As part of promoting the 20th Anniversary of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development and the adoption of the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, The UNDESA Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) launched a yearlong campaign called “For Inclusion. For Equality. For People”. The campaign, which is part of the wider “2015 Time for Global Action” campaign, aims to highlight the importance of unity and the need to put people at the centre of the development agenda, leaving no on behind.

As part of the efforts to improve science-policy interface in the intergovernmental processes on sustainable development at the United Nations, the Global Sustainable Development Report had posted an open call to the scientific community around the world, inviting scientists to submit briefs, highlighting specific issues, findings, or researches with a bearing on sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environment – or their inter-linkages. Briefs were submitted by end of January 2015 in any official UN language.

The SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development is an annual awards scheme designed to find the most promising, innovative and locally-led start-up social and environmental enterprises in countries with developing and emerging economies. The independent SEED International Jury of experts selects enterprises which have the potential to make real improvements in poverty eradication and environmental sustainability while contributing to a greener economy.

For more information please click here.

The SDGs offer a "major improvement" over their predecessors, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, this report by the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC) finds that of the 169 targets beneath the 17 draft goals, just 29% are well defined and based on the latest scientific evidence, while 54% need more work and 17% are weak or non-essential.

How could alpine farmers in the Swiss village of Törbel survive over centuries in adverse conditions? Why did the Hohokam culture suddenly collapse after more than 1000 years? Looking back in history, did truly sustainable societies ever exist? 300 years ago Carl von Carlowitz the so called „father of the term sustainability” died. Why is it worthwhile to remember him today? Was the discovery of America, which gave us the sense and philosophy of a world without limits, perhaps not a blessing after all?

Over 650 participants, including learners, facilitators and managers of Kominkan(Community Learning Centre of Japan) and other Community Learning Centers (CLCs), community educators, representatives from governments, United Nation agencies and researchers gathered together for the Kominkan-CLC International Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), held in Okayama-City, Japan from 9 to 12 October 2014. Participants discussed how to sustain and promote ESD through community-based learning, drawing on their rich experience of working together with local communities.

The Japanese RCE Meeting was held in Sendai, Japan on 16 March 2015 hosted by RCE Greater Sendai. All six Japanese RCEs (RCE Greater Sendai, RCE Yokohama, RCE Chubu, RCE Hyogo-Kobe, RCE Okayama and RCE Kitakyushu) came together and reported activities implemented in 2014. Below are the major activities of each RCE.

In September 2015 UIL will offer four CONFINTEA research scholarships for a period of one month each to researchers from UNESCO Member States (particularly from the global South). The scholarships are mainly based on private donations from the British educationalist Peter Jarvis and his publisher Taylor & Francis and the Nomura Centre for Lifelong Integrated Education in Japan.