The Seventh Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF 7) was held 15-17 October 2019 in Penang, Malaysia. The forum is the largest regional gathering of urban stakeholders in Asia Pacific, engaging policymakers, expert speakers and leaders from national and local governments, private sectors, research communities and civil societies. Organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commissions for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-HABITAT), APUF 7 is guided by the theme “Future of Asia and Pacific Cities : Transformative Pathways to Achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.

For the very first time, IAP2 Indonesia, represented by Aldi M. Alizar, Chair of IAP2 Indonesia, took part in APUF, contributed three sessions. The first session “Reclaiming Urban Common Through Social Production” addressed the close-up view of the participation of urban poor people in reclaiming their kampongs as urban commons and the improvement of their relationships with local and provincial governments.

The other two sessions, "Meeting the Asian Urban Challenges: Where are we in the realization of localizing SDGs” and “SDG VLR-Lab (Voluntary Local Review for SDGs)" were co-hosted by Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) Japan, IAP2 Indonesia, and United Cities and Local Government Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC). These sessions discussed the progress of the 2030 Agenda implementation and the mechanism of SDGs monitoring at local level.

IAP2 Indonesia shared lessons learned and best practices from the IAP2-UNESCAP partnership to advance the practices of public participation and stakeholder engagement for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Many efforts and initiatives have been undertaken in support of the partnership: training module development, technical assistance for VNR in selected countries, and development of assessment and planning tools for quality stakeholder engagement.

APUF-7 in Penang, Malaysia, provided good opportunities to share these initiatives and engage more organisations to apply them in their 2030 Agenda implementation at national and local levels. With this, it is expected the UNESCAP and IAP2 partnership will become even stronger and have more impact moving forward.

However, the emerging challenges today are that the experiences of effective public participation and stakeholder engagement are limited and less documented, especially in developing countries. Other challenges are increasing access and awareness of the evidence-based research on public participation in developing country contexts and bring it into policies and practices at all levels of governance.

At the same time, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sets out 17 ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for especially the Asia-Pacific countries that undergo a rapid development and become the hub of global economic activities. In fact, the rapid economic development in this region raises fundamental challenges for achieving the SDGs including income and social inequality, the growing gap between rich and poor, sustained environmental degradation, and declining civic space.

The achievement of the SDGs requires the increasing participation of the public and stakeholders in development processes that focus on inclusive decision-making and effective institutions in Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Public participation (public-initiated engagement) and stakeholder engagement (government or institution-led) are requirements for social accountability and reinforcement of governance.

To respond to the above challenges, the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) in cooperation with the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) Indonesia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) will organize an International Forum on Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement for SDGs located in UN Conference Center, Bangkok, Thailand. The event that will take place from April 29 to May 1, 2019, is intended to document and promote the practices of public participation and stakeholder engagement in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The main objective of this forum is to support the delivery of purposeful, inclusive, pro-active and transformative engagement processes that enhance the responsiveness of governance systems and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. In addition, this forum is expected to: 1) Bring the research, development partners and government / policy communities together to increase the understanding of the state, impacts, dynamics, and trends of stakeholder engagement in the Asia-Pacific region; 2) Exchange knowledge on the impacts of public participation and stakeholder engagement in different parts of the Asia-Pacific region; 3) Share information on various initiatives to strengthen the role of public participation; 4) Discuss the implications of research for public policy; and 5) Help shape future research agenda with inputs from policy makers.

The key topics that will be addressed in the forum include public participation (P2), stakeholder engagement (SE) and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and impacts of P2 and SE practice by the private sector and government, public policy for P2 and SE. The forum will also discuss, national and international sustainability standards, and guidelines, and their relationship with P2 and SE, the roles of state and non-state actor initiatives, international organizations (including the UN system and IAP2) and other parties in facilitating the institutionalization of P2 and SE, such as IAP2 core values in action.

The expected attendees are researchers and practitioners of participatory governance, stakeholder engagement and public participation in the Asia-Pacific region. Government officials or institutions who are responsible for public administration, policy and capacity development will participate as well. Other participants are the international organizations and partnership initiatives that focus on strengthening governance.

The first day of the forum will consist of presentations of research papers, policy and advocacy experiences, which are selected based on the call for papers, in the form of interactive sessions / marketplace approach. The activities on the second day include focus group discussions (FGD) for sharing the insights from the first day, and discussing their implications for public policy and future research agenda related to P2 and SE. Before the event ends, a half-day partnership dialogue will be held on the third day that involves organizational stakeholders such as from IAP2, UNESCAP, SGPP, and other partners. The dialogue is to share initiatives and plans, as well as to discuss potential co-investment and follow up.

