ICSD 2020 Plenary 3: Multilateral Financing of the SDGs: African and Asian Experiences

Mission

The International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) provides a forum for academia, government, civil society, UN agencies, and the private sector to come together to share practical solutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

History

In 2013, an ocean away from New York, a meeting was held in Dakar, Senegal, to find solutions to the complex challenges of sustainable development. Participants felt that a larger conference was needed to bring others into the dialogue, and thus in an auditorium at Université Cheikh Anta Diop, it was decided that the Global Association of Master’s in Development Practice programs would partner with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network to launch the first ICSD. The first ICSD took place in September 2013, followed by conferences in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Soon it was time for the 8th ICSD, hosted in New York City by The Earth Institute, Columbia University, and their Center for Sustainable Development.

Why Attend?

Professor Jeffrey Sachs says it best:

This year’s International Conference on Sustainable Development will be the most important and historic yet! Not only will the science and policy be at the cutting edge; the conference will take place on multiple campuses around the world, making it a truly global event. ICSD will host students from around the world, top scientists, and world leaders from politics to government to the UN. I urge everybody interested in sustainable development – the great challenge of our age – to come to ICSD. Alas, space is limited, but we’ll pack in all that we can!

Who is in the Audience?

ICSD brings together professionals from the private sector, academia, government, and civil society, along with students from the world’s top universities. We welcome participants from all sectors and experience levels. Simply register and help us reach our target of 1,000!

About the Organizers

The Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) mobilizes the scientific expertise of the Earth Institute to create tools and research that shape new solutions to the challenges of sustainable development, and to provide policy support – as requested by governments and development organizations – to address these challenges in the context of a global society.

The Earth Institute, Columbia University, brings together the people and tools needed to address some of the world’s most difficult problems, from climate change and environmental degradation, to poverty, disease and the sustainable use of resources.

The Global Master’s in Development Practice (MDP), an interdisciplinary graduate degree program, prepares students to better identify and address the challenges of sustainable development. MDP programs generally consist of two years of coursework in four intersecting disciplines—health, natural, social, and management sciences–combined with cross-sectoral field training.

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) aims to accelerate joint learning and help to overcome the compartmentalization of technical and policy work by promoting integrated approaches to the interconnected economic, social, and environmental challenges confronting the world. The SDSN works closely with United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.