17 Rooms offers a new way of channeling collaborative energy and ideas into practical steps for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Convened by the Brookings Institution and The Rockefeller Foundation since 2018, each SDG-focused working group meets as a “Room” to identify, in parallel and in concert, opportunities for cooperative action over the subsequent 12-18 months.
Guided by the pursuit of “a next step” rather than “a perfect step,” participants meet in their personal capacities to engage in candid and informal discussions. By identifying openings for progress within an SDG, rather than attempting to cover the waterfront of each entire SDG, Rooms generate a mix of expert-driven insights plus momentum for practical action.
In 2020, the 17 Rooms flagship process went entirely virtual, with more than 200 participants contributing. Most Rooms met a couple of times from June through mid-September. Then, on September 21, a culminating virtual summit brought all the Rooms together to offer feedback on one another’s proposals, to explore opportunities for collaboration, and to report out on priority opportunities in 2021. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed joined as “keynote listener,” providing feedback on all the Rooms’ lead ideas.
The outcomes of each Room’s independent discussions and recommended action priorities for 2021 are available below.
Download the 17 Rooms 2020 insights report, “Great Transitions: Doubling down on the Sustainable Development Goals.”
Download the 17 Rooms 2020 participant list.
