What happened so far?
1.High Level Political Forum – New York- 8-19 July 2023
Convening at the halfway point between the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 2030 deadline, the July session of the 2023 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) sought to build momentum for the SDG Summit in September.
- Reviewed five SDGs – SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals);
- Featured 130+ speakers, including experts, high-level government officials, and 20 youth speakers;
- Gathered 800+ representatives from major groups and non-governmental organizations (NGO);
- Included 204 in-person and virtual side events, 21 exhibitions, and twelve high-level special events; and
- Conducted 16 VNR Labs and heard from 38 countries that presented their voluntary national reviews (VNRs), as well as the EU, which presented the first supranational review.
Participants discussed possible responses to accelerate implementation of the Goals that underwent in-depth review this year. The ENB summary report of the meeting highlights that:[1]
- SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) is “alarmingly off-track”;
- While achieving SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) by 2030 poses “an unprecedented challenge,” the Goal is still achievable with scaled-up ambition and the right policies;
- “There is hope” for SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), with progress on some targets such as mobile network access, but the pace of implementation on others needs to quicken, and more support for innovation and infrastructure in least developed countries (LDCs) is needed;
- Challenges to achieving SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) include a growing urban divide, inadequate housing, and limited access to public transport; and
- While there have been advances in some areas of SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals), such as development aid, remittance flows, and access to technology, funding for development remains a major challenge, particularly in low-income countries.
While delegates acknowledged that only 12% of the SDG targets are on track, according to the ENB analysis of HLPF 2023, the Philippines Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs captured the mood best when he said: “We have not failed. The deadline is still ahead of us.”
Thirty-eight countries presented their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) during HLPF 2023. Saint Kitts and Nevis presented its first VNR. Chile presented its third. Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, the Central African Republic (CAR), Comoros, Croatia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the EU, Fiji, France, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Syria, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, and Zambia presented their second VNRs. The EU presented the first-ever supranational review. These sessions, ENB notes “facilitated the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.”
HLPF 2023 also included sessions on the implementation challenges faced by different groups of countries, including small island developing States (SIDS), Africa, LDCs, landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and, for the first time, middle-income countries (MICs). According to ENB, MICs “are not considered poor enough to receive concessional financing yet face significant difficulties in raising capital for SDG implementation initiatives.” In addition, a session convened on how to “localize” the implementation of the SDGs. Perspectives of Major Groups and other Stakeholders (MGoS) also received attention.
HLPF 2023 convened under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at UN Headquarters in New York, US, from 10-14 and from 17-20 July. Thirteen special events convened during the Forum:
Sixteen VNR Labs and several hundred side events and exhibitions also took place. More than 120 ministers and vice-ministers, as well as other representatives from governments, intergovernmental organizations, and civil society attended HLPF 2023. [ENB Coverage of HLPF 2023] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story about HLPF Week One] [SDG Knowledge Hub’s HLPF 2023 Curtain Raiser]
CSOs Review on HLPF
The CSOs remarked on the HLPF 2023 “worked in the shadow of the SDG Summit,” revealing the need to rethink the logic of having two HLPFs in the same year.
HLPF’s focus on local action but “a clear contradiction exists between discussions and facts” as no voluntary local reviews (VLRs) were presented. HLPF “continues to leave regional forums behind,” wishing for more space to discuss regional progress.
Further highlights on HLPF:
- lost a unique opportunity to go further on integration and policy coherence;
- failed to make the linkages between SDG implementation and monitoring, and human rights and peace; and
- should work to provide more concrete, action-oriented solutions to help countries and stakeholders accelerate the SDGs amid multiple crises.
