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The Global Sustainable Development Report 2023
The GSDR 2023 highlights key transformations needed in different sectors and provides key findings from the literature, practical examples and tools for progress towards the SDGs. It provides a stylized model to help unpack and understand the transformation process over time and outline the roles of different levers in facilitating various stages of transformation through a systematic and structured approach. As history has shown, transformations are inevitable, and this report emphasizes that deliberate and desirable transformations are possible - and, indeed, necessary.
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The Global Sustainable Development Report 2023

"Times of Crisis, Times of Change: Science for Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Development", the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), finds that at this critical juncture, midway to 2030, incremental and fragmented change is insufficient to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the remaining seven years. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires the active mobilization of political leadership and ambition for science-based transformations. This must be achieved globally - leaving no country, society or person behind. The report is an invitation to embrace transformations with the urgency needed to accelerate progress towards the SDGs.

Background

The Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) originated in “The Future We Want,” the outcome of the Rio+20 conference on sustainable development, when Member States were laying the groundwork for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 associated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The negotiators knew that the 2030 Agenda would be complex, and unprecedented in ambition, and that a siloed approach to development would not be adequate. They recognized the power of science to understand and navigate relationships among social, environmental and economic development objectives, and so they called for a report to strengthen the science-policy interface.

In 2016, Member States decided that the report should be produced once every four years, to inform the quadrennial SDG review deliberations (SDG Summit) at the General Assembly, and that it should be written by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the Secretary-General. They mandated that the Group would consist of 15 experts representing a variety of backgrounds, scientific disciplines and institutions, ensuring geographical and gender balance.

The 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report, The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development, was the first report prepared by an Independent Group of Scientists appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report, "Times of Crisis, Times of Change: Science for Accelerating Transformations to Sustainable Development", is the second.

Access the full report here or from the attached PDF

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Perspectives from major groups and other stakeholders at the mid-point of the SDGs: Towards inclusive transformation
How are the impacts of COVID-19 and other crises being felt by non-state actors? What are their priority areas and transformative actions? Are they being engaged in policies to overcome crises’ impacts and resume SDG progress?
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Perspectives from major groups and other stakeholders at the mid-point of the SDGs: Towards inclusive transformation

Friday, 14 July 2023 | 09:00 AM - 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

In-Person Official Meeting (not Virtual), Conference Room 4, UN HQ, New York

Major Groups and other stakeholders are an integral part of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs as enshrined in the UNGA resolution 67/290. They bring forth the voices, sentiments and aspirations of the people, often those who are most marginalized and left behind, and are experts, rights-holders and key actors in the implementation and achievement of the SDGs.

This session is organized and led by the MGoS Coordination Mechanism and aims to reflect the opinions and proposals about how to orient and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs at its mid-point. The session will bring two presentations from MGoS members about the systemic barriers and gaps in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and key recommendations. Also, the session will bring forth examples and recommendations from Regional Forums not just on accelerating but also unpacking the systemic barriers, fulfilling the gaps, and ensuring meaningful right holder’s engagement in the implementation of the SDGs and towards recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The session will put forward critical analysis of diverse stakeholders and non-state actors on the challenges and opportunities, as well as demanding a more sustainable, genuinely inclusive of all and a human rights-centric approach to development. The session also reiterates that the midpoint review of the SDGs is an opportunity to renew the commitments especially of governments and strengthen efforts to reach the goals and to undertake an honest assessment of not just the progress made but also how the SDGs have failed to deliver for many stakeholders, and which has been further compounded by the impact of the pandemic.

