Welcome to the United Nations
High-Level Political Forum 2020
Under the auspices of ECOSOC
7 - 16 July 2020 New YorkQ & A:
Q: What is sustainable development?
- Sustainable development seeks to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development calls for concerted efforts towards building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people and planet.
- Poverty eradication, changing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development.
- The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by world leaders in September 2015, is the plan of action for people, planet and prosperity and aims to transform our world. The 2030 Agenda addresses the integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development: the social, economic, and environmental, since a holistic and balanced approach that incorporates these three dimensions is essential for ending poverty, reducing inequalities and combatting climate change in order to achieve sustainable development.
- The 2030 Agenda applies to all countries and aims to improve people's lives and prosperity on a healthy planet, through partnership and peace. All countries, cities and multiple actors of the business sector and civil society are actively engaged in implementing the 2030 Agenda.
Q: What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
- Four years ago, member states adopted the 2030 Agenda, which contains the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- The SDGs - a core feature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - reflect a new understanding that development everywhere must integrate economic growth, social well-being and environmental protection.
- The SDGs offer the most practical and effective pathway to people's well-being and to address the causes of violent conflict, human rights abuses, climate change and environmental degradation.
Q: What is the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development?
- The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is a multi-stakeholder platform engaging 197 members states in the exchange of experiences in implementation of the SDGs, identifying gaps and lessons learned. It is also a forum for rallying further action and solutions to this end by all stakeholders.
- The HLPF seeks to enhance the integration of economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
- The HLPF also provides a platform for the creation of multi-stakeholder partnerships and the promotion of international cooperation as we advance towards achieving the Goals.
- It meets annually under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council for eight days, including a three-day ministerial segment and every four years at the level of Heads of State and Government under the auspices of the General Assembly for two days.
Q: Why is the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development important?
- The HLPF is the global forum for providing political leadership, guidance and recommendations on implementing the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs.
- The Forum provides an opportunity for countries, organizations of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, civil society and businesses to highlight the efforts they are taking to achieve the SDGs and helps translate the vision of the SDGs into reality by looking at what is working and what is not at global, regional, national and local levels.
- By serving as a global hub for governments, organizations of the United Nations and other international organizations and major groups and stakeholders to exchange ideas and best practices and review progress on the SDGs, the HLPF enables countries to accelerate progress toward achieving the goals.
Q: How will the SDGs be implemented?
- The successful implementation of the SDGs relies on countries' own sustainable development policies, plans and programmes, and are led by countries. Leaders agreed to develop ambitious responses to the 2030 Agenda.
- Governments also have the primary responsibility for follow-up and review, at the national, regional and global levels, in relation to the progress made in implementing the SDGs.
- Governments continue to develop national indicators to assist in monitoring progress made on the goals and targets, taking into account the global indicator framework.
- The mobilization of resources at both the domestic and international levels is essential to achieve the goals.
- o The follow-up and review process at the global level is undertaken by the HLPF and supported by an annual SDGs Progress Report that is prepared by the United Nations Secretary- General and quadrennial Global Sustainable Development Report prepared by a group of independent scientists.
Q: In the four years since the SDGs were adopted, what actions has the international community taken to achieve the Goals?
- Many governments from both developed and developing countries have aligned the SDGs with national policies and strategies, conducting seminars, conferences and campaigns to raise awareness and catalyze action among local governments, civil society, businesses, academia, media and other groups. Many have prepared a roadmap of implementation.
- Many local governments are engaging in SDG implementation.
- Also, many businesses have integrated the SDGs into their companies' practices and invested in new technology.
- Civil society organizations continue to build momentum, developing initiatives at the local level.
Q: Has there been progress in achieving the SDGS?
- Globally, from 2000 to 2016, the under-five mortality rate dropped 47 per cent, and the total number of under-five deaths dropped from 9.9 million to 5.6 million.
- Since 2000, the maternal mortality ratio in sub-Saharan Africa has been reduced by 35 per cent and the under-five mortality rate has dropped by 50 per cent.
- In Southern Asia, a girl's risk of marrying in childhood has declined by over 40 per cent.
- The absolute number of people living without electricity dipped below the symbolic threshold of one billion.
- In the least developed countries, the proportion of the population with access to electricity has more than doubled from 2000 to 2016.
Q: Where have there been setbacks?