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[1] http://sdg.iisd.org/news/hlpf-2023-builds-momentum-towards-sdg-summit/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=SDG%20Update%20-%2027%20July%202023&utm_content=SDG%20Update%20-%2027%20July%202023+CID_a55e5a160f22ee93ec9163006cd56875&utm_source=cm&utm_term=Read
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| 2.Major Group and other Stakeholders Event, July 14, 2023 |
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We had a very successful main event “Perspectives from major groups and other stakeholders at the mid-point of the SDGs: Towards inclusive transformation”, where we discussed the impacts of COVID-19, the priority areas and transformative actions as well as well as the policies to overcome crises’ impacts and resume SDG progress. The session was very good in terms of participation, since the room was full, including active participation from governments, who also echoed the sentiments of the MGOS, many of which echoed the importance of civil society. The different voices of the regions were a great idea and we note that it was very good to have the participation of the Special Rapporteur of the Right of the Development.
3. Voluntary National Reviews
The VNR sessions were spread over a number of days this time, starting on Friday 14th July and extending through Monday 17th to Wednesday 19th. There were 39 reports this year as Syria withdrew from the VNR presentation but within the 39 there was also a report from the European Union, the first time that there has been a 'regional' level Voluntary Review.
A speaker from the MGOS was called for every VNR but there was a move to only 'in person' presentations so some speakers were adjusted to those who were present in New York. There was a very good balance of speakers from different regions, age and different stakeholder groups, there were 23 female speakers and 16 male speakers. The speakers were briefed by the MGOS VNR Task Group in regular evening and morning sessions. Many member states did take the time to respond to the questions raised by MGOS in the main sessions and there were several follow up discussions with a number of government representatives on how to continue the momentum back at country level. The final statements and questions are being shared on the MGO website and will also be submitted to UN DESA for inclusion on the official HLPF website. |
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4.ADA at HLPF
ADA was invited to speak during the VNR lab organised by the govt of Timor Leste and the UNDP apart from coordinating with global and regional partners. Apart from presenting the CSO collective statement on regional realities for Asia-Pacific ( representing Asia Pacific Regional CSO Mechanism) we coordinated the VNR CSO Statement as part of VNR Task group of Major Group and Other Stakeholders ( MGOS). ADA members from Mongolia, Vietnam , Cambodia , Thailand , Singapore Uzbekistan also presented CSO statements in response to their respective VNRs and also in other side events . ADA was also invited to be the only CSO speaker representing Forus international during the OECD side event apart from actively participating with the members during the weekend Civil society workshops and other side events #HLPF2023 #LeaveNoOneBehind #Agenda2030 |
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SDG 16 Plus is an extension of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aims to promote peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. Reviewing the VNR from SDG 16 Plus lenses provides a holistic approach that looks beyond the traditional indicators and targets of the SDGs and considers issues such as governance, access to justice, human rights, and civic participation.
The side-event aimed at providing a comprehensive diagnosis of the status, identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement in promoting peaceful, just, and inclusive societies and to identify areas where more resources, policies, or actions are needed to achieve progress towards these targets by looking at the trends and challenges to SDGs through international comparative data and monitoring reports by research institutions and CSOs such as Voluntary National Review (VNR) Report, Sustainable Development Solution Network (SDSN), People’s Scorecard(PSC), etc.
Meeting with the ES - UNESCAP
Civil 20 India Summit -29-31 July, 2023, Jaipur, India
The Steering Committee and International advisory Committee Meeting, July 29- Jaipur |
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| ADA represented as one of the international advisory committee member of C20 India and made strong voices on the issues of SDG 16 Plus and promoting civic space by proposing this theme to the C20 secretariat which became one of the working groups of C20 India . This is historic as this working group has been established first time in the history of C20. Apart from this ADA also organised a side event with Disability , Equity and Justice working group on Day 2 of the summit and shared the perspective on inclusion and promoting civic space in policy making and agenda 2030 of SDGs. |
| ADA represented as one of the international advisory committee member of C20 India and made strong voices on the issues of SDG 16 Plus and promoting civic space by proposing this theme to the C20 secretariat which became one of the working groups of C20 India . This is historic as this working group has been established first time in the history of C20. Apart from this ADA also organised a side event with Disability , Equity and Justice working group on Day 2 of the summit and shared the perspective on inclusion and promoting civic space in policy making and agenda 2030 of SDGs. |
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Civil20 – Suggestions and Recommendations on SDG 16 Plus and Promoting Civic Space by ADA
Civil 20 – ADA White Paper on SDG 16 Plus and Promoting Civic Space
Civil 20 - ADA Policy paper on SDG 16 Plus and Promoting Civic Space in C20 Official Policy Brief
Interesting Reads
New Forus Report: “Sustainable Development by Shifting the Power”The report co-created by 14 Forus members from different regions and contexts, calls for transformative changes in the international development sector, with a focus on power dynamics, localization, and decolonization. It highlights the crucial role of civil society organizations in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and stresses the importance of capacity strengthening initiatives that are driven by the needs and priorities of CSOs themselves. The report also provides recommendations to relevant stakeholders and reaffirms the commitment to support CSO capacity strengthening and foster inclusive practices.
