Record number of countries, private and public-sector leaders to review progress on sustainable development

Thousands of high-level representatives from governments, civil society and the private sector will gather at the annual High-level Political Forum (HLPF) this month to take stock of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and discuss successes, challenges and lessons learnt on the road to a fairer, more peaceful and prosperous world on a healthy planet by 2030.

Forty-seven countries will submit their Voluntary National Review (VNRs) – an important, evidence-based platform to highlight national implementation. Since the launch of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the number of countries presenting VNRs has more than doubled from 22 in 2016. With this year’s Forum, more than 120 countries would have submitted their reviews, showing commitment to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time. The Forum also brings together leaders from all sectors of society, including the business community and civil society.

This year’s Forum will review in depth six out of the 17 SDGs under the theme, “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.” The set of goals to be reviewed include:

Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development (reviewed yearly)

UN SDG Action Campaign at the HLPF

Partnership Expo onboard Peace Boat

Thu, July 12, 2018, 6:00 PM – 9:45 PM

Cruise Terminal, Pier 90, 711 12th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Peace Boat will visit New York City this July 12-13, in the first of two visits in 2018 (next is October 29-30). This visit, during Peace Boat’s 98th Global Voyage, coincides with the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and Peace Boat will hold an inaugural Partnership Expo onboard

This event will highlight the importance of partnerships for transformation toward resilient and sustainable societies and showcase various initiatives toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The UN SDG Action Campaign will be part of the exhibition area showcasing Humans of MY World, information on results coming from the MY World survey and providing UN Virtual Reality experiences to visitors.

Side Event: Global Partnerships for Education, Youth Engagement and Sustainable Tourism

Fri 13 July 2018, 18:30-20:00

Trusteeship Council Chamber in the UN Conference Building

During the side event the UN SDG Action Campaign will join the panel jointly with one of our key partners, Paragon –a network of marketing research groups- who conducted a representative research using My World 2030 survey in Lebanon, Sri Lanka and Romania. The research aims at collecting citizen’s perception data on the status of SDG’s progress in these countries, with focus on the SDG that will be reviewed during this HLPF . The results and analysis will be presented at the event to assist decision-makers in SDG review activities and planning.

Side Event: Role of ODA for Sustaining Peace and SDGs

Fri 13 July 2018 , 4-6 pm

Venue : Conference room (2/F.) Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea (RoK) to the UN

Peace is one of the core values and principles in SDGs and it need to be translated into strategies and program on the ground. Official development assistance (ODA) is one of the important means of implementation and it need to be maximized for transformative impact. The Panel aims at developing nexus approach by linking ODA to peacebuilding and sustaining peace as a way to preventing violent conflicts which is a necessary precondition for full achievement of the SDGs, and proposals for the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) future role and strategies.

The UN SDG Action Campaign will be speaking at the panel and share its experience on how youth engagement and activation to advance the SDGs can contribute to creating a solid foundation for local peace and sustainable development.

Other highlights

Side event: The SDGs in Action – Working together for inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements

17 July, 1.40-3 pm
UN Headquarters, or webtv.un.org
Register before 12 July

Join the United Nations Sustainable Development Group in a discussion on how cities are accelerating SDG progress, tackling urban poverty, climate change & inequality.

Speakers:

Amina J Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General and UN Sustainable Development Group Chair
Achim Steiner, Vice Chair, UN Development Group, and Administrator, United Nations Development Programme – UNDP
Maimunah Sharif, Executive Director, UN Habitat
Jefferon T. Koijee, Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia
Emily Mohohlo, Slum Dwellers International

Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (11 July)

The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI), a partnership between several UN entities, was created in 2012 in the run-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20). With commitments from over 300 universities from around the world, HESI accounted for more than one-third of all the voluntary commitments that were launched at Rio+20. The initiative provides higher education institutions with a unique interface between higher education, science, and policy-making. More information: https://www.sdgbusinessforum.org/

SDG Media Zone (16 to 17 July)

The SDG Media Zone at HLPF will feature a diversity of speakers, including business, civil society and United Nations leaders and influencers, who will discuss a range of topics, including sustainable fashion, biodiversity, data and technology, and clean energy. More information: http://www.un.org/sdgmediazone/

Ministerial Segment of HLPF (16-18 July)

More than 80 Ministers are expected to attend the three-day Ministerial Segment, including to present their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). The 47 countries presenting VNRs are Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Benin, Bhutan, Cabo Verde, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, Ireland, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mali, Malta, Mexico, Namibia, Niger, Paraguay, Poland, Qatar, Republic of Congo, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, State of Palestine, Sudan, Switzerland, Togo, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, and Viet Nam. More information: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/vnrs/

Local and Regional Governments’ Forum (16 July)

At the first-ever Local and Regional Governments’ Forum, Mayors from the world’s major cities will come together to discuss the importance of localizing the 2030 Agenda. The forum is co-organized by the United Nations and its partners, including Local2030. More information: https://www.global-taskforce.org/high-level-political-forum

SDG Business Forum (18 July)

Co-hosted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), UN DESA and the UN Global Compact, and organized in collaboration with the Global Business Alliance (GBA) for 2030, the third SDG Business Forum will bring together leaders from businesses, governments, UN agencies, key international organizations, and civil society to discuss the private sector’s role in delivering the 2030 Agenda. More information: https://www.sdgbusinessforum.org/