- After a prolonged decline, world hunger appears to be on the rise again: the number of undernourished people rose from 777 million in 2015 to 815 million in 2016, mainly because of conflicts, drought and disasters linked to climate change.
- In 2017, economic losses attributed to disasters were estimated at over $300 billion, among the highest losses in past years, largely due to the costliest North Atlantic hurricane season on record. And the past 5-year average global temperature is the highest on record.
- While the extreme poverty rate in 2013 was a third of the 1990 value, there are pockets of the world where it stubbornly persists: 783 million people still lived below $1.90 (2011 PPP), with more than half living in sub-Saharan Africa and about one-third living in Southern Asia
- The world is not on a trajectory towards ending malaria by 2030 - In 2016, there were 216 million cases of malaria, compared to 210 million cases in 2013.
- More than half of all children and adolescents are not meeting minimum proficiencies in reading and mathematics.
- In 2015, 6 in 10 people lacked access to safely managed sanitation services.
Q: How does the HLPF guide progress on the SDGs?
- The HLPF allows for a participatory, transparent and integrated follow-up and review platform at the global level that will help countries to learn from one another and maximize and track progress in implementing the Goals to ensure that no one is left behind.
- At the HLPF, countries present the progress and obstacles they face in implementing the Goals at the national level in the form of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).
- The HLPF helps translate the vision of the Goals into reality by providing political leadership and recommendations and sharing experiences and lessons learned.
- The HLPF brings together Member States, organizations of the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, civil society, NGOs, the private sector and other stakeholders to discuss progress and review successes, exchange lessons learned and experience.
- The HLPF also creates an opportunity to showcase and develop multi-stakeholder partnerships around the SDGs.
Q: What was the focus of the 2020 HLPF?
- The 2020 HLPF, held between 7-16 July 2020, was the first HLPF after the SDG Summit in 2019. The theme for the 2020 HLPF and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”. (GA decision 74/508)
- The decade of action and delivery for sustainable development was launched by Heads of State and Government at the SDG Summit in September 2019 in order to step up progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and put the world on track to realize their targets by 2030. (General Assembly resolution 74/4)
- The 2020 HLPF took stock of where we stand on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on the SDGs. It reflected on how to respond to the pandemic in a way that puts us back on track to realize the 2030 Agenda and accelerate progress towards the SDGs for the coming ten years. It discussed international solidarity and multilateral action to realize the 2030 Agenda at this time of crises.
Q: Who attended the 2020 HLPF?
- Heads of Government, Ministers and other senior government officials, experts from different sectors and representatives of Permanent Missions to the UN in New York, from both developed and developing countries attended HLPF.
- Heads of Government, Ministers and other senior officials from 47 countries presented their review of their national efforts for implementing the SDGs.
- Civil society, the private sector, academia, local authorities and other stakeholders also attended and provided major inputs at the HLPF.
- Many members of parliaments also attended and contributed to the HLPF.
Q: What are Voluntary National Reviews, and how can they help achieve the 2030 Agenda?
- The Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) are a central element of the follow-up and review mechanisms of the 2030 Agenda at the global level to inform about national implementation. (See more on 2020 VNRs Q&A here)
- In 2016, 22 countries presented VNRs at the HLPF, followed by 43 countries in 2017, 47 countries in 2018, and 47 countries in 2019 HLPF.
- 47 countries carried out voluntary national reviews of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the 2020 HLPF from Friday, 10 July to Thursday, 16 July 2020.
- Guidelines for VNRs are intended to be flexible and allow for adaptation to national circumstances.
- All countries are encouraged to report on all SDGs - especially those identified as national priorities - and to use the voluntary guidelines for VNR reports to facilitate comparability and analysis.
Q: Why are VNRs significant?
- VNRs are voluntary and demonstrate the commitment of countries to mobilize efforts towards achieving the Goals.
- VNRs generate a process of reflection and consultation at the national level which builds understanding of progress, gaps and challenges and can improve policies, coordination and correlations.
- VNRs by countries at the HLPF provide the opportunity to learn from each other, mobilize support to overcome shared challenges, identify new and emerging issues and provide recommendations for implementing the Goals.
- The presentation of VNRs is a peer learning experience and can spur further action to implement the SDGs at the national level.
- Success in achieving the SDGs will help to address some of the most pressing global challenges, such as climate change, providing a better life for women and men and building a firm foundation for stability and peace in all societies, everywhere.
