Meeting of the IAEG-SDGs hosted in Japan

 

  The sixteenth meeting of the Inter-agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) was held at the Kitakyushu International Conference Center, Fukuoka, from November 5 to 7, 2025, to discuss the development and review of indicators for measuring progress on the SDGs, as well as the implementation of monitoring. IAEG-SDGs meetings have been held annually in major cities, mainly the capitals of hosting countries, since 2015, except during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time that Japan hosted the meeting.
  The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has been consistently attending the past IAEG-SDGs meetings as the ministry responsible for the overall management of international statistical affairs in Japan. This time, it undertook responsibilities related to hosting and managing the meeting and provided the opening remarks. The Ministry of the Environment and other relevant organizations also participated from Japan. The hosting city of Kitakyushu, backed by its history of overcoming severe pollution, shared with the world its efforts to promote sustainable development.
  The meeting gathered around ninety participants representing national statistical offices, international and regional organizations, and other stakeholders. Interviews and coverage were conducted by multiple media representatives. Participants took the opportunity to explore the city before and after the meeting and bought local specialties. Holding this meeting in a regional area gave participants the opportunity to travel through other cities in Japan and discover the appeals of local regions, thereby promoting them more widely.

  The meeting adopted a parallel session format to allow for deeper technical discussions on specific topics. The plenary session materials and proceedings are publicly available on the IAEG-SDGs website (Note 1).
  The results of this meeting will be reported to the United Nations Statistical Commission at its next session, which is scheduled for March 2026.
 
Note 1(Sixteenth meeting of the IAEG-SDGs, external link)
https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/meetings/iaeg-sdgs-meeting-16/

  Kitakyushu City reported on local governmental efforts to advance the SDGs. Starting from overcoming air and seawater pollution, the city has advanced its measures through unified initiatives by citizens, businesses, and the government. The city shared its publication of a voluntary local review (VLR) in 2018 and noted that it was the only city in Asia to have been selected as a "model city for promoting the SDGs" by the OECD, which compiled its efforts into a working paper titled "A territorial approach to the SDGs in Kitakyushu, Japan” (Note 2). In addition, the city introduced the Kitakyushu Sustainable Business Certification System, the largest-scale plan for offshore wind power generation in Japan, and examples of its global contributions through international cooperation with other countries in promoting the SDGs.
  In addition, the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center (NPEC), an organization affiliated with the Ministry of the Environment, reported on its efforts to develop regional and national indicators for SDG Global Indicator 14.1.1a, "Index of coastal eutrophication” (Note 3), with the Global Eutrophication Watch (GEW; an online assessment tool for marine eutrophication on a global scale) using satellite data to monitor ocean eutrophication, including several examples. It was also suggested that the methodology used in the GEW could be used for other environmental indicators, such as the observation of sea temperature.
 
Note 2 (“A territorial approach to the SDGs in Kitakyushu, Japan”, external links)
  OECD website:
  A territorial approach to the Sustainable Development Goals in Kitakyushu, Japan | OECD　
  Kitakyushu City website:
  https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/contents/00101226.html
 
Note 3 (SDG Global Indicators related to Goal 14, external link)
  Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website:
  https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/oda/sdgs/statistics/goal14.html

  Before and after the meeting, Kitakyushu City hosted multiple events as listed below. The venue utilized products such as nameplates bearing the names of countries and organizations made from local wood (called KITAQ WOOD) and bamboo, and panels on the city's efforts to overcome pollution were displayed. Signs and banners were hung in the city, giving visitors an interactive experience of "Sustainable City Kitakyushu."
 
November 5
○ Lunch event with meeting participants and students at junior high and high schools in the city
  Sixteen junior high and high school students and the participants communicated over lunch. Students introduced their current SDG activities and their own dreams in English and deepened exchanges with the participants. Some of the students showed interest in working for international organizations in the future, noting that this event was a very valuable experience. Meeting participants including members of the UNSD also expressed their gratitude for the wonderful opportunity to go beyond data and engage in open dialogue with the future generation regarding the SDGs.

○ Excursion tour and reception to welcome the participants
  The participants toured relevant spots in the city by bus. The culture of plumbing equipment and TOTO’s history since its founding were introduced at the TOTO Museum, and participants walked around and experienced a Japanese tea ceremony at the Kokura Castle Garden.
  A reception was held at the Main Keep of Kokura Castle, with a live performance of sushi making by sushi chefs.
 
November 8
○ Tour for meeting participants to experience the “Sustainable City”
  To experience Kitakyushu City’s diverse initiatives, from the natural environment to cultural heritage, the participants visited six locations: Hiraodai Karst Plateau (hiking in Kitakyushu Quasi-National Park), Mizokami Sake Brewery (brewery tour), Shinryo Corporation (tour of solar panel recycling line), the Shirashima Museum (exhibits on the oil stockpiling base and tour of offshore wind power generation), the Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel (experience of crossing a prefectural border under the sea), and the Sankiro building (tour of a cultural property). Participants from Europe asked questions enthusiastically at each site.
  Mayor Takeuchi attended the lunch and deepened exchanges with the participants, including the co-chair of the meeting, in which they expressed their gratitude for the city's generous hospitality.