The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is the central platform of the United Nations for reviewing the progress of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As part of the German delegation, SDSN Germany was on site, among other activities, with a side event.
Informal networking meeting at dinner with the German delegation in New York. ©SDSN Germany
The opening ceremony at the UN General Assembly Hall on 8 July delivered an important message: „We can only achieve the SDGs by working together and taking bold actions and solutions!“ In the evening, the German delegation, which was again large and diverse this year, met for an informal networking dinner organised by SDSN Germany.
In the first week of the conference, individual SDGs were reviewed, this year SDG 1, 2, 13, 16, and 17. At the end of the week, 37 countries presented their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) on their implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In addition to the official programme, there were VNR Labs, side events, and special events on sustainable development organised by multi-stakeholder partners. These offered platforms for networking, exchange, and joint learning. In total, almost 1,000 people from all over the world took part.
Team from the SDSN Germany office at the UN General Assembly Hall: Dr Axel Berger, Tabea Waltenberg, Sarah Löpelt. ©SDSN Germany
Planned activities of SDSN Germany included a side event and an online briefing on 15 July. The side event was organised by SDSN Germany, the Science Platform Sustainability 2030 (wpn2030) and CEPEI on peer learning and capacity building for integrated governance of national sustainability strategies. At the online briefing „Global Sustainability Diplomacy in Times of Crisis“, participants reported (mostly) live from New York on the status of the discussions. The reporting was carried out in cooperation with the Global Policy Forum, the Forum on Environment and Development, and the German United Nations Association (DGVN). SDSN Germany also organised an expert discussion on linking the 2030 Agenda and the HLPF with international negotiation processes and forums, such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the G20, and presented the network’s current work at the official German side event.
More information on the HLPF events can be found on the website of SDSN German: https://www.sdsngermany.de/veranstaltungen/.
