When: Monday, July 10th, from 2 pm – 3.30pm.
Where:  UN Church Center, (777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017)

Background
Most discussions surrounding the SDGs have focused on the setting of goals and indicators. Less attention has been paid to discussing the roles and responsibilities that different stakeholders should take in achieving these goals – in particular, how to best implement this universal framework at the subnational level. Given the scope and ambition of the SDGs, it is clear that governments alone cannot achieve the agenda. They must also facilitate participation of all sectors of society, particularly civil society organisations (CSOs), who are uniquely positioned to draw upon local knowledge to tailor the ambitious global-development agenda to specific local contexts. This invisible mosaic of organizations demonstrating real progress on the 17 SDGs - estimated to be in the tens of thousands worldwide - can provide valuable insight into the strategies and lessons learned when translating the global agenda to local action.
This event will provide a platform for global civil society representatives to showcase their advances toward implementation of the global SDG agenda; to show what practical action they are taking on sustainable development; and to discuss what support is needed from the national or international level to empower them to fulfill this ambitious agenda.

Objectives
The key objectives of this high-level side event are to:  
• Demonstrate how national governments can work with civil society organizations to promote SDG implementation,  
• Demonstrate the leadership potential of the global invisible mosaic of CSOs working on the SDGs,  
• Showcase lessons learned and provide a model for getting started with SDG localization,  
• Promote civil society participation in the HLPF to for national and regional implementation of the SDGs