2 March 2017 – Bringing together a diverse array of partners to communicate the Sustainable Development Goals was a key focus on day two Global Festival of Ideas for Sustainable Development, a ‘playable’ United Nations conference that aims to chart a new way of thinking on addressing some of the world’s most complex development challenges.

“We have to make the world aware of this […] agenda that is definitely going to transform the planet and that is going to ensure that no one is left behind,” Cristina Gallach, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, told the Festival.

“The more we communicate about the SDGs and make people aware of the agenda, the more the governments we will be accountable and will ensure that it is implemented,” she added.

The UN Department headed by Ms. Gallach, Department of Public Information, is the organization’s entity tasked with informing the wider world on the SDGs and ensuring that the 17 goals are known and understood.

To that end, 17 ‘icons’ – each with a designated bright colour, short name phrase and single image – have been created to illustrate each Global Goal.

The icons have also been translated in over 50 languages, from Czech to Bahasa Indonesia, and the number is growing.

‘Going local’

This ‘localization’ is important to allow people around the globe take ownership of their development agenda, said the senior UN official.

“There are a lot of communications that need to be done locally in the different languages people speak locally on a daily basis” she explained.

Going local also helps people on the ground feel that that work is being done, “so local governments have to implement and local media have to monitor what goes on,” added Ms. Gallach.

Youths are the best allies

The UN has also placed a particular focus on youth with regards to the SDGs and considers a key partner in the achievement of the Goals.

“[The youth] are aware the planet is not going well and they might inherit something really bad so they want to be part of the transformation”, said Ms. Gallach, adding: “They know the goals will be achieved when they are adults, when they will be at the peak of their lives.”

The senior UN official also underscored the importance of forging partnerships in the achievement of the SDGs, as well as in communicating them. In addition to the SDG icons – designed in partnership with Jakob Trollbäck, working with Project Everyone – other examples include the branding of the Mexico city metro and a rap song about the Goals in collaboration with Flocabulary, which uses educational hip-hop music to engage with students.

“The more we communicate the more we will harvest for partnerships [and] this agenda cannot be implements without very strong partnerships” stressed Ms. Gallach.

The Global Festival of Ideas, the first in a series of annual forums, is hosted by the UN SDG Action Campaign in partnership with the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) with the support of the German Government.

Minister for Exiting the European Union David Jones and Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin took part in a roundtable with the UK’s defence business leaders today (Thursday, 2 March) ahead of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Attendees discussed topics including: tariffs and customs arrangements; skills and movement of employees; research and development funding; and common standards – with an aim of exploiting the opportunities provided by our EU exit.

Participants were also keen to explore how we could further shape our own economy – such as delivering a bold, long term industrial strategy that builds on the UK’s strengths – and fully develop our immense trade and investment potential.

Minister for Exiting the European Union, David Jones, said:

The UK is a leader in defence technology and one of the world’s largest defence exporters. We are determined that this industry, which is worth more than nine billion pounds to the UK each year, will continue to thrive after our departure from the EU.

Today’s meeting has been an excellent opportunity to engage with some of the leading defence industry figures and to discuss opportunities, and priorities, ahead of the EU withdrawal negotiations. I look forward to continuing this dialogue throughout our negotiations.

Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin, said:

Supported by our rising defence budget and £178 billion Equipment Plan, defence businesses deliver highly skilled, high wage jobs and drive innovation across the UK. We are determined that the UK defence industry will continue to thrive after we leave the EU.

The event, which was organised by the ADS Group and hosted by Rolls-Royce, provided participants with the opportunity to discuss priorities for the defence sector which employs 142,000 people, is worth around £9.4 billion to the UK economy annually and exports around £7.7 billion pounds of goods and services per year.

The Ministers were joined by senior board-level executives from the following businesses and trade associations:

• ADS
• Airbus
• Babcock
• BAE Systems
• Boeing
• Leonardo MW
• Lockheed Martin UK
• Marshalls
• MBDA UK
• QinetiQ
• Raytheon
• Rolls-Royce
• Serco
• TechUK
• Thales UK

It was the latest in a series of roundtables and other engagement activities the government is having with business leaders and key stakeholders up and down the country.

By listening to industry experts’ views and discussing opportunities, we are seeking to create certainty in the transition and ensure a new relationship with the EU that works for businesses and Britain.

In less than thirty days, the UK intends to have begun its exit negotiations with the EU — marking the start of a new chapter in its relationships with both the union itself and each of the 27 member states.

But as I visit Copenhagen today, on my first visit to Denmark as the UK Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, I come with a clear message.

While Britain is leaving the European Union, it is not turning its back on Europe or on Denmark.

