New York, New York- PVBLIC Foundation participated in the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha, Qatar last week with a focus on advancing sustainable development through media and global partnerships. LDC5 is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to accelerate sustainable development in the places where international assistance is needed the most - and to tap the full potential of the Least Developed Countries helping them make progress on the road to prosperity.
In collaboration with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, PVBLIC Foundation organized the SDG Media Zone which featured 13 panels and 49 speakers that addressed key issues related to LDC5. The SDG Media Zone: LDC5 highlighted the tireless efforts of the global community to transform potential into prosperity. Conversations looked at issues from the LDC perspective, including climate change, youth engagement, and global partnerships, welcoming notable speakers that included Csaba Kőrösi, United Nations General Assembly President; H.E. Ms. Agnes Mary Chimbiri Molande, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations (U.N.) in New York and Heidi Schroderus-Fox, Director, Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States;
Stephen Keppel, President of PVBLIC Foundation, provided special remarks during a high-level roundtable at LDC5, where he spoke about the organization's work in creating global partnerships and how the SDG Data Alliance will help countries and donors make better decisions about investing in sustainable development.
“The SDG Data Alliance is currently supporting the creation and/or strengthening of geospatial country level action plans and SDG Data Hub in 17 developing countries,” said Keppel during his remarks. “These countries are creating SDG Data hubs that will help their own governments aid organizations, donors and investors make smarter decisions about where and how to best invest in their sustainable development.”
Keppel's participation in the conference was significant, as PVBLIC Foundation has been working on creating global partnerships for sustainable development since its creation in 2012. The organization's work in leveraging media to drive social change has helped to increase awareness about key issues affecting LDCs, such as poverty, hunger, and inequality. The SDG Data Alliance, a partnership between PVBLIC Foundation, Esri, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) Secretariat, and the Chia Network, is aimed at improving data availability and accessibility to help countries and donors make better decisions about investing in sustainable development. The alliance will support the monitoring and reporting of progress towards the SDGs and will help to address the data gaps that exist in LDCs.
The LDCs are 46 of the poorest countries in the world that are characterized by low-income, weak human resources, and high economic vulnerability. The LDCs are in dire need of development aid, as they face immense challenges in achieving sustainable development, including extreme poverty, food insecurity, weak infrastructure, and inadequate healthcare and education systems. LDC5 aimed to provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss and agree on ways to accelerate sustainable development in LDCs and tap their full potential to progress towards prosperity.
PVBLIC Foundation's participation in the LDC5 conference and co-hosting of the SDG Media Zone helped raise awareness about the challenges facing LDCs and encouraged stakeholders to take action towards achieving the SDGs. The organization's work in creating global partnerships for sustainable development and its participation in the SDG Data Alliance will help to address the data gaps that exist in LDCs and support the monitoring and reporting of progress towards the SDGs. The LDC5 conference provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss and agree on ways to accelerate sustainable development in LDCs and tap their full potential to progress towards prosperity.