Read the "Halfway to 2030 Report on SDG16+" by TAP Network - Transparency, Accountability & Participation. This report reflects inputs from numerous civil society, UN, and government stakeholders, highlighting the troublingly slow, uneven, and often backsliding progress towards #SDG16+. |
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On 18-19 September 2023, world leaders will gather at the SDG Summit in New York for the mid-point review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the implementation of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Summit is expected to adopt a political declaration that will provide a road map for putting the world back on track to achieve the SDGs by their 2030 deadline. The Summit will be informed by the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report prepared by an independent group of scientists and the 2023 Special Edition of the SDG Progress Report by the Secretary-General. More information about the 2023 SDG Summit is available on the website at: hlpf.un.org/sdg-summit.
An interview we would like to share with you!
Article 28: the UN SDGs and UDHR. The host for this show is Joshua Cooper. The guest is Jyotsna Mohan. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides power of ideas to initiate change in the world. The UDHR outlines the opportunities for a new direction rooted in inherent dignity and inalienable rights for dynamic sustainability and solidarity. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals reinforces original rights in the UDHR and provides opportunity for a social and international order. The UDHR calls for a coalition of conscience centered around trust and transformation while honoring values, voice and vision. On the 75th anniversary, it's important to reflect on the role of human rights in world affairs. It is also the halfway point for the UN 2030 Agenda with the 17 Global Goals. The UN High Level Political Forum is the annual gathering of NGOs from around the world to influence the international institution of the UN and make an impact of Global Goals on the ground. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is  • Cooper UNion
https://youtu.be/vK02TgHU1VI
Upcoming events
The Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) is an annual, inclusive intergovernmental forum to support follow-up and review of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level.
This regional platform aims to inform, empower, and support Asia-Pacific countries (especially least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States) in their efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their targets set out by the 2030 Agenda by identifying regional trends and sharing best practices and lessons learned. The Forum convenes United Nations system bodies, member States, international organisations, civil society, and other stakeholders whose reflections feed into and inform the 2024 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, which reviews sustainable development progress at the global level.
The 11th?APFSD will be organized from?20-23 February?under the theme: “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions in Asia and the Pacific”?at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand.
In alignment with the focus of the 2024 HLPF, the Forum will assess progress on the SDGs under review: Goal 1 (No poverty); Goal 2 (Zero hunger); Goal 13 (Climate action); Goal 16 (Peace, justice, and strong institutions) and Goal 17 (Partnership for the Goals). The Forum will also support the presentation of voluntary national reviews (VNRs) at the 2024 HLPF.
Link to register - https://www.unescap.org/events/apfsd11
More on news!
1.SDG Summit programme
In his letter of 17 July, the President of the General Assembly shared with Member States the programme of the SDG Summit.
The opening of the Summit will feature statements by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The political declaration will be adopted during the opening.
Immediately following the opening, a setting-the-stage segment will take place with the participation of stakeholders, including the SDG Advocates, Independent Group of Scientists for the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), international financial institutions, as well as youth, civil society and private sector representatives. This segment will highlight what has been achieved, where we are lagging behind and what needs to be done to restore credibility to the promise of a sustainable transformation.
