On 13 October 2016, the SDG Watch Europe was launched in Brussels! SDG Watch Europe is a new EU-level alliance of 75 CSOs from development, environment, social, human rights and other sectors. Its goal is to hold governments to account for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs).

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ALDA and the LADDER Project are members of this alliance since its early beginnings, supporting and actively involved in all the actions with the aim to contribute to the SDGs achievement and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Oriano Otočan, ALDA’s President, & Nikos Gamouras, PM of LADDER, participated in the event.

SDGs Watch Europe works on 4 different work strands:
Strand 1: Joint high level advocacy and policy coordination for ambitious and integrated EU SDGs implementation;
Strand 2: Monitoring, accountability and review of European SDGs implementation across all sectors;
Strand 3: Engaging CSOs and citizens – at local, national and EU level;
Strand 4: Innovating, reflecting, experimenting and learning together.

The European Commission First Vice-President, Mr Frans Timmermans, was present. He highlighted that SDGs need to be a unique opportunity for Europe in order to influence the worldwide changes which are taking place nowadays. The EC First Vice-President stated that “the fight we’re fighting is more than the SDGs, it’s a fight for our future” and marked the importance of SDG Watch Europe saying “we need you, SDGs Watch, to follow us carefully and to help us to focus and to be consistent in order to reach the SDGs”. In particular, Mr. Timmermans underlined three main concepts: the importance of addressing each SDG with concrete, comprehensive, specific & consistent measures in order to foster its implementation within Europe and beyond, the relevance of having a cross-sectoral and crosscutting approach to the 17-SDGs, and the value of creating synergies, adopting a multi-stakeholders approach, including not only the public sector in the achievement of the Agenda 2030 but also the private one, civil society & academia.

Then several SDG Watch Europe members from different associations such as WWF, Solidar, Action for Sustainable Development Global CSO Alliance, CONCORD, GCAP, WECF, World Vision took the floor. The launch event highlighted the importance of working together for SDGs in order to reach a fair, inclusive, and sustainable development for Europe and beyond. This aspect was perfectly summed up by Genevieve Pons-Deladriere (WWF) who stated “we need to have a radical change, and the SDGs offer us the recipe to get it right”.

Useful links:
Photo gallery
SDG Watch Europe launch Agenda
SDGs Watch Europe video
SDGs Watch Europe website
SDGs Watch Europe facebook page