On 10 September, the Learning Network for Sector Federations & Business Networks held its inaugural session in Brussels, supported by the Government of Flanders. The session defined content for future meetings and shared best practices to equip sector federations in driving sustainable development within their sectors.

On 1 October, ACTION LEARNING DAY 2024 featured the final ESG Frontrunners session and three Action Learning Sessions, in collaboration with Voka Flander's Chambers of  Commerce and Industry, and supported by the Government of Flanders and Nationale Loterij.

On 25 April, with support from the Government of Flanders, 25 organisations launched the first of four ESG Frontrunner sessions. These gatherings covered topics including the EU Taxonomy, Double Materiality under the CSRD, and practical approaches for the CSDDD, with a focus on aligning strategies with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Download Guide International Sustainable Entrepreneurship (in Dutch) with 94 FAQs about topics making global business more sustainable.

Reflecting on an incredible 10-year anniversary in 2023, we started 2024 with a kick off event for our partners and network in Antwerp on February 28th.

Download the new version of our ‘Start-to-SDG Guide’ in Dutch with 90 FAQs on the SDGs and how to get started with the SDGs in your organisation.

We are happy to announce the 2nd Transatlantic Symposium on Sustainable Development in Higher Education, to be held at PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hasselt, Belgium, on 10th-11th October 2024.

A tailor-made training trajectory to become SDG-Proof with increasing levels of ambitions from Pioneer, through Champion to Ambassador. Rewarded by a UNITAR Certificate of Completion.

CIFAL Flanders and Global Goals Community collaborate to implement the PCA2030 Trajectory in the Netherlands. Through capacity building for all actors in society, we contribute to make the Netherlands more SDG-Proof!

The Future Summit in September 2024 offers a unique chance to strengthen global cooperation, address governance gaps, and reaffirm commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Charter. It envisions moving towards a more robust multilateral system for a positive impact on people's lives.

UNITAR demonstrates the importance of merging ESG and SDGs through a new learning course. This course aims to empower policymakers and regulators to ensure policy coherence by aligning ESG regulations with SDGs and national priorities, fostering government engagement.

A delegation of 25 participants: board members, partners and the team of CIFAL Flanders visited the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. This working visit included a meeting with the Belgian Ambassador and Flemish representative to the UN and visits to UNITAR, WTO & Palais des Nations.

CIFAL Flanders and Voka awarded four Flemish companies the title of SDG Ambassador, the highest level in the PCA2030 Trajectory. DNS Belgium, Elep, Fruit at work and LRM received the UNITAR Certificate of Completion after at least six years of hard work.

The first seven Flemish local authorities became SDG Pioneer. The Pioneer Programme of CIFAL Flanders, VVSG and IDEA Consult guided the cities and municipalities in their SDG strategy. Brugge, Harelbeke, Huldenberg, Kalmthout, Kontich, Landen and Lebbeke received their UNITAR Certificate of Completion at the SDG-Forum in Brussels.

In 2023, CIFAL Flanders celebrates its 10 year anniversary. To mark this special occasion, this year is filled with exciting events and projects.

2023 marks the 75 year anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, striving for freedom, equality and justice for all.

19 October 2023, the annual SDG-Forum Belgium took place at Flagey in Brussels. CIFAL Flanders was put in the spotlight during the morning session and awarded the first SDG Pioneer certificates to seven local authorities. During a workshop in the afternoon, CIFAL launched the new Start-to-SDG Guide and hosted an interesting panel discussion.

In September, CIFAL Flanders celebrated its 10 year anniversary in the City Hall of Antwerp. We welcomed more than 75 guests during a guided tour if the City Hall Antwerp, 9 interesting keynotes and a networking reception with an SDG anniversary cake.

Our first SDG Summer Academy took place at Irish College in Leuven on 24 August 2023. We had the privilege to welcome 80+ multistakeholder participants and 20+ prominent and influential speakers. The day was filled with an interesting keynote on system change, 4 panel debates, and 6 interactive workshops.

This micro degree in Dutch, a collaboration between the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Ghent (HOGENT) and CIFAL Flanders, prepares you to become a sustainability coordinator. With this specialisation track, you will acquire a thorough knowledge of working with the SDGs and of the tools needed to strengthen the sustainability process in an organisation.

On the 21st of March 2023, CIFAL Flanders organised the 'SDGs in the election campaign 2024' congress. We brought together more than 130 guests to listen to the vision on the SDGs of the Flemish political parties and 8 different umbrella and network organisations.

The working visit to Rwanda in March 2023 consisted of the certification ceremony of Ruti Group, a social enterprise that became SDG pioneer, the first international conference on Reshaping education for sustainable development and a meeting with CIFAL Kigali.

CIFAL Flanders can only operate thanks to the support of our partners. Together with our partner organisations, we have established an SDG Learning Network and we are pleased to welcome new partners everyday.

Do you want to strengthen sustainability in your organisation based on the SDGs, but don't know where to start? At CIFAL Flanders we offer trainings on implementing the SDGs and help your organisation achieve its ambitions towards a sustainable future.

CIFAL Flanders identified the demand for long-term capacity building trajectories to align the sustainability policies of organisations with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development framework. Want to learn more about the UNITAR | CIFAL Flanders' SDG Training Trajectory?

CIFAL Flanders is part of the CIFAL Global Network of UNITAR. Each CIFAL center provides innovative training and serves as a hub for the exchange of knowledge amongst government officials, the private sector, and civil society.

As a recognised centre of expertise, we have a lot of experience in guiding and leading SDG projects such as reports, books, articles, booklets, games, charters, etc.

Looking for all the important dates on past and future activities organised by CIFAL Flanders?

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Looking for ways to communicate on Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development goals? 

On United Nations Day, 24 October, the United Nations University (UNU-CRIS) organised a high-level lecture and academic panel that delved deep into the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence.

Are you passionate about sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and the SDGs and the workings of the UN? Do you want to translate this passion into the creation of trainings and projects or communication strategies?
Then you are what we are looking for!

Watch the video report of CIFAL Flanders Managing Director Peter Wollarets' visit to our sister organisation, CIFAL Kigali.