The opening will be followed by a short plenary segment for group statements to hear the actions and commitments delivered on behalf of groups of States.
Following the plenary, six Leaders' Dialogues will be held to allow Heads of State and Government to set out concrete national commitments to SDG transformation. Each Leaders' Dialogue will be co-moderated by two States at the level of Head of State and Government. Participating States will intervene on the specific theme of the Leaders' Dialogue to share their concrete new commitments in the field of sustainability.
The dialogues will also feature interventions from selected representatives of the UN system, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, civil society and academia. Commitments and recommendations will be summarized and reported back during the closing segment.
Information about how to participate in the SDG Summit will be made available on the website shortly. Please note that participation will be limited due to heightened security arrangements that will be in place during the high-level week of the General Assembly.
2.Negotiations on the SDG Summit political declaration
The process for the SDG Summit political declaration continues. The negotiations entered a near-final phase when the Co-Facilitators (the Permanent Representatives of Ireland and Qatar) circulated the draft declaration to delegations on 21 July, and the President of the General Assembly, in his cover letter, requested Member States to consider this final draft document with a focus on reaching compromise and consensus.
The text stresses that the achievement of the SDGs is in peril and commits to bold, ambitious, accelerated, just and transformative actions. The text is substantially longer than the 2019 declaration, with a comprehensive Call to Action section of six pages. It expresses deep concern by the marked increase of the estimated SDG financing gap and breaks new ground in the prominence given to financing issues. Also new is a reference to realizing the benefits and addressing the challenges of artificial intelligence. In addition, the document commits to fully support the UN development system and looks forward to the Summit of the Future in 2024 and to the proposed world social summit in 2025.
The informal consultations, which began with an opening meeting in February, concluded with closed meetings on 5 and 7 July. The consultations took place over eight meetings, with the participation of civil society during the open meetings, thus building on the precedent from the process for the 2019 political declaration. Member States and the Co-Facilitators had before them the special edition of the SDG Progress Report, the GSDR, a compilation of inputs from the ECOSOC subsidiary bodies and UN entities, and views compiled from the major groups and other stakeholders.
The Co-Facilitators intend to consult further with Member States towards the end of August on the few sensitive area remaining, with a view to resolving all outstanding issues.
3.SDG Action Weekend
To generate additional opportunities for all actors at the SDG Summit, the United Nations will be convening an SDG Action Weekend at UN Headquarters on 16 and 17 September 2023. The SDG Action Weekend will consist of an SDG Mobilization Day (16 September) and an SDG Acceleration Day (17 September). A limited number of side events will be held on both days. All information about the SDG Action Weekend, including an open call for side events, can be found here.
4.High-impact initiatives
The UN system is mobilizing all relevant stakeholders around 12 high-impact initiatives as a contribution to the objectives of the SDG Summit and the call for accelerated and transformative action to achieve the SDGs by 2030. The initiatives are designed to generate targeted commitments and strengthened partnerships to support national-level implementation across six key sustainable development transitions (energy, education, food systems, social protection and jobs, digitalization, natural environment), five enablers (finance, trade, data, governance, localization) and the cross-cutting priority of gender equality.
The 12 high-impact initiatives will be the core area of focus during the acceleration-focused sessions on day two of the SDG Action Weekend, on 17 September. The day will profile a set of illustrative examples of countries or contexts where significant progress is being made, as well as coalitions of governments and stakeholders who commit to specific and tangible actions to scale the initiatives according to national priorities. Each high-impact initiative will feature in a 90-minute session to showcase commitments and map next steps. Follow-up to implementation and commitments made will be ongoing in the years ahead.
Member States and stakeholders interested to learn more on how participation across these initiatives may support their own priorities are encouraged to reach out directly to lead entities through the focal points as noted online at un.org/en/sdg-summit-2023/page/transformative-action. Member States can also indicate their preference in co-leading any of the high-impact initiatives, so that they become the champions for effective follow-up.
