 What's happening with human rights around our world on ThinkTech Live, broadcasting from our downtown studio in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Moana, New York, Canada. Today we're focusing on the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, the voluntary national review and voluntary local review, country and city checkup on the UN sustainable development goals on the ground in the Asia-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development is an annual gathering of governments and regional civil society coming together to share about the 17 UN global goals on the ground in the nations of Asia-Pacific. The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development provides opportunity for community organizers to share the genuine situation people experience from the community to the city to the capital. The UN sustainable development goals are the core currency in the conversation bringing together the country to prioritize what is necessary to improve from the neighborhood to the nation on sustainable development rooted in human rights, justice, and freedom. The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development provides a chance for civil society to share prior to the actual voluntary national review and also the voluntary local review at the UN high-level political forum at the UN headquarters happening later in the year. Today we're meeting with people who are actively engaged to bring the UN global goals on the ground in the nation. Buntun thank you so much for joining us can you share with us a bit why the voluntary national review is so important. Just one thank you. I am Buntun Jantalawongwiso. I am the president of the Alliance for Democracy in Laos. I am from Germany now. We think to even win is very important for us. Why the VNR can report about how it's up to and in our country the SDG from 16th SDG was having the government to go but we see that the in the Laos there is not every SDG had to in practice for the people and the VNR must tell how must the SDG in Laos better for the people. Without VNR the people don't have any possible to change what's the program about development in this country. The people need SDG from 16th SDG for the people for every goal must change better for the people. Buntun thank you so much we know that there are 17 global goals but it is true SDG number 16 is very vital for Laos as global goal 16 focuses on peace justice and strong institutions. I also like how you shared what the VNR is so important because it allows the people a chance to speak and have their voices heard this week at the regional gathering so that they're able to then connect with other civil society from around the Asia Pacific but as you said in July at the global level so that people on the ground can share their truth and discuss with the world what matters most to them to make sure that their governments are held accountable and that the governments can't just say that all is well but that the people themselves can share what needs to be done. Christian can you share a bit why you believe the voluntary national review is so important? Thank you Chuzwa and I am the President of Lyon for Democracy in Laos and I'm very very happy to share with you the importance of the VNR because I think that the review demonstrates a lasting commitment to implementation of the 2030 agenda and a sharing a global goal as we know. VNR are a mechanism of accountability and for monitoring progress under the 2030 agenda. As the program is rooted in human rights it is essential to assess the progress made in a sharing first sustainable development that leaves no one behind. This is a core currency of the principle of the sustainable development but in Laos nowadays I am very very concerned that the goal we will not carry out and remain a huge challenge because of the rhetoric of the right of the citizen of Laos. It is very important today. Thank you. It is my take on it. It's an excellent point. I think you brought up something that is absolutely crucial that in the UN 2030 agenda one of the main pillars is to leave no one behind and the other part was also furthest behind first so it prioritizes the people who have not been centered around and included in public policy at the city and county level as well as at the national level so furthest behind first and leaves one no behind is absolutely crucial as we go forward for the 2030 agenda and that brings us then to Marcos. Marcos can you share with us why you believe that VNR is so important based on your experiences so far. Well at first I have to mention the good thing is that there is a VNR but that is in front of this really really good thing and that so many countries took place on this process and government. This is the good thing but unfortunately yeah okay we know some countries use misuses for so-called flower speech to say our country is the best and we are the best country of the country whatever and here we have the possibility to observe these countries in our case in this last to see what's the truth. They didn't write this ever seem real or good on the good way and this is the possibility for people and organizations like us bring the message what is right and what is wrong and there is no other message there is no other possibility to do this that's the main thing I think. No it's true what is crucial is that when the UN 2030 agenda was created and in 2015 when the 17 global goals were recognized for all countries and every country agreed to implement these important global standards at the local level and in every capital around the world it guaranteed that everyone everywhere on earth could aspire to actualize the various UN 2030 agenda in their own lives that's so crucial and what was also important as you said is that there was some review created so that it wasn't just these are the goals and we hope they happen it was a new process set up that happens at the regional level with the Asia Pacific Forum on sustainable development