Proposed guiding questions:

  • What are peoples’ perspectives and aspirations, particularly from those that have been left behind, on the systemic challenges and priorities to achieve transformational change in the face of multiple and intersecting crises?
  • What are ways that civil society and community groups are stepping up to address gaps in implementation of the SDGs, and how can their actions be supported and enabled by development partners?
  • How can we restore faith and underpin human rights, equality and equity - particularly intergenerational equity - to advance sustainable development in multilateral global governance; repurpose the global economy and reform finance, aid and trade, as well as promote climate action to genuinely leave no one behind?
  • How can civic space at national and multilateral fora be expanded so that civil society can contribute more meaningfully to upcoming United Nations intergovernmental processes? How should we address the problem of threats against human rights defenders, and unlock the potential of civil society in contributing to just, equal, peaceful and sustainable societies?

Chair:

  • H.E. Ms. Lachezara Stoeva, President of ECOSOC

Keynote/Presentation:

  • Ms. Joan Carling, Executive Director, Indigenous Peoples Rights International
  • Ms. Paola Simonetti, International Trade Union Confederation

Interactive discussion

Moderator:

  • Ms. Rashima Kwatra, Co-chair of MGoS Coordination Mechanism, Senior International Advocacy Advisor, RFSL

Resource persons:

Regional perspectives on thematic issues:

  • Mr. Ali Jillani, Vice Chair, Karachi Research Chair (KRC), Asia Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism (Asia Pacific)
  • Mr. Kofi Kankam, President and Chief Executive Officer, Elizka Relief Foundation, Africa Regional Mechanism for Major Groups and other Stakeholders (Africa)
  • Mr. Bruno Ibarra, Representante de The Millennials Movement, Organización Punto Focal Adjunto Global Grupo de NNAyJ MeSLAC (LAC)
  • Ms. Marianne Haslegrave , Director, Commonwealth Medical Trust, Economic Commission for Europe Regional Civil Society Mechanism (ECE)

Respondents:

  • Mr. Surya Deva, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development

Interventions of Ministers and other participants (3 minutes each)

Documents:

Retrieved from hlpf.un.org/2023/programme/perspectives-from-major-groups-and-other-stakeholders-at-the-mid-point-of-the-sdgs

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Transformation from the ground up: Acting at local level
What transformations are being achieved at the local level to overcome crises and shift towards the full implementation of the SDGs in times of crises? How can they be supported?
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Transformation from the ground up: Acting at local level

Official In-Person (not Virtual) Meeting at the 2023 High-Level Political Forum

Tuesday, 11 July 2023 | 3 - 4:15 PM Eastern Standard Time | Conference Room 4, UN HQ, New York

Local action is a precondition for delivering the promise of the SDGs. According to some estimates, at least 105 of the 169 SDGs targets (62 per cent) will not be reached without proper engagement and coordination with local and regional governments. Moreover, collaboration and co-creation by all relevant local stakeholders can foster the sustainable solutions and accountability needed in each unique community. In recognition of the essential role of local governments and actors, when adopting the 2030 Agenda, Governments pledged to work closely on implementation with regional and local authorities and subregional institutions, among others. (A/RES/70/1, paragraph 45)

One of the clear signs of increased local level engagement in SDG implementation are the Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). Since 2018, VLRs have emerged as an innovative tool by and for cities. The number of VLRs, modelled after the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) by national governments, has since skyrocketed from a few spearheading cities to over 130 reviews and counting. The practice of carrying out VLRs is being taken up not only by capital and large cities but also smaller cities and districts, including in rural areas. Member States are also increasingly benefitting from VLRs in their national level reviews.

The present session will showcase successful local transformations and discuss what enabled them and will address how the lessons learned from these VLR processes can best be utilized to accelerate progress towards all 17 SDGs.

Proposed guiding questions:

  • What are examples of transformations being achieved at the local level, to overcome crises and shift towards the full implementation of the SDGs in times of crises? How can these be supported or replicated?
  • What is the role of local and regional governments in accelerating SDG progress?
  • What are some of the best ways for increasing stakeholder engagement in local SDG implementation? How can local government help to mobilize and facilitate those experiencing poverty or marginalization, to engage in the design and implementation of local action?
  • What are some of the key messages arising from the Voluntary Local Reviews? How can VLRs be used to catalyse global impacts?
  • How can the VLRs contribute to SDG‐based national planning and budgeting?