Read also the series of other Domestic News

• Partisipasi Publik Sebagai Tolak Ukur SDGs | Public Participation as a Rejection of SDGs, March 4, 2019
• Kolaborasi IAP2 Indonesia bersama UCLG ASPAC dan APEKSI | Collaboration between IAP2 Indonesia and UCLG ASPAC and APEKSI, January 21, 2019
• International Forum on Public Participation and Stakeholder Engagement for SDGs
• Wow, Filantropi di Indonesia Tumbuh Besar di era Millennials (1) | Wow, Philanthropy in Indonesia Grows in the Millennials (1), November 22, 2018
• IAP2 Indonesia Goes To Victoria BC, 29 September 2018
• INFID (International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development): Seminar Nasional Masyarakat Sipil Indonesia untuk SDGs 2018 | INFID (International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development): National Seminar on Indonesian Civil Society for the 2018 SDGs, September 27, 2018
• SGPP Indonesia dan Jurnal Kebijakan ‘Strategic Review’: Indonesia and Cultural Industries | SGPP Indonesia and the 'Strategic Review' Policy Journal: Indonesia and Cultural Industries, September 24, 2018
• Kementerian PUPR: Pentingnya Memilihara Komitmen dan Kesadaran Masyarakat | Ministry of PUPR: The Importance of Selecting Commitments and Public Awareness, June 6, 2018
• Selamat tahun baru | Welcome to 2019, December 31, 2018

Follow IAP2 Indonesia on social media to get the latest news, and together build the practice of public participation in Indonesia.

Leanne Hartill presenting on the Partnership Exchange Panel

IAP2 (Leanne Hartill) presented as part of a panel on effective stakeholder engagement as a means for developing transformational partnerships highlighting the UNESCAP and IAP2 partnership as an example, outlining the IAP2 Core Values as shared values contributing to a successful partnership. The Panel Moderator, Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, Deputy Executive Secretary for Sustainable Development, UN-ESCAP echoing the potential of global advocacy and year/decade of engagement.

Coordinating the Major Group and other Stakeholders response to VNR presentation

IAP2 - led by Leanne Hartill and Aldi Muhammad Alizar - are Global Organising Partners for the NGO Major Group. Major Groups and other stakeholders (MGoS) continue to demonstrate a high level of engagement with intergovernmental processes at the UN. The coordination of their input to intergovernmental processes on sustainable development has been led by UNDESA/Division for Sustainable Development (DSD). During the HLPF this role provided many opportunities to interact with representatives from the major groups above and other stakeholders to promote IAP2. A key activity was to assist with the drafting of statements from civil society to each of the 47 VNR’s (Voluntary National Review) and coordinate speakers to deliver the questions.

Also, several side events were attended, including:

• Indigenous People: sustainable use of lands and resources, by secretariat of Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
• Partnership expo on the Peace boat, in collaboration with UN DESA, UNOP, UNAOC and the UN Global Compact in celebration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Sustainable and resilient societies in Asia Pacific, by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and in collaboration with ADB, UNDP and UNESCAP.

The 2019 HLPF theme 'Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality' aligns well with IAP2 core values and presents the best opportunity for global advocacy leading up to this event. In addition, this is an opportunity to involve the broader membership and all Affiliates in building knowledge of the United Nations system and identifying opportunities for IAP2 to contribute towards achieving the sustainable development goals.

• Acknowledgement in a proposal document to the United Nations
• A statement to use in your organisation’s Sustainability Report
• A copy of the Year of Engagement logo to share on your social media, webpage or email signature
• Facebook frame showing you support a Year of Engagement

And, should we be successful, then the long term benefits would promote action on three fronts:

1. Build awareness and focus attention on an enabling environment for engagement and public participation – for e.g. legislation, institutional mandates, education;
   
   
2. Build capacity for engagement, benefitting from proven methods; and
   
   
3. Mobilise engagement and public participation to support the 2030 Agenda and achievement of the SDGs.

This is our opportunity. It might not come again. Let’s seize it together with a call for an International Year of Engagement.

Simply fill in the short form at www.yearofengagement.com

Originally posted by IAP2 Australasia.

Partnering to achieve the SDGs

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) and UNESCAP are partnering to promote systematic, quality engagement of stakeholders and the public, to help governments and others who lead and design engagement processes to develop structured, well-planned and meaningful engagement.

Promoting well-planned and meaningful engagement contributes towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) serves as the United Nations’ regional hub promoting cooperation among countries to achieve inclusive and sustainable development, through its research and analysis, policy advisory services, capacity building and technical assistance to governments.

The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) is a global not-for-profit organisation and as an international leader in public participation, aims to advance the practice of community and stakeholder engagement. IAP2 has developed tools that are widely used and acknowledged, including the Core Values for Public Participation; the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum and the Quality Assurance Standard for Community and Stakeholder Engagement.

Join us and show your support in

Engagement and public participation is essential for achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As IAP2 is committed to advancing the practice of community and stakeholder engagement through education, advocacy and building partnerships, we are working to submit a proposal for an International Year of Engagement and Public Participation.

A year focusing on engagement could promote action on three fronts:

1. Build awareness and focus attention on an enabling environment for engagement and public participation – for e.g. legislation, institutional mandates, education;
2. Build capacity for engagement, benefitting from proven methods; and
3. Mobilise engagement and public participation to support the 2030 Agenda and achievement of the SDGs.

Find out more, share your ideas or join the call for an International Year of Engagement by visiting www.yearofengagement.com or email us at SDG_ENGAGE@iap2.org.au.

