RCAP 2023 was held on 19-20 May 2023 at Siam University, Bangkok, thanks to the courtesy of the Siam University President, Dr. Pornchai Mongkhonvanit.
RCAP is the Regional Commission in Asia-Pacific for the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Status with the United Nations (CoNGO). It took off in 2017 and has been productive for NGOs/CSOs in the Asia-Pacific, facilitating access to the United Nations deliberations on the Sustainable Development Goals, and encouraging intra-regional learning and cooperation processes. Each year the work of RCAP provides input to the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) - which is meeting at the UNHQ in New York in July.
RCAP met to discuss these specific sustainable development goals under review at HLPF:
- SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation),
- SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy),
- SDG 9 (Industry, innovation, infrastructure),
- SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities),
- SDG 17 (Partnerships for the SDGs).
The Voluntary National Reviews for HLPF 2023 include the following countries from the RCAP region: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Mongolia, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. As in past years, RCAP shall then use the project reports presented at RCAP as the basis for a composite synthesis for submission to the 2023 HLPF.
CoNGO marked its 75th anniversary in the Asia Pacific on May 19. There was an Open Panel on business and labor affirming human rights and sustainable development moderated by CoNGO President Liberato Bautista. Other speakers included Mondhiya Bhangshba, PPSEAWA International President and CoNGO Vice President-at-Large, as well as others from the International Labour Organization, the Confederation of Asian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the academia (Siam University and Payap University), FORUM-ASIA and STUF United Fund. The panel was followed by a 75th-anniversary commemorative event moderated by CoNGO First Vice President Cyril Ritchie. We also held a commemorative event to celebrate CoNGO’s 75th Anniversary. We held an open panel on Business and Labour for human rights and sustainable development with speakers from business, labour, IGOs and NGOs, followed by a commemorative ceremony and a reception.
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PPSEAWA International Report of activities regarding SDG #6 , 7, 9, 11 and 17
Submitted to RCAP by Mei Chuan Chao, PPSEAWA International Secretary and Mondhiya Bhangsbha, PPSEAWA International President
[Goal 6 and Goal 17]
PPSEAWA Malaysia held an Environmental Campaign on ‘Promoting Awareness on Zero Garbage ‘ and ‘Say No To Plastic ‘ from 2016 till 2020. This was a joint collaboration between Malaysian Innovation Foundation (YIM), a private recycling company named ICYCLE and PPSEAWA Malaysia. This campaign is to promote preventing the garbages into the ocean. This was a Community Program consisting of the villagers, community and school children and representatives from local government and statutory bodies. As they walked armed with garbage bags and sticks, they picked rubbish along the way and roads. Recycle bins were also provided.
[Goal 6] PPSEAWA Taiwan organized a beach clean-up on 19 July 2020. The “Save Our Ocean with PPSEAWA - Beach Cleanup Day” raised the awareness of coastal conservation. Members walked along the shoreline, and picked up bottles, cans, microscopic plastic pellets and etc. PPSEAWA Taiwan also promoted the PPSEAWA’s ocean protection pledge.
[Goal 6, 7, and 11] PPSEAWA USA’s theme for Peace Day in 2019 was Climate Action for Peace. PPSEAWA members also took part in climate strikes. Young PPSEAWA members joined the nationwide Students for the Global Climate Strike on 20 September 2019. In New York, PPSEAWA members gathered at the United Nations in New York to demand climate justice from government leaders arriving for the Climate Action Summit. In Chicago, strikers raised concerns over the rising level of the Great Lakes, excessive flooding, and the economic impact of global warming on Illinois agriculture. PPSEAWA members who did not participate in demonstrations were asked to show that individual small actions matter by reducing their carbon emissions footprint through walking and taking public transportation, turning off all lights, practicing water conservation, and reducing their waste consumption. They had awareness campaigns on how to lower greenhouse emissions, build resilience and improve education on climate change.
