The Minister of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Agio Pereira, welcomes on May 2, 2019, at the Government Palace in Dili, the Secretary General of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), Bonian Golmonhammadi and his delegation, to discuss the organization of the 3rd Annual Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 16+ Forum, which will be held in Dili from November 11 to 14 of this year.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the policy, planning and implementation of the SDGs in the context of Timor-Leste, with a view to preparing and formulating the theme and concept of the Annual 16+ Forum that will take place in Dili, under the theme “Promoting peaceful, just and inclusive societies”.

The 16+ Forum is held annually and was held for the first time in 2017 in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia and in 2018 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The 16+ Sustainable Development Goals Forum started in April 2016 and has as its Member States, Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Georgia, Guatemala, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Timor-Leste and Tunisia, as well as the g7+ and the World Federation of United Nations Associations. It aims to show the implementation of multiple ODS 16+ interest groups and at the same time highlight the interrelations between Agenda 2030 and other United Nations priorities such as peace prevention and peacekeeping.

The annual 16+ Forum offers an annual opportunity to highlight national and local action on the implementation of 16+ SDGs, including challenges, successes and solutions. With civil society training sessions, field visits and debates, this conference allows participants to share best practices, challenges and solutions in SDG implementation, strengthen collective commitment, and strengthen efforts to build a movement for peaceful, just and inclusive societies.

With broad participation of governments, local and international civil society organizations, members of the United Nations system, regional and international organizations, the private sector and academics, the annual show highlights the catalytic value of peace, justice, human rights and inclusion, and how global rhetoric translates into tangible impact on people’s lives.