Organisations will be acknowledged and presented in a proposal document to the United Nations as supporting a focus on engagement.

www.yearofengagement.com

IAP2 is delighted to be partnering with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) to build an Assessment and Planning Tool for Engagement (Tool).

This Tool will provide a suite of online resources, including tools and templates for assessing and planning engagement. It will contribute to organisations and countries that are working towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals; assess their capacity in community engagement; and will provide a replicable process for use by other organisations and countries.

Once the Tool is complete it will be published on-line and be made freely available as a resource to contribute to strengthening P2 practice around the world.

That’s exciting – how did this project come about?

This project has been slowly bubbling along for some time. It started in 2015, with IAP2 Ambassador and Trainer Joel Levin working with UNESCAP on a number of engagement projects. This identified the opportunity to create a partnership between IAP2 and UNESCAP, which was developed with Aldi Muhammad Alizar, Director of IAP2 International and Chair of IAP2 Indonesia.

In 2016 a partnership between UNESCAP and IAP2 was formalised to advance the practice of engagement and help us all work to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular build inclusive and engaging societies as part of these goals.

IAP2 International nominated Leanne Hartill, IAP2 Australasia and Aldi Muhammad Alizar, IAP2 Indonesia to build the relationship with UNESCAP, given our proximity to Thailand where the UNESCAP secretariat is based. This provided the opportunity to build a partnership with our neighbours, and to continue expanding IAP2’s international reach.

Then, in September 2017, at a UNESCAP ‘Expert Group meeting on Stakeholder Engagement”, in Bangkok, the participants, including representatives from IAP2, agreed there was a need to support nations to plan and assess the quality of their engagement with their communities. An initial draft Tool based on the IAP2 Quality Assurance Standard was created; the objectives scoped and the criteria for the design of a future tool was developed (aligned with the IAP2 Core Values).

What will the Tool be used for?

The Tool will be developed and refined with the guidance of experienced IAP2 practitioners (the P2 for 2030 Agenda Consultant team). They will work with three pilot countries (Sri Lanka, Laos PDF, Kiribati – and potentially Vietnam). They will support these countries as they prepare to deliver their Voluntary National Review (VNR) report to the High Level Political Forum in New York as part of the Sustainable Development Goals reporting process. The VNR report is a ‘state of the union’, an update on progress towards the priorities, implementation and monitoring of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Stakeholder engagement is a critical element of the VNR and the engagement processes that is developed for the VNR process is for their report and to strengthen mechanisms for the ongoing delivery of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The five experienced IAP2 practitioners acknowledged below, are working with UNESCAP to strengthen engagement in these countries.

What are the benefits for IAP2?

The opportunity to partner with UNESCAP to build the Tool, incorporating the IAP2 Quality Assurance Standard and the Core Values, and to support strengthening of P2 practice in the region, was embraced by IAP2 Australasian board. It supported the existing partnership between UNESCAP and IAP2 International established in 2016. The board has endorsed a contribution of AUD $45,000 to the project and it is also financially supported by UNESCAP.

This project builds the IAP2 brand through a global advocacy programme, one that might be replicated by IAP2 affiliates around the world.

In feedback we have received as we have been drafting our Strategic Plan you have said that you want to ‘influence the decision maker’. We believe that the UNESCAP alignment is one that you may be able to point to and it may give weight to the global trend and support for engagement.

Some also asked that we ‘Develop a strategic relationship with the United Nations to increase knowledge and understanding of Community Engagement’. There is a desire amongst our members to contribute to building the practice across the world.

It is exciting to be part of a project, one that involves some of our members now but we will be looking for opportunities for our members to be involved as volunteers moving forward.

Want to know more about UNESCAP and the 2030 Agenda?

You can check out more online:

• UNESCAP: http://www.unescap.org/
• 2030 Agenda: http://www.unescap.org/2030-agenda
• Voluntary National Review: http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/11819Voluntary_guidelines_VNRs.pdf

Lastly, some acknowledgements

Being able to participate in a partnership with UNESCAP requires a range of experienced, wise and patient practitioners and advisers, who all contribute personal time to achieving the goals of the partnership.

IAP2 would like to acknowledge and thank

• the UNESCAP team
  • Katinka Weinberger, PhD, Chief Environment and Development Policy Section, Environment and Development Division
  • Hitomi Rankine - Environmental Affairs Officer, Environment and Development Division
  • Arun Jacob, PhD - Environment Affairs Officer, Environment and Development Division
  • Subhi Shama – Environment and Development Division
• the P2 for 2030 Agenda Consultant team
  • Joel Levin, IAP2 Trainer and Ambassador
  • Michelle Feenan, IAP2 Trainer and Ambassador
  • Helen Christiansen, IAP2 Trainer and Director
  • Martin De los Rios, IAP2 Trainer
  • Chris Mene, IAP2 Trainer
• Leanne Hartill, IAP2 Director and IAP2 representative for NGO Major Groups – Organising Partners
• Aldi Muhammad Alizar, Secretary of IAP2 International and Chair of IAP2 Indonesia Affiliate