[Goal 7] PPSEAWA Canada members attended a Seminar on ” International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power System “on 9 May 2016 in Toronto, Canada. In Canada, Photovoltaic (PC) technology has become a favored form of renewable energy technology due to a number of social and economic factors, including reducing greenhouse gas emission, deregulation and the restructuring of electric power generating companies. The rapid growth in the deployment of PV in recent years indicates that the technology is quickly gaining ground in Canada.
[Goal 7, 9, and 11] Dr. Sumon Vangchuay, PPSEAWA International UN Representative at the UN/Geneva, organized a CSW67 Parallel Event, “How Women Drive Innovation in the Renewable Energy Industry”, on 9 March 2023. The Honorable Dr. Eugene Chien, Taiwan’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of Climate Change, spoke about “Training Future Leaders in the Renewables in Taiwan”. Natasha Nuralanis Binti Zulkipli of PPSEAWA Malaysia talked about her grassroots project on bringing STEM Education to rural people in Sarawak, Malaysia.
[Goal 11] PPSEAWA New Zealand held a Sustainable Development Goal CEDAW Discrimination Against Women Diverse Perspective Inclusive Leadership Breast Screening and Cervical Screening.
[Goal 17] PPSEAWA Taiwan worked with the Foundation for Women’s Rights Promotion and Development to issue a book of “SDGs for Women, Women for SDGs—Actions from Taiwan” in March, 2019. Mondhiya Bhangsbha, PPSEAWA international First Vice President at that time, was invited to be one of panelists of the “Women for SDGs Forum” on 24-25 October 2019 in Taiwan. It was hosted by Taichung City Government and the Foundation for Women’s Rights.
[Goal 6 and Goal 17] PPSEAWA Thailand’s Environmental Awareness and Preservation Committee, in collaboration with Huachiew Chalermprakiat University and Sisa Chorakhe Noi Subdistrict Administration Office (SAO) and Elderly Club for Community Environmental and Waste Management, organized a talk on the initiation of Savings Trash (Waste) Bank for the Bang Plee Yai SAO to 50 managerial level officers and SAO Representatives on 28 August 2019.
⁃ 19 June 2020: another meeting was held with the Savings Trash Bank on the operations of the Bank at Sisa Chorakhe Noi Subdistrict. In Summary, from 2016 to Present, 151 tons of waste (151,021.75kg) has been reduced; and the Bank had net profit of ThB. 68,485.52 from waste savings between January 2019-December 2019. 3. A dividend of 20% was paid.
⁃ 19 August 2020: the Environmental Awareness and Preservation Committee organized a Community Encouragement Program to separate household and community waste and learn how to dispose of that waste properly for 172 students from Wat Huakhoo School (who are also members of the Trash Bank scheme).
[Goal 6 and 17] On November 17-19, 2020, Dr. Chaiskran Hiranpruk- PPSEAWA International ESCAP Representative, with cooperation from Mr. Theeta Rungruangknokkul, the appointed UN ESCAP Sustainable Ocean Ambassador, organized workshops for 170 students at elementary and secondary levels from 3 schools in Pathum Thani Province. The objectives for the “Waterwise: Water for Sustainable Livings“ events were:
- to raise awareness for future generations in Asia and the Pacific on ocean sustainability
- to bring more engagement to the young generations to be the frontier of transforming knowledge into action
- to create future leaders for sustainability and showcase the modalities on responsible consumption and production.
[Goal 11 and Goal 17] PPSEAWA Taiwan Youth Volunteer Training Program entitled “Changing the World from Young Generation (III)-Caring for the World through SDGs” was held on 15-26 August 2020. The two-day training program covered topics from the Eradication of Poverty (SDG 1), Food and water security (SDG 2), Sustainable Super-aged society (SDG 3), Quality Education in low birth rate, post-Covid19 society (SDG4), Gender Equality (SDG5), renewable energy (SDG7), Sustainable City and communities (SDG11), to Climate Action (SDG 13). More than 90 students from various universities in Taiwan attended the training program. We hope that by introducing youth to SDGs, we can inspire them to work towards a more sustainable and peaceful society.
Note that there were no in-person activities in 2020-2021 due to restrictions imposed during the global coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19.