The 31st Conference of the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils (EEAC) Network is titled “Sustainability, Solidarity, and Resilience: Shared Values in the European Union.”
The conference will take place from October 4th to 5th, 2023, in Bucharest, Romania, at the Parliament Palace. On the 6th of October, the EEAC is inviting all councils to stay in Bucharest to attend the Annual Plenary Session in the morning hours.
In light of the ongoing HLPF and the SDG Summit in September, we will meet in Bucharest to discuss the future of sustainable development. This year’s halfway point for reaching the sustainable development goals is a moment for reflection and reassessment of priorities.
Our priority in Bucharest will be to focus specifically on SDG 16, a critical pillar for promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions. The high level events at the UN will bring many lessons and we believe that reflecting on what policymakers and councils can do to provide a strong foundations for better institutions is one of utmost importance.
The Conference will therefore focus on two main questions:
What is the future of sustainable development policies in a changing world?
How can peace, justice and strong institutions be promoted, as stipulated in SDG 16?
We will look at sustainable development governance and the role of advisory councils on the road to strong institutions through the conference’s three lenses: sustainability, solidarity and resilience. By adapting and strengthening institutions to meet evolving needs, SDG 16 enables societies to respond effectively to new threats and opportunities, fostering resilience and sustainability
In the two days in Bucharest, we will facilitate interactive sessions on challenges and trends of the past years. Hereby taking a bird’s eye perspective and investigating what has changed for advisory councils in the past years and how their role as “strengtheners” of good institutions can be improved.
The sessions will deal with financial strategies concerning the MFF, the way that the SDG Summit should be interpreted and how cross-border partnerships such as the Danube River Cooperation can lead to answers for building transnational institutions. Lastly we are happy to welcome most relevant speakers from Brussels NGOs for civil society engagement in the fight for better and stronger sustainable development.
Choosing SDG 16 as the central topic of this conference, the Romanian Consultative Council for Sustainable Development hopes to provide an engaging and concrete program that has take-home messages for every participant. We have all been adjusting to governance in permacrisis mode and the emerging challenges that need new coping strategies.
One of SDG 16 specific focus points is dealing with these emerging challenges. The world is undergoing profound transformations, driven by rapid technological advancements, globalisation, and climate change. We cannot wait to spend time together to find answers to how advisory councils can continue to foster dialogue, share best practices, and formulate collaborative strategies to address the multifaceted challenges.