BKMC Annual Report 2023

SDG DIALOGFORUM 3.0
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The BKMC co-organized and led the work on Austria’s
third SDG Dialogforum, the largest annual multistakeholder
event on the SDGs. This collaborative
initiative by the BKMC, the Austrian government,
and SDG Watch Austria creates a unique platform
for dialogue and innovative solutions for SDG
implementation. The overarching goal of the forum
was to contribute substantially to Austria’s second
Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the UN.
exemplary in the world. The high-level segment saw
three federal ministers and a representative from the
Global South discuss new impulses and solutions
developed for the most pressing SDG problems.
Monika Froehler, CEO of the BKMC, moderated the
overall forum, and Gundula Geiginger, Moderator of
PULS4 News, moderated the high-level segment.
The event also included an award ceremony
for the three good practice projects “Kärntner
Regierungsprogramm”, “Gemeindeentwicklung mit
der Agenda 2030”, and “Junge Halle” to showcase
regional efforts in Carinthia, Burgenland, and Vorarlberg.
By attracting national media attention with its outreach
efforts, the SDG Dialogforum reported on
20 media pieces, including press releases, op-eds,
reporting by media outlets, and a media partnership,
and it reached 21,000 people via social media.
©BKA - Christopher Dunker / Panelists with BKMC CEO Monika Froehler and BKMF Executive Director Kate Landon.
HIGH-LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM
SIDE EVENT
“How do women lead differently for the Sustainable
Development Goals?”, was one of the guiding
questions of a high-level panel discussion organized
by the BKMC with the Austrian Cultural Forum
New York, and the Ban Ki-moon Foundation. Female
leaders from politics, culture, education, finance, and
philanthropy gave their unique perspectives and
stories about “Inspiring Female Leadership for the
Global Goals” on the sidelines of the UN HLPF 2023.
The panel discussion featured Karoline Edtstadler,
Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution; Lisa
Gugenheim, Director of the American Museum of
Natural History; Cecilia Garza, Director Donor Initiatives
& President’s Fund, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund;
Karen Choi, Portfolio Manager at Capital Group, New
York Office; and Monika Froehler, CEO of the BKMC.
Serving as a platform to ignite a sense of agency
and determination, the event underscored the
significance of collaboration, empathy, and empowering
women in decision-making roles in all
sectors to ensure a sustainable and equitable future
for all. The event left a lasting impression, inspiring
the around 130 in-person participants to support
women and girls, take up the mantle of leadership,
and drive transformative progress toward the SDGs.
©BKMC - Eugénie Sophie / Award ceremony of the regional good
practice projects
In early October 2023, a series of roundtables convened
experts from academia, federal administration,
science, and civil society to collaborate on issues of
poverty among youth and the elderly, biosphere
protection through energy, mobility and digital
transitions, digital skills in the 21st century, and food
security in the Global South. These roundtables
identified guiding principles, good practice examples,
and potential solutions, which were presented on
the high-level day of the “SDG Dialogforum 3.0”.
On 12 th October, over 200 in-person participants
attended a high-level event, featuring key government
figures, representatives from international organizations,
academia, civil society, youth, municipalities,
and many more. More than 1,400 viewers followed the
event live online.
The open debate about how to improve SDG implementation
in the country is a unique format and
Overall, the forum saw an increased participation
of Austrian youth, both in the audience and on
stage. Additionally, Elizabeth Nsimadala, President
of the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF) and
a smallholder farmer from Uganda, joined the highlevel
panel discussion and added substantial value
by emphasizing local and global collaboration for
sustainable food security. The commitment of Austria
to partnerships for the goals is a testament to the
global determination to create a sustainable better
future for all.
©BKMC - Eugénie Sophie / Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler and
Federal Minister Martin Kocher at the SDG Dialogforum 3.0.
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