Stunning aerial shot showcasing Dubai’s architectural layout amidst the desert. by RITESH SINGH via pexels
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The High-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF) at a glance
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ECOSOC UN BRIEF II
The 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a global plan of action to drive improvements for people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnerships. The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) helps translate the vision of the Goals into
reality by providing political leadership and recommendations and enabling countries to share experiences and lessons learned on implementing the SDGs. It provides a platform for the global follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It ensures that the Agenda
remains relevant and ambitious and focuses on the assessment of progress, achievements and challenges faced by developed and developing countries as well as new and emerging issues.
The HLPF was created in 2012 as part of the mandates from the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), titled ‘The future we want’. (Resolution 66/288). GA Resolution 67/290 was adopted in 2013 and it outlined the ‘Format and organizational aspects of the HLPF on sustainable development’. The Resolution also indicated that the HLPF, under the auspices of the ECOSOC and General Assembly, will: provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development, follow up and review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments, enhance the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development in a holistic
and cross-sectoral manner at all levels; and have a focused, dynamic and action-oriented agenda, ensuring the appropriate consideration of new and emerging sustainable development challenges. Participation in HLPF follows an ‘all-States’ formula, which means that members of UN specialized agencies participate fully in the HLPF and thus, in addition to 193 Member States of the UN, Cook Islands, Holy See, Niue and the State of Palestine participate fully in the HLPF. In line with resolution 67/290, stakeholders, in the form of major groups and other stakeholders, are able to
engage in various ways in the HLPF, including attending official meetings, intervening in meetings, and submitting documents.
The HLPF, which replaced the Commission on Sustainable Development, held its first meeting under the auspices of the General Assembly in September 2013 and under the auspices of ECOSOC in June-July 2014. The annual HLPF sessions under the auspices of ECOSOC bring together States, organizations of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, civil society, NGOs, the private sector and other stakeholders to discuss progress, exchange lessons learned, experience, and challenges, and recommend new action under an annual theme and a set of SDGs determined by Member States. Its ministerial days are jointly convened with the high-level segment of the Council. The HLPF also hears presentations of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Since 2016, more than 190 countries plus the European Union presented VNRs to the HLPF. In 3 of every 4 years, the HLPF adopts a negotiated Ministerial Declaration.
HLPF meets under the auspices of the General Assembly at the level of Heads of State/Heads of Government every four years. It last met under GA auspices in September 2023 when it adopted a Political Declaration, in which Member States recommitted to the SDGs and to the vision and principles embodied in the 2030 Agenda. The declaration stresses that the achievement of the SDGs is in peril, commits to bold, ambitious, accelerated, just and transformative actions and sets out areas where action is required.
In General Assembly resolution 75/290 B, Member States decided that the HLPF will in its preparations reflect the universal, integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the Sustainable Development Goals, and give due consideration to outcomes of all relevant conferences. It shall also strengthen peer learning and implementation, by providing sufficient time for the sharing of best practices and experiences relating to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and sharing of knowledge and advice, including on successes and challenges. It will address the interlinkages between the global, regional, national and subnational levels of the implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda, building on the regional forums on sustainable development, preparations for voluntary national reviews and expert and other preparatory meetings leading to the HLPF. The HLPF shall also strengthen the science-policy interface to support actions by policymakers and other stakeholders with solid evidence on progress and challenges in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the related policies.
Regarding voluntary national reviews (VNRs) presented at the HLPF, the resolution encourages the conduct of a VNR once during the four-year cycle of the HLPF. The President of ECOSOC and the Bureau are encouraged to allocate as much time as possible to the VNRs in order to strengthen interaction, substantive discussion and peer learning. To improve the follow-up to the VNRs, countries, the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations and other stakeholders are invited and encouraged to launch partnerships and provide support, including capacity-building, to voluntary national review programme countries, at their request and in consultation with them, in order to help them to address the challenges related to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
In its resolution 78/285, the General Assembly decided on the thematic focus of the Economic and Social Council and the High-level political forum on sustainable development, as well as the sets of Sustainable Development Goals that will be reviewed in depth for 2025, 2026 and 2027 session. It also asked for a full review at its eightieth session of the arrangements contained in resolutions 75/290 A and 75/290 B and their annexes.
More information can be accessed at the HLPF website.
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