these young women are climate activists in their own right. They were able to attend SB58 under a Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future Badge. It is clear that they will continue to impact international climate policy in their fight for a more just environmental community. In the realm of global climate discussions, the inclusion of young female leaders is not just a matter of diversity and representation—it is a strategic imperative for forging a sustainable future. Their unique perspectives, resilience, and unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship bring an invaluable dimension to the conversation. By embracing their leadership, we not only amplify the urgency of our collective actions but also pave the way for a more equitable, resilient, and harmonious world for generations to come.

Biographies:

Sahana Kaur

Sahana is a climate advocate and undergraduate at Yale University. She is part of the Steering Committee of the COP28 Children & Youth Pavilion and of the Advisory Group to the UN-convened Greening Education Partnership. Originally from Malaysia, she has led partnerships with multiple governments and UN agencies to develop climate-related initiatives for young people. Sahana is an Aspen Institute Future Leader, a Diana Award recipient, and one of Tatler’s ‘7 Young Malaysians who are Catalysts of Change.’ She has spoken to more than 5,000 people about climate action and youth activism at events run by the UNFCCC, UNDP, UNICEF, and more.

Élitz-Doris Okwudili

Élitz-Doris Okwudili, holding a master’s degree in environmental sustainability and a second in Sustainable Project Management, takes a forefront role in climate action. Élitz-Doris is the National Organizer for the Youth Climate Save Movement and co-founder of the Youth for Today Initiative in Nigeria, advocating for environmental justice and sustainable food systems. Currently, she spearheads coordination and communication for Africa Youth Mobilisation for COP (AYM4COP) to amplify the voices of African youth in the international climate discourse. She is also a certified Young African Climate Change Negotiator and remains dedicated to driving positive change.

Aditi Shetye

Aditi is an environmental lawyer specializing in climate change law and litigation. At BIICL she is a researcher for the Global Perspectives on Corporate Climate Legal Tactics project and works on developing the global corporate climate litigation toolbox. She also works as the Academic Taskforce/Legal Advocacy Coordinator with World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ), a global youth-led initiative for the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion (ICJAO)in support of Vanuatu.

Edited by Jamie Cummings

Jamie Cummings is part of a Belmont Forum-funded grant, Re-Energize Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience for Sustainable Development. She was the climate change focal point for the recent UNFCCC Bonn Climate Conference for the Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism with UNDRR. Jamie is also a young, female climate activist from the United States.