which is taking place this week in Bangkok but also as you said at the global level at the high level political forum in New York where we can look at what's happening. Buntun looking now what have you done so far to bring the global goals on the ground what has been the first steps we've seen so far in 2024 I remember there was a conference in Vien Chien can you share with us a bit what that was like and what Alliance for Democracy in Laos is doing here at the next steps. We have now been prepared for the VNR for July this year and now we have very information from our activist director from Laos and we have information about half half the people they're living now with SCG we see that a lot of people they don't have example SCT 16 it's very important for the people the people don't have right of assembly they don't have right of media especially social media and they don't have right for politicians or for angels so reported about what's the government have something better for the people we have now been prepared now report for the VNR to tell about what is reality with SCT in Laos now what the government of the Laos they don't take they don't make something for the people or they don't implement the SCG for the people example the people the the Laos government they don't allow for the people to tell about where they're living how who are the people in Laos now the people are very poor why the problem with land grabbing too much land building in Laos too much deforester too much influence from China from Vietnam from the deceptive system our report will be reported about a violation from human life of human life for people in Laos now it's very important the Laos government have last month the conference for prepared for VNR our viewers in this conference too but I see this the the NGO from Laos they don't have possible to tell the reality in Laos that the SCG don't implement it now uh we the ADL we we we prepared our report we tell on everything from SCG what not implemented in Laos now for better for implementing in every goal from SCG in Laos thank you Bunton that's very important so there was an early process which was important that the UN initiated the conversation allowing the Laos government to assemble NGOs to come together but you bring up an interesting point that with this Asia-Pacific foreign unsustainable development sometimes the NGOs or civil society are not independent and those are known internationally as gongos or government organized NGOs and that's what brings up what it's so crucial the role of Alliance for Democracy in Laos because you get the information directly from people impacted who are trying to defend their land who are trying to make Laos a better country such as Sombac Sompon and when they do stand up for themselves horrible things happen such as disappearances or unfortunately even sometimes killings and extrajudicial executions and so the role of Alliance for Democracy in Laos and why the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development is so important is that Global Goal 17 the partnerships where people come together and work with the people on the ground who are directly impacted so their lives can be improved and that these 15 years can actually have a reality that changes people's daily living conditions christian can you share what have you done so far and what's ADL focusing on to bring the global goals on the ground okay thank you so I don't I am very very happy to to know the statement of Dr Benton and I agree with her because the the most attention that we have now today in Laos is SDG 16 because is the the source of the happiness if the human rights are respected and in Laos this is very very important to the people because we have repeatedly tested testimony from our member in the ground it is a very very sickening people suffer from the lack of the rule of the law and from corruption as well um since uh nothing has been resolved you know on the contrary respect of human rights backslides and become worse nowadays in Laos and I I want to to add a four um STG in this forum because this is the essential of the social justice I mean uh SDG 16, STT 5, 4, 3 and 1 you know this STG are not achieved are not carried out nowadays in Laos PDR because the really reality that mentioned Dr Benton is is very very uh significant when it's significant you know uh why how to do that the the different uh the right of the people every day without action in europe uh union and um until speaking to the member in in inside the country you know um so at the Vienna Hell recently in Vientiane the captain of Laos the key point underlined by the expert versus social justice the fight again massive corruption and equality of genders and human trafficking is very very um important for us for our people uh living inside the city you know I I want uh that Laos government um take account and um take account and implement the recommendation of international community to see that whole it is all and the program will be will be resolved thank you so that's a very good point and you really do highlight why this voluntary national review is so crucial and why it's important to have an independent civil society to focus on accountability and transparency and you did bring up a good point that STG 16 is very crucial if there's no democracy it's very difficult to have development and you also bring up no poverty goal one number two zero hunger number four quality education and education is essential to be able to mobilize and we know that someone some poem studied at the east west center and university of hawaii and then was bringing back the traditional knowledge of farming but also combining new technologies with video advocacy so that more people could be involved in regenerative agriculture which we see a resurgence on Maui and hawaii as well marcus can you share a bit of why and what have you done so far to bring the global goals on the ground in Laos yeah the good thing i can tell you is uh that we are