The United Nations launched the second Open call for good practices, success stories and lessons learned by all stakeholders in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. The purpose is to highlight examples of good practices, including those that could be replicated or scaled-up by others across the globe.
The submitted practices may show how gaps and constraints could be addressed, and what steps could be taken to accelerate progress in the achievement of the SDGs as well as support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Open Call was conducted from December 2020 to March 2021. The outcomes of this call were published late May.
Among the more than 700 submissions reviewed by a team of experts from United Nations entities, “SHAFE implemented through NET4Age-Friendly” was one of the recognized good practices from all over the world.
The COST Action International Interdisciplinary Network on Smart Healthy Age-friendly Environments (NET4Age-Friendly) is built upon the SHAFE concept and works as an international network that engage all levels of society with the intrinsic aim of promoting the development of local, regional or national inclusive ecosystems. It is composed of a quadruple helix of citizens, public authorities, companies, and researchers which interact and coordinate at the international level.
This strategy allows it to literally become viral, by exponentially increasing the networking, the dissemination and knowledge exchange among scientists, business, public, local administrations, policy makers, professionals, and citizens.
This brings an inspiring and fruitful new way of cooperation that fosters knowledge and promotes grassroot implementation at a broader scale, combining top-down and bottom-up perspectives.
The meaning and notion of SHAFE as a holistic approach that promotes the alignment of policies and strategies is a unique roadmap for the implementation in and across Europe.
“When we acknowledge the serious challenges, especially those related to demographic change and the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not possible anymore to still work in silos or to keep positions for individual interest. Before any other role, we all are citizens, and we have a duty as to work together in a bid for a better world. COVID has not directly impacted the implementation of our Action, au contraire, the inclusive environments proposed by NET4Age-Friendly would be adequate solutions to minimise the effects of the pandemic and relieve the pressure on health and care systems”, says Carina Dantas, the Chair of NET4Age-Friendly COST Action.
NET4Age-Friendly IN A NUTSHELL
The main approach of NET4Age-Friendly is the establishment of local or regional ecosystems in each country involved, to work on health and well-being in an age-friendly digital world, all combined in an inclusive environment. These ecosystems include citizens, public authorities, businesses/NGOs and researchers. They will be supported by four thematic working groups:
- User-centred inclusive design;
- Integrated health and well-being pathways;
- Digital solutions and large-scale sustainable implementation;
- Policy development, funding forecast and cost-benefit evaluations.
The outcomes of the thematic working groups will be integrated through a fifth group in a single Reference Framework, which will be the main result of the project.
Additional information
SDG Good Practices and The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
View the COST Action website
View net4age website: www.net4age.eu/
Follow the Action on social media