Chair:

  • H.E. Mr. Albert Ranganai Chimbindi, Vice President of ECOSOC (Zimbabwe)

Highlight:

  • Mr. Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (Recommendations on localisation of SDGs)

Interactive panel discussion

Moderator:

  • Ms. Lydia Capolicchio, Swedish journalist

Panelists:

  • Mr. Turan Hançerli, Mayor of Avcilar, Türkiye
  • Mr. Robert Papa, Chief of Staff for the government of Busia County, Kenya
  • Ms. Rosario Diaz Caravito, Founder of the Millennials Movement, Peru, youth speaker

Lead Discussants:

  • Mr. Bhakta Bishwakarma, General Secretary and founding member, Asia Dalit Rights Forum, Nepal (MGoS)

Interventions of other Ministers and participants (3 minutes each)

Retrieved from hlpf.un.org/2023/programme/transformation-from-the-ground-up-acting-at-local-level

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SDGs in focus: SDG 11 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Sustainable cities and communities
What can be learned from the experience of local governments in urban crisis response and working towards recovery? How can we leverage the pandemic recovery to leave no one and no place behind? What steps are being taken to promote managed density, regulate urban expansion, and reduce rural-urban land conversion? How can cities reduce carbon emissions and adapt to climate change? How can local governments and cities build their resilience?
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SDGs in focus: SDG 11 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Sustainable cities and communities

Thursday, 13 July 2023 | 10:10 AM - 1 PM Eastern Standard Time

Official In-Person (not Virtual) Meeting at the 2023 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in Conference Room 4, UN Headquarters, New York

The quality of urbanization is central to determining people’s quality of life in today’s urban world. At the individual level, people’s ability to pursue healthy, productive and peaceful lives is directly tied to where they live and what those spaces have to offer. Globally, the quality of urbanization to a large degree determines whether we achieve the SDGs. As the world’s population reached the 8-billion mark in November 2022, 55 percent of people lived in cities. By 2050, two out of every three people are likely to be living in cities or other urban centres, highlighting the need for more sustainable urban planning, enhanced service provision and mitigation of adverse environmental and climate impacts, among others.

Since SDG 11 was last reviewed in 2018, the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts and climate change have exacerbated many urban challenges. But the pandemic also brought many lessons learned and drastically changed our relationship with our streets, public spaces and public facilities. Innovation and the use of digital tools in many places enabled local governments and partners to design new policies and services that are more inclusive, agile, and scalable.

This session will explore lessons learned in navigating challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts and climate change, and assess what changes should be retained and amplified. The session will also discuss what are the high impact solutions in governance, digitalization, service provision and other policy spheres that could be scaled up to accelerate progress towards SDG 11.

Proposed guiding questions:

  • What can be learned from the experience of local governments in crisis response and working towards recovery and resilience? How can we ensure that we leave no one and no community behind?
  • How can cities and communities navigate the intersecting challenges of COVID-19, conflicts, climate change impacts, inequality and other challenges?
  • What steps are being taken to promote managed density, regulate urban expansion, and reduce rural-urban land conversion?
  • How can cities reduce carbon emissions and adapt to climate change? How can local municipalities and cities build resilience?
  • What are some high-impact solutions in effective governance, digitalization, service provision and other policy spheres that could be scaled up to accelerate progress towards SDG 11?

