ESDN Peer Learning Platforms

The ESDN has been organizing Peer Learning Platforms since 2016. These Platforms facilitate the exchange of experiences and good practices between policymakers in national ministries who are responsible for the 2030 Agenda implementation process in their respective country. A unique aspect of the ESDN Peer Learning Platforms is that they take place under the Chatham House Rules, which ensures the identity of participants is not revealed, allowing for deeper exchanges of experiences, the success and challenges, to take place in an informal setting. 

Peer Learning Platform 2025

The 10th Peer Learning Platform took place on April 23rd 2025 in Brussels, Belgium!

The title of this year’s Peer Learning Platform was “The Integrative and Framing Power of the SDGs – Keeping Sustainable Development Relevant in Europe”. The Platform was organized by the ESDN in cooperation with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management.

With only 5 years remaining to reach the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, we want to continue to keep the SDGs high on the agenda and continue to push for sustainable development in Europe. Some of the questions we addressed in this Peer Learning Platform were: How can Europe continue to keep up momentum for sustainable development and keep the SDGs relevant in the context of the geopolitical challenges we find ourselves dealing with? How do we re-engage our stakeholders for the SDGs? How will the new Commission address the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? These are some of the broader themes we will be discussing and learning about at the Platform. The format of the Platform was a mixture of keynotes presentations and ESDN Exchange Spaces, which featured good practice cases and offered a chance for in-depth discussions on some of these challenges.

An ESDN Policy Note, which formulates recommendations based on the presentations, the good practice cases, and the discussions that took place, will be published very soon. You will be able to find the Policy Note here.

Many thanks to all of the keynote presenters who thoroughly enriched everyone's experiences and provided the latest in terms of trends regarding Europe and reaching the SDGs. This was further supplemented by good practice cases from all over Europe. 

One striking message came from the ESDN Youth Network Members: Abandoning long-term goals during crises contradicts the very purpose of sustainable development. True security extends far beyond military defense. It encompasses media literacy, intercultural competencies, climate resilience, and foresight capabilities. The redirection of funds from education toward narrowly defined "security" reflects a dangerously limited perspective.

ESDN Peer Learning Platform Archive

A look at the history of the ESDN reveals that ESDN Peer Learning Platforms have played a prominent role in facilitating policy learning between European policymakers dealing with sustainable development. This section of the website provides a one-stop-shop documentation of all ESDN Peer Learning Platforms so far. Please click on one of the Platforms for more details: