SDG-Forum

The seventh edition of the SDG-Forum took place on 5 and 6 November 2024 in Flagey, Brussels.
For the first time, the event was spread over two days, resulting in a dynamic programme full of inspiring keynotes, interactive workshops and interesting panel discussions.

• Inspiring keynotes, including Lieve Verboven (ILO), Manuela Gervasi (European Environmental Bureau) and Nathalie Guillaume (Danone Benelux)
• The launch of the SDG Barometer 2024, with insights into SDG adoption in Belgium.
• Panel discussion with Luc van Liedekerke (University of Antwerp), Anton De Ryckere (VVP) and Nathalie Guillaume (Danone Benelux) on challenges, opportunities and the road to Agenda 2030
• No fewer than 40 interactive workshops on topics such as education, finance, circular economy and many more.  

Retrospective

The sixth edition of the SDG-Forum took place on 19 October 2023 at Flagey.

Last year’s SDG-Forum left no doubt that we need to take the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the starting point for rebuilding resilient economies and societies. The current geopolitical crises have further increased the importance of long-term SDG-based solutions in addressing poverty, social inequality, circular economy, climate and biodiveristy.

The programme

This sixth edition inspired audiences with:

• A keynote by Kees Klomp on the purpose economy and the SDGs
• A keynote by Timothée Parrique on sustainable degrowth
• UN FAO Brussels Director Raschad Al-Khafaji on stepping up efforts for the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda.
• 30 workshops on different themes around the SDGs
• Networking opportunities where SDG professionals exchange ideas

The fifth edition of the SDG-Forum took place on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 in Flagey.

This day was marked by inspiring speakers such as Guillame LaFortune (vice-president of SDSN Paris), debates, interactive sessions and information stands.

The central thread through all of this remained ‘SDGs: From everyone, for everyone and by everyone’.

On 25 September 2015, all 193 UN member states, on behalf of their populations, signed a new agenda with 2030 as its horizon. It contains seventeen goals - the Sustainable Development Goals - to get our world back on track towards sustainable development.

The SDGs aim to tackle the most important, global challenges in social, economic and ecological terms. They thereby have a strong emphasis on the principle of leaving no-one behind. If these goals are not achieved, this will come at a cost to the planet, to ourselves and mostly for future generations.

The SDGs are largely an ‘us’ story. Every individual, every business, every organisation, every authority at any level, has something to contribute and they should ideally do so together. The SDGs break with the pigeon-holing of the past and will ideally lead to unexpected partnerships to help rid the world of the concerns that we share.

After successful previous editions of the SDG-Forum, a third one had to follow. 

The central thread through all of this remains ‘SDGs: From everyone, for everyone and By everyone’.

From 28 to 29 October

The SDG-Forum brings the Sustainable Development Goals from, for and by everyone. As the first multi-stakeholder forum on the SDGs in the Benelux, the SDG-Forum is able to reach out to wide range of sectors and deals with a variety of themes.

Organised by 18 partner organizations from every corner of the sustainable development sector, the SDG-Forum strives to connect unusual suspects. It gives policy makers, business, NGO’s, academia a change to meet and exchange SDG ideas and SDG solutions.

SDG FORUM goes fully digital

As COVID-19 prevents us from meeting each other safely in person, the SDG-Forum took place online. Humanitarian crises make great incubators for far-reaching structural change. The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath reinforces the need to mainstream long-term solutions for a resilient society and economy that works for all. That’s why the SDG-Forum strongly believes we cannot put discussions and networking on sustainable development on hold. With our digital conference platform Hopin, SDG-Forum brings you workshops and plenary sessions with live polling, Q&A’s and networking possibilities.

After a successful first edition, a second SDG Forum had to follow. The SDG-Forum 2019 is taking place on Tuesday 24 September in SQUARE Brussels Convention Centre.

It will be a day with international speakers such as John Elkington, debates, interactive sessions and information stands that will take participants from the global to the local level.

The central thread through all of this remains ‘SDGs: from everyone, for everyone and by everyone’.

From everyone

On 25 September 2015, all 193 UN member states, on behalf of their populations, signed a new agenda with 2030 as its horizon. It contains seventeen goals - the Sustainable Development Goals - to get our world back on track towards sustainable development.

For everyone

The SDGs aim to tackle the most important, global challenges in social, economic and ecological terms. They thereby have a strong emphasis on the principle of leaving no-one behind. If these goals are not achieved, this will come at a cost to the planet, to ourselves and mostly for future generations.

By everyone

The SDGs are largely an ‘us’ story. Every individual, every business, every organisation, every authority at whatever level, has something to contribute and they should ideally do so together. The SDGs break with the pigeon-holing of the past and will ideally lead to unexpected partnerships to help rid the world of the concerns that we share.

The very first Belgian SDG-Forum took place on Tuesday 23 October 2018 in Flagey, Brussels.

It was a day where international speakers, debates, interactive sessions and information stands took participants from the global to the local and even very personal level.