Together, we enjoy a strong and unwavering alliance, independent of our membership of the EU.

Our forces have operated side by side in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, while as members of NATO we are now working closely to provide support to our allies in Eastern Europe.

Trade between our two nations is also hugely important, at over £10 billion a year.

And Danish culture can be seen in all parts of British life. Television dramas like Borgen and The Bridge are screened on the BBC, our children play endlessly with Lego and ‘hygge’ is the new buzzword for coffee shops and eateries across the UK.

So as Britain leaves the EU, the relationship between our two nations will continue to thrive, not least because of the shared interests we have in this globalised world.

As threats to European security become more acute, it is critical that we continue to foster the powerful alliances that we hold across Europe. The UK will not renege on its responsibilities in keeping our continent safe.

We will also, of course, continue to trade with EU nations. The UK Prime Minister has made clear her determination to build a truly Global Britain and in doing so, we will pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

It should be one that works for both the EU and Britain. One of my key messages here will be that it is in the UK’s interest that the EU prospers politically and economically, so we want to reach an agreement about our future relationship that is in the mutual interests of both sides.

Our aim is for arrangements that allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU’s member states.

That gives British companies the maximum freedom to trade with the Danish markets, and lets Danish businesses do the same in Britain.

Because we want to preserve and build on the strong trading relationship between our two nations — and protect the £70 billion worth of investment that Danish companies have made on British shores.

That investment can be seen directly in our homes with DONG Energy producing enough renewable energy to power 4.4 million British houses.

The UK is also Denmark’s second largest partner in research within the EU. Over the next ten years, Denmark’s Novo Nordisk is set to invest £115 million in a new science research centre in Oxford, underlining the esteem that our two science communities hold each other in.

And Britain has backed Denmark – with Shell, Debenhams, and GlaxoSmithKline being just three of the hundreds of businesses that have chosen to locate in your country, employing 25.500 people.

This trade and investment between our nations will continue when the UK is outside of the EU. As will the affection our citizens hold for each other – one which brings Danish tourists to Britain and attracts British tourists to Denmark.

It has also encouraged many to stay for much longer than a holiday.

So one of the top priorities we have going into Brexit negotiations is to get an agreement to secure the status of EU nationals living in the UK, and Brits living in the EU as soon as possible.

There are 30,000 Danes who have made the UK their home, and 18,000 Brits have done the same in Denmark.

We would have liked to have reached an agreement with the EU about their status already.

It’s only fair that those who have built lives for themselves abroad, and who are contributing to foreign economies and societies, see their status secured as soon as possible.

The approach that we take on this issue – one of reasoned goodwill to secure mutual benefit – is the one that we will adopt throughout the EU exit negotiation process.

Because we enter these negotiations as friends, and we want to conclude them as friends – friends who are working together to deliver security and prosperity across our continent.

From 01 April, most business and public sector organisations will be able to choose which company supplies their water and associated services like automated meter reading, leak detection and customer service.

Partnership approach

Crown Commercial Service is joining forces with YPO, The Energy Consortium, ESPO, NEPO, West Mercia Energy and the MoD to bring the largest public sector water framework agreement to the UK market.

The agreement will help the public sector to save more than £20 million over four years, with central government as well as schools, colleges, universities, museums, housing associations, councils, the blue light services and NHS Trusts all among those eligible to access it.

Sam Ulyatt, Strategic Category Commercial Director for Crown Commercial Service says: ‘The opening up of the water market will create a unique opportunity for efficiency and collaboration and this is the first agreement of its kind in the UK.’

The multi-supplier framework will be live and available for the opening of the market in April, running for 3 years with the option to extend by a further 12 months.

Find out more

CCS will be carrying out an e-auction on behalf of interested customers in May 2017.

To find out more about the new public sector water framework, email water@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

For further information about the water market and the CCS offering please visit the CCS ‘Buy Water’ web pages

Full information regarding the water market opening can be found at OpenWater.org

Angela
Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on
reports that the Government is set to accept Labour amendments on the Children
and Social Work Bill, said:

“With the
Bill back in the Commons next Tuesday, the Government must urgently clarify its
position. If ministers are giving in to Labour’s demands to abandon this
dangerous proposal and accept our amendments, then that is good news for
vulnerable children across the country.

“We need to
learn the lessons from the terrible tragedies of the past. The protections that
were recommended after the appalling cases of Victoria Climbie and Baby P need
to be enforced, not weakened. There is nothing ‘innovative’ about allowing
councils to ‘opt out’ of such basic requirements.

“These
proposals should never have been made in the first place, and we will fight
until they are removed.”