5.SDG Summit Acceleration and Accountability Platform
Member States, the UN system and all stakeholders are called to deliver a “Rescue Plan for People and Planet” at the Summit, including by announcing commitments and initiatives that will help drive SDG transformation for inclusion and sustainability in the years ahead.
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has launched the SDG Summit Acceleration and Accountability Platform, which is open for registration of initiatives, actions, policies and commitments aimed at accelerating progress towards the SDGs and delivering the breakthroughs we need to transform our world by 2030.
• Stakeholders are invited to register their commitments here: sdgs.un.org/SDGSummitActions/AccelerationActions
• Governments are invited to register their commitments here: sdgs.un.org/SDGSummitActions/National
6.Global Sustainable Development Report
The Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) was mandated by UN Member States to be written quadrennially by an independent group of 15 scientists from the social and natural sciences appointed by the Secretary-General to inform the SDG Summit review of progress on the 2030 Agenda. The GSDR, envisioned as an “assessment of assessments,” brings together the latest scholarship on sustainable development from a wide range of sources and disciplines.
The 2023 GSDR will be officially launched in New York in September 2023. An advance unedited version has been available since March 2023 to support Member States in their negotiations of the SDG Summit political declaration.
On 17 July during the HLPF ministerial opening, a GSDR fireside chat with co-chairs of the independent group of scientists Ms. Imme Scholz (Germany) and Mr. Jaime Miranda (Peru), allowed for a sneak peak of the report’s key messages. The 2023 GSDR builds on the 2019 GSDR and addresses essential transformations within six systems covering many SDGs or “entry points” – human wellbeing and capabilities, sustainable and just economies, food systems and healthy nutrition, energy decarbonization with universal access, urban and peri-urban development, and the global environmental commons.
The 2023 GSDR includes new evidence about how SDGs are interlinked in these entry points, noting that transformations will have different contours depending on the country and region. Both the 2019 and 2023 GSDRs identify “levers”, or tools, and approaches that will drive transformation – governance, economy and finance, science and technology, individual and collective action, and (in the 2023 report) capacity building. The 2023 GSDR explores how these levers can be applied in novel ways to steer transformations through three phases: emergence, acceleration and stabilization along an “S-curve”.
The 2023 GSDR’s call to action elaborates five key interventions:
• Establish an SDG Transformation Framework for Accelerated Action by 2024
• Build capacity for transformation
• Push transformation by activating synergies in six entry points
• Improve critical underlying conditions for SDG implementation
• Transform science for sustainable development.
7.Outcomes of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
The High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, under the auspices of ECOSOC, was convened on 10-19 July 2023.
Over 100 countries were joined by businesses, civil society organizations, youth and other stakeholders during the eight days of the Forum to share successes, experiences and lessons learnt on the SDGs. The Forum stressed the critical need for bold and transformative action at all levels to accelerate SDG implementation and achievement.
The HLPF, which was also a pre-event for the SDG Summit in September, included a general debate on the theme “Building momentum towards the SDG Summit”. Member States gave their views and perspectives on the Summit and what it needs to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The HLPF reviewed this year the specific SDGs related to sustainable energy, clean water, infrastructure and innovation, sustainable cities and partnerships. The thematic sessions saw a total of 134 speakers, including experts and high-level government officials. 38 countries and the European Union presented their voluntary national reviews (VNRs) at the Forum, demonstrating the actions they are taking to achieve the SDGs.
20 youth speakers participated across all sessions. Additionally, more than 800 representatives of the major groups and other stakeholders and ECOSOC-accredited NGOs joined the event and contributed to the interactive dialogues on the theme, SDGs under review, preparations for the SDG Summit and VNRs.
Other events organized during the HLPF included 12 high-level special events, 204 side events (141 in-person, 63 virtual), 16 VNR Labs and 19 exhibitions on site.
The President of ECOSOC will issue a President’s summary of the HLPF, which will be made available in the coming days. |
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