CONCEPT NOTE BY THE BABCOCK INTERNATIONAL MODEL UNITED NATIONS (BIMUN) FOR BIMUIN NATIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS) COMPETITION 1:0
1. The SDGs process should be coherent with the Development Agenda process in that the design, structure and choice of SDGs should be in line with what developing countries want to achieve in the Development Agenda.
2. The SDGs choice of a school should not be a set of goals for only developing countries to undertake as a kind of conditionality or new obligations applying only to them and only at national level. BIMUN expect that the goals are “universally applicable to all countries”, including the developed countries.
3. Since this is being formulated in the Babcock International Model United Nations in the context of project competition, the documentary and process aspects are crucial. While the schools are yet to take on UN Sustainable Development Goals, they should be supported by:
a) Corresponding process should be actions that support and can be implemented both on developed countries (and not be a barrier to) developing countries’ efforts;
b) Actions by all schools, should be at the level of the international economic, financial, trade, technology and social systems, to support and enable developing actions/efforts;
c) Provision of finance and technology and other means of implementation.
4. It is proposed that the structure of the SDG project competition should comprise:
A. Registration of interest of various schools.
B. Indication of names of candidates for the competition (not less than 10 students)
C. Selection of Sustainable Development Goal by each participating school.
D. Outline of Principles and modalities by participating schools.
E. A section or sections of interaction with a representative from BIMUN, clearly reporting process of implementation after every four (4) weeks.
There must be a preamble part in the presentation that explains the issue and perhaps the actions required and subsequently taken towards the achievement.
For the presentation at the BIMUN Opening Plenary, the presentation must follow these sequences;
a. A brief description of the goal;
b. The international factors or targets that have to be established or reformed or removed in order to enable the developing countries’ goals and targets to be met, including providing sufficient policy space for national development;
c. National Sub-goals or Targets;
d. The means of implementation (finance, technology) required by countries.
e. A short video clip on methodology of implementation of goals.
5. Principles of Sustainable Development Goals: The principles will guide the entire SDG project competition process
a. The formulation and implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal shall fully respect all Rio Principles, taking into account different national circumstances, capacities and priorities,
b. The Sustainable Development Goal is to be consistent with international law,
c. The Sustainable Development Goal should build upon commitments already made, and contribute to the full implementation of the outcomes of all major Summits held in this regard.
d. These goals should address and incorporate in a balanced way all three dimensions of sustainable development and their inter-linkages.
e. They should be coherent with and integrated in the United Nations Development Agenda beyond 2015.
f. They should contribute to the achievement of sustainable development and serve as a driver for implementation and mainstreaming of sustainable development in the United Nations system as a whole.
6. Other agreed features of the SDGs project competition are that the SDGs should be action-oriented, concise and easy to communicate, limited in number, aspirational, global in nature and universally applicable to all countries while taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities. The goals should address and be focused on priority areas for the achievement of sustainable development.