Welcome to the United Nations
The theme for the 2023 United Nations high-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF) and ECOSOC is “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels”.
The international situation has greatly changed since 2015 when the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted and since 2020 when the theme of the HLPF was decided. Progress towards most of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is off track. The world is grappling with severe financial, energy, food and humanitarian crises triggered by the geopolitical tension. These compound the continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the long-standing climate emergency, against the backdrop of a worsening macro-economic situation in many countries.
The 2023 HLPF will assess comprehensively the impacts of these interlinked crises on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and on all the SDGs. Participants will discuss policies and transformations needed to overcome the crises, make up the lost ground on the SDGs and shift the world on to a path to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The discussions will be guided by the continuing strong commitment to realizing the 2030 Agenda and reinforce international solidarity.
At the same time, the forum will place particular emphasis on trends and policies related to 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 and their linkages to other Goals.
With 2023 marking the mid-point of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, the July 2023 HLPF and its preparations will make a key contribution to prepare for the SDG Summit to be held in September 2023 during the high-level week of the General Assembly. The Summit (which is the HLPF convened under the auspices of the General Assembly) will see Heads of State and Government to review the overall implementation of the 2030 Agenda since 2015 and provide political guidance and recommendations.
The July HLPF will thus be a pre-Summit event aiming to convene the Ministers from all sectors related to the SDGs, including planning, finance, trade, and the economy to seek the momentum and prepare from all aspects for the SDG Summit. The major groups and other stakeholders (MGoS) are also expected to participate in this all-out effort.
The 2023 HLPF will draw from the experience of the 39 countries conducting Voluntary National Reviews and the European Union’s voluntary review. It will also hear from other countries and participants about the lessons they have learned on pursuing the 2030 Agenda in these difficult times.
Provisional agenda and documentation (E/HLPF/2023/1)
The HLPF will be informed by the Report of the Secretary-General (special edition) on “Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Towards a Rescue Plan for People and Planet”. It will also discuss the transformative policy recommendations of the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR). The forum will also benefit from other important reports, as well as inputs from the functional commissions of ECOSOC and other intergovernmental bodies and forums.
Chair:
- H.E. Ms. Lachezara Stoeva, President of the Economic and Social Council
Opening remarks:
- H.E. Ms. Lachezara Stoeva, President of the Economic and Social Council
Keynote and remarks:
- Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations (Main messages from the Voluntary National Reviews)
- H.E. Mr. Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir, Vice President of ECOSOC (Indonesia) (Messages from the ECOSOC system)
- Mr. Edward Ndopu, SDG Advocate, youth representative