Chair:

  • H.E. Mr. Albert Ranganai Chimbindi, Vice President of ECOSOC (Zimbabwe)

Highlight:

  • Highlights of the report of the Secretary-General (special edition) on progress towards the SDGs – SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities Mr. Sokunpanha You, Statistics Division of UN DESA Interactive panel discussion Moderator:
  • Mr. Stefano Marta, Coordinator, Territorial Approach to SDGs, Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities of OECD

Panelists:

  • Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director of UN-Habitat
  • Ms. Debra Roberts, Head of the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit in eThekwini Municipality, Durban, South Africa, IPCC Co-Chair of Working Group II
  • Mr. António Vitorino, Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Coordinator of the UN Network on Migration
  • Ms. Maruxa Cardama, Secretary General, Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport (SLoCaT) Lead Discussants:
  • Mr. Marc Workman, CEO of World Blind Union
  • Mr. Paul Stout, content creator of TikTok account TalkingCities, USA, youth speaker Ministerial

Respondent:

  • H.E. Ms. Nikolina Brnjac, Minister for Tourism and Sport, Croatia

Interventions of other Ministers and participants (3 minutes each)

Retrieved from hlpf.un.org/2023/programme/sdgs-in-focus-sdg-11-and-interlinkages-with-other-sdgs-sustainable-cities-and

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2023 SDG Summit at the United Nations General Assembly
The 2023 SDG Summit will be convened on 18-19 September 2023, during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week and marks the mid-point of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Heads of State and Government will gather at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to follow-up and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . They will carry out a comprehensive review of the state of the SDGs, respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world, and provide high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to the target year of 2030 for achieving the SDGs. Learn more here: un.org/en/conferences/SDGSummit2023
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2023 SDG Summit at the United Nations General Assembly

The 2023 SDG Summit will be convened on 18-19 September 2023, during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week. Heads of State and Government will gather at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to follow-up and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . They will carry out a comprehensive review of the state of the SDGs, respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world, and provide high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to the target year of 2030 for achieving the SDGs.

The Summit will also bring together political and thought leaders from governments, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, women and youth and other stakeholders in a series of high-level meetings with the Heads of State and Government.

The 2023 SDG Summit marks the mid-point of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July 2022 under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council called for the Summit to “ mark the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals .”

The SDG Summit will be chaired by the President of the General Assembly. The outcome of the Summit will be a negotiated political declaration.

This will be the second SDG Summit – the HLPF under the auspices of the General Assembly – since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in September 2015.

The special edition of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Towards a Rescue Plan for People and Planet”, the Advance Unedited version has been released. Please read the Newsletter for the latest information.

Find more information here on the programme, documentation, registration, media, and more: un.org/en/conferences/SDGSummit2023

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High-Level Political Forum 2023

High-Level Political Forum 2023

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will be held in New York from Monday, 10 July, to Wednesday,

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19 July 2023, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. This includes the three-day ministerial segment of the forum from Monday, 17 July, to Wednesday, 19 July 2023 as part of the High-level Segment of the Council. The last day of the High-level Segment of ECOSOC will be on Thursday, 20 July 2023.

The theme will be " Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels ”.

In the forum, participants will be able to further discuss the effective and inclusive recovery measures to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and explore actionable policy guidance for the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs at all levels.

The HLPF in 2023, without prejudice to the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the SDGs, will also review in-depth Goals 6 on clean water and sanitation, 7 on affordable and clean energy, 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure, 11 on sustainable cities and communities, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals.

This includes special sessions on "Transformation from the ground up: Acting at local level" on 11 July and "SDGs in focus: SDG 11 and interlinkages with other SDGs –Sustainable cities and communities" on 13 July.

List of high-level and side events on SDG 11 and SDG localization:

In addition, 39 countries and territories will present their voluntary national reviews (VNRs) of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the forum: Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chile, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, European Union, France, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Maldives, Mongolia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, St Kitts & Nevis , Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, and Zambia. 

The HLPF in July will also support the mid-term review of the implementation of the SDGs and the preparations for the 2023 SDG Summit – the HLPF to be convened under the auspices of the General Assembly in September 2023.

Learn more here: hlpf.un.org/2023/programme

UN Web TV Live Stream Link: media.un.org/en/webtv

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Biodiversity - our strongest natural defense against climate change

The Earth’s land and the ocean serve as natural carbon sinks, absorbing large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Conserving and restoring natural spaces, and the biodiversity they contain, is essential for limiting emissions and adapting to climate impacts.

