This conference was the only sustainable development conference during the Finnish EU Presidency in the second half of 2019. The Conference brought together over 130 sustainable development policymakers and experts from different stakeholder groups from over 30 countries, including high-level speakers, such as the then Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne and the Finnish Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Ville Skinnari. In addition, the United Nations Deputy Secretary General, Amina J. Mohammed, provided a video address for the participants on the Global 2030 Agenda Process.

The conference focused on many topics relating to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in Europe and took stock of where Europe stands after four years of implementation, which was based on the results of a recent study of the ESDN Office on the practical implementation experiences in Europe. Other topics included linking the 2030 Agenda to economic reality and looking at meta-governance for sustainability. In addition, the conference focused on various challenges for Europe in reaching the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs and delved deeper into four key themes: Circular Economy; Economy of Well-Being; Sustainable Finance; and Global Responsibility.

One of the main results to come out of the conference was the importance that budgeting for the SDGs plays in the overall implementation and success of the 2030 Agenda. It was surmised that everyone needs to understand how the budget contributes to the implementation of the SDGs and the themes of sustainable development budgeting. Only once everyone grasps these concepts, do we have a place to begin.  Apart from EU and country level budgeting, there is an important role that private financing must play in reaching the SDGs. Mobilizing the private sector and private sector finance for sustainable development is also important, as the need to move away from unsustainable business practices to sustainable ones will be key.

A full documentation of the ESDN Conference 2019, including presentations and the results of table discussions and group work can be found on the ESDN Website.