Welcome to the United Nations
The United Nations High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) met from 26 June to 8 July 2015. The theme of this third session -- the second under the auspices of ECOSOC – was “Strengthening integration, implementation and review – the HLPF after 2015”.
The forum met as the UN negotiations to elaborate the post-2015 development agenda are reaching their final stage. It advanced the discussion on the agenda’s implementation and review and reflected on how the HLPF could organize its work once it starts to review implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2016.
A key message of the meeting was that we must urgently get started on the implementation of the ambitious and transformative development agenda world leaders will adopt at the September Summit. “Early starters” explained how they are preparing for the SDGs. Participants discussed integrated planning and the policy implications of “Leaving no one behind”. They also debated how communication can accelerate implementation, how to mobilize business and civil society, and how to put finance and technology at the service of sustainable development – an issue also addressed in the Addis Ababa conference on financing for development. On reviewing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, the meeting concurred that reviews should be universal, voluntary, State-led, focus on exchanging experiences. It reaffirmed the central role of the HLPF, at the apex of a review architecture engaging regional organizations and many UN and other platforms. The HLPF is expected to conduct national reviews of implementation and thematic reviews of progress in specific areas starting from 2016.
Many ideas also emerged on how the HLPF could organize its work after 2016 and deliver on its mandates to review SDGs progress; promote implementation of the post-2015 development agenda and conferences on SIDS and other special situation countries; address new and emerging issues and strengthen the science policy interface.
The forum adopted the Ministerial Declaration. The highlights of the meeting will be reflected in a summary by the President of ECOSOC.