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Biodiversity - our strongest natural defense against climate change

Photocomposition: a butterfly on the tip of a branch, representing biodiversity

The Earth’s land and the ocean serve as natural carbon sinks, absorbing large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Conserving and restoring natural spaces, and the biodiversity they contain, is essential for limiting emissions and adapting to climate impacts.

Biological diversity — or biodiversity — is the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms, from genes and bacteria to entire ecosystems such as forests or coral reefs. The biodiversity we see today is the result of 4.5 billion years of evolution, increasingly influenced by humans.

Biodiversity forms the web of life that we depend on for so many things – food, water, medicine, a stable climate, economic growth, among others. Over half of global GDP is dependent on nature. More than 1 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods. And land and the ocean absorb more than half of all carbon emissions. 

But nature is in crisis. Up to one million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades. Irreplaceable ecosystems like parts of the Amazon rainforest are turning from carbon sinks into carbon sources due to deforestation. And 85 per cent of wetlands, such as salt marshes and mangrove swamps which absorb large amounts of carbon, have disappeared. 

How is climate change affecting biodiversity?

The main driver of biodiversity loss remains humans’ use of land – primarily for food production. Human activity has already altered over 70 per cent of all ice-free land. When land is converted for agriculture, some animal and plant species may lose their habitat and face extinction.  

But climate change is playing an increasingly important role in the decline of biodiversity. Climate change has altered marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems around the world. It has caused the loss of local species, increased diseases, and driven mass mortality of plants and animals, resulting in the first climate-driven extinctions.

On land, higher temperatures have forced animals and plants to move to higher elevations or higher latitudes, many moving towards the Earth’s poles, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems. The risk of species extinction increases with every degree of warming.

The Earth is feeling the heat.

In the ocean, rising temperatures increase the risk of irreversible loss of marine and coastal ecosystems. Live coral reefs, for instance, have nearly halved in the past 150 years, and further warming threatens to destroy almost all remaining reefs.

photocomposition: a turtle swimming in the ocean

photocomposition: a turtle swimming in the ocean

photocomposition: a turtle swimming in the ocean

Overall, climate change affects the health of ecosystems, influencing shifts in the distribution of plants, viruses, animals, and even human settlements. This can create increased opportunities for animals to spread diseases and for viruses to spill over to humans. Human health can also be affected by reduced ecosystem services, such as the loss of food, medicine and livelihoods provided by nature. 

Why is biodiversity essential for limiting climate change?

When human activities produce greenhouse gases, around half of the emissions remain in the atmosphere, while the other half is absorbed by the land and ocean. These ecosystems – and the biodiversity they contain – are natural carbon sinks, providing so-called nature-based solutions to climate change.

Protecting, managing, and restoring forests, for example, offers roughly two-thirds of the total mitigation potential of all nature-based solutions. Despite massive and ongoing losses, forests still cover more than 30 per cent of the planet’s land.

Peatlands – wetlands such as marshes and swamps – cover only 3 per cent of the world’s land, but they store twice as much carbon as all the forests. Preserving and restoring peatlands means keeping them wet so the carbon doesn’t oxidize and float off into the atmosphere. 

Ocean habitats such as seagrasses and mangroves can also sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at rates up to four times higher than terrestrial forests can. Their ability to capture and store carbon make mangroves highly valuable in the fight against climate change.

Conserving and restoring natural spaces, both on land and in the water, is essential for limiting carbon emissions and adapting to an already changing climate. About one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions needed in the next decade could be achieved by improving nature’s ability to absorb emissions. 

Is the UN tackling climate and biodiversity together?

Climate change and biodiversity loss (as well as pollution) are part of an interlinked triple planetary crisis the world is facing today. They need to be tackled together if we are to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a viable