The High-level Political Forum (HLPF) at UN headquarters in July 2019 completed the first four-year cycle of global reviews of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in September world leaders will meet for the first high-level SDG Summit under the General Assembly.
The July Forum reviewed some of the most challenging and transformative goals, including SDG 10 on reduced inequalities, SDG 13 on climate action, and SDG 16 on peaceful, just and inclusive societies. What progress has been made on these goals and what is the value of the global stock-taking exercise at HLPF?
Ahead of the SDG Summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged world leaders to come “not with beautiful speeches, but with concrete actions, plans and commitments to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change”. Can the SDG Summit spur such much-needed acceleration and a renewed commitment to these global agendas?
In this seminar, panelists who participated in different parts of this year’s HLPF process and/or were going to attend the September Summit reflected on global trends related to SDG 10, 13 and 16, the realisation of the ‘Leave No One Behind’ principle and expectations of the upcoming review of HLPF’s form and function.
