The High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development began its 2016 annual session on Monday, 11 July, with a focus on its role as a central global platform for ensuring the world would meet its most critical development objectives.

Calling the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development a global blueprint for action to end poverty and build an inclusive, sustainable and prosperous world, Oh Joon, President of the Economic and Social Council, said the Forum would provide an opportunity to explore ways to achieve the Agenda’s overarching objective of leaving “no one behind”. Focus would be placed on how to enhance national ownership around the Sustainable Development Goals and how to mainstream them into development plans, while addressing challenges in mobilizing the means of implementation, he continued.

Scheduled to continue through 20 July, the Forum would also allow for an assessment of progress for ensuring that the 2030 Agenda delivered for countries in special situations and those facing specific challenges, Mr. Oh reported, pointing to the particular needs of small island and landlocked developing States, least developed and middle-income countries and those in conflict and post-conflict situations.

The Forum would play a central role in the long-term success of the 2030 Agenda, he said. National reviews would be presented, including challenges and gaps encountered by the 22 volunteering countries from all regions of the world, representing varying development levels. Exchanging country experiences and best practices not only benefited individual Member States, but also the long-term implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In an effort to go beyond business-as-usual approaches, countries had been encouraged to employ various ways to structure their national reviews, based on their own views and preferences and to share lessons learned. Building on the path of inclusiveness and transparency, major groups and other stakeholders would be engaged in the discussions and their contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda would be considered, he said.

Delivering opening remarks, Wu Hongbo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said the Forum had a clear mandate to provide for robust, voluntary, effective, participatory, transparent and integrated review and follow-up of the future development agenda. Work was just beginning, he noted, expressing his commitment to stand beside Member States “every step of the way”.

Interlinkages and coordination in action were crucial, he said. The 2030 Agenda was an “action plan for people, planet, peace and prosperity” to be implemented through a global partnership. While countries’ circumstances varied, many were taking action to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, mindful of those interlinkages and the need for coherence in national action. Underscoring the importance of monitoring, from which countries were drawing important lessons, he also stressed the need for all stakeholders to play a role. International development cooperation was shaping up to respond to the transformative 2030 Agenda.

Across the global landscape, there were rising tensions and economic uncertainties, the degradation of ecosystems and increasing consequences of climate change. “We must tackle these challenges together,” he stressed, noting that global well-being should be assessed based on the state of the world’s most vulnerable.

The Forum heard from experts during four panel discussions on the following themes: “Where do we stand at year one?”, “Envisioning an inclusive world in 2030”; “Lifting people out of poverty and addressing basic needs”; and “Fostering economic growth, prosperity, and sustainability”.

Presenting the Secretary-General’s first report on the Sustainable Development Goals, Mr. Wu described the 2030 Agenda as a pact for present and future generations that embodied a promise to set the world on a different, sustainable path. That report provided the first account of the current global situation relative to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and was based on the proposed global indicator framework, he said, adding that it offered an overview of the significant progress that had been made in many areas while also presenting a comprehensive picture of the many challenges that remained in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

The 2030 Agenda, he said, recognized that eradicating extreme poverty was a global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. From 2002 to 2012, the proportion of the world’s population living below the extreme poverty line dropped by half, to 13 per cent from 26 per cent. While significant progress had been made, there was a need for bolder actions to be taken to eliminate poverty entirely. Although progress was undeniable in the fight against hunger, there were still nearly 800 million people worldwide that suffered from hunger. The achievements made in reducing the preventable deaths of women and children worldwide were also notable. From 2000 to 2015, the global maternal mortality ratio declined by 37 per cent, while the mortality rate of children under age five fell by 44 per cent. Universal primary education still had not been achieved, he noted, also highlighting the persistent difficulties associated with child and early marriage.

Women’s participation in parliaments worldwide was on the rise, although gender equality still posed a challenge for many countries, he said. Meanwhile, many people were suffering from the effects of weak institutions and a lack of access to justice, information and other fundamental freedoms, including birth registration. Reaching the world’s sustainable development objectives would require a revitalized and enhanced global partnership that brought together all stakeholders and mobilized all available resources, including commitments made through the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development, he said.

2030 Agenda requires collective, cross-sector approach, speakers urge as High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development continues

Meeting the broad goals laid out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development would require collaboration and commitment across all relevant sectors, speakers said as the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development continued into its second day.

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals would require a comprehensive, interlinked approach, participants stressed. Under the Forum’s theme of “Ensuring that no one is left behind”, panel discussions were held on “Food security and sustainable agriculture, climate action, sustainable oceans and terrestrial ecosystems: Adopting a nexus approach”, “Creating peaceful and more inclusive societies and empowering women and girls” and “Science-policy interface: New ideas, insights and solutions”.

Together, panel participants highlighted the inextricable nexus between the various elements of sustainable development. Addressing such wide-ranging issues as hunger, climate change, gender inequality and education, among others, would be critical to the overall success of the future development agenda, underscored representatives of Governments, intergovernmental organizations and civil society, many of whom warned against the risks of working in silos.

Indeed, if no one was to be left behind in 2030, the notion of inclusiveness could not be treated as an afterthought, emphasized Wu Hongbo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, as he presented the 2016 Global Sustainable Development Report.

During the day, panellists pointed out areas that needed critical attention and action. If world leaders were to fulfil their development commitments, hunger must be tackled as a critical priority, said Deborah Fulton, Secretary of the Committee on World Food Security, pointing to the more than 790 million food insecure people worldwide. Poverty, weather impacts, unstable markets, unemployment, protracted crises and political instability all contributed to hunger, profoundly affecting the most vulnerable, she continued.

Echoing that point, Evelyn Nguleka, Secretary-General of the World Farmers’ Organization, said it was a shocking irony that many of the millions of people around the world who went to bed hungry were farmers. “Something is going wrong,” she went on to say, noting that farmers were being forced to produce more food with less support, despite the fact that the population was growing.

Other speakers brought up obstacles that only exacerbated such pressing challenges. Climate change increased both the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, compromising food security, underscored Omoyemen Lucia Odigie-Emmanuel, President of the Centre for Human Rights and Climate Change Research. Emphasizing the linkages between climate change and the 2030 Agenda, she said “we must make these Goals work for people.”

Gender equality and women’s empowerment were at the heart of many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, recalled Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women). Elements that were critical to the achievement of the Development Goals were ensuring women’s economic empowerment, universal access to sexual and reproductive health, redistribution of unpaid care work, equitable participation in political leadership and ending all forms of discrimination, violence and harmful practices. Meeting those aspirations would require the active engagement of all stakeholders – Governments, civil society, women’s movements, youth, indigenous peoples, faith-based organizations and the private sector, she said.

» Download the Secretary-General’s January 2016 report: Critical milestones towards coherent, efficient and inclusive follow-up and review at the global level