important this process from the first day the countries that the united nation decided to do is sustainable one thing we do better than the law government the law government takes the bnr after some years but we do and the stg report every year and for example for the next stg report will be published just before the bnr of the law of government will come we have started to collect the information in the end of the last year so i think we will be in time when we can publish it we can publish the first report now with a lot of problems but it will be completed i think in the next one we are a little bit better fortunately okay the first result i can tell the people that uses okay laws that are being done in every country marcus that's a really good point so what is part of this process is first the governments must write a report so in a way it's a report card where governments self reflect and see how they've been doing on the 17 global goals on the ground but what's also crucial is the stakeholder report the one that's drafted by civil society the one that's drafted by different major groups and other stakeholders that focus on specific global goals or the most important human rights in each nation and that is the important part that now not only is there a review of every country in the world how they're doing on these 17 global goals but also there's different reports that we can always reflect on as well as you're sharing about being able to see those reviews the actual vnrs at the high-level political forum. Bunton can you share with us though why is the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development a crucial conference and what actually happens during the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development which begins this week in Bangkok. We will give our report and our statement about how reality of two problems in Laos now. We will tell about our problems from the people in Laos. Our report even thinks the reality with the people living in Laos now the big problem the people don't have human rights of the assembly of the media and of the political life and the problem with human rights wireless especially the killing of our activities killing of our activities in Laos now it's a big problem the now PDR didn't tell about two problems with human rights virus the government tell about now in Laos it's very good with human rights but in reality how the people have more and more impression when they are living in Laos now the Chinese people they have now more rights than the Lao people Chinese influence in Laos is very very big in Laos now why the Lao government have allowed everything for Chinese investors in Laos they they have buildings too much casino in Laos the building too much dam in Laos they make too much land grabbing for the people the Lao people now they are poor and poor this problem will be our report to tell in this time the reality in Laos now and I think our report will be maybe only our organization tell about two problems in Laos now and we need work together with other NGOs in this time in the Asia Pacific now to tell what is the two problem in Laos with STG the government don't implement any STG in Laos now this is reality thank you so much and you really highlight that the chilling effect of what happens when the activists who are really the champions of these global goals on the ground are silence through intimidation and actual human rights violations can you share with us christian why you think the what happens during the Asia Pacific forum on sustainable development is so important where we know the first thing is an opening all of the regional entities of the UN specialized agencies programs and funds the UN development program international labor organization UN women all come to share their actions on the ground can you share a bit christian okay okay it's very important and I want to add what Dr Bunton said today in this forum is very important the reality of the line in Laos is very very difficult all the goal of STG is not uh tackling uh by the Laos government I think it gives me the word uh the Laos government mock the international recommendation every tie and every way and when they uh make a statement uh in front of the community of the verse this is uh the the the pretty verse the the verse not no sense you know but in reality a lot of people uh suffer from the lack of old application of old implementation of human rights and and the goal of of human rights when I I look at the international aid you know it's a large amount of money but this money doesn't go to the people what is the program what is happening in Laos everything is clear it is massive corruption uh that the expert uh during the vietnam held recently in vietnam on the line the massive culture you know it is the the cause of the uh social injustice we want social justice for Laos people and why we day after day we we try to to share the difficulty of our people in the ground by uh talking in our TV broadcasting every two weeks you know thank you so what's really crucial is that you're pointing out is we are really now at the halfway part the UN Sustainable Development Goal Summit just took place last september and now we know it's the second half and that's when all the games are won and what you all described and have shared to us is so crucial because we know the voluntary national review and the voluntary local review is a country check up on how it is doing with the global agenda of the UN SDGs and nations share their improvements and initiatives create new chances in communities cities and capitals to achieve the UN 2030 agenda and the work that you're doing as stakeholders to demand that the governments do better with the global goals on the ground is absolutely crucial I want to thank you all for joining us and everyone for watching Cooper Union we look forward to sharing the results of the Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development as we go forward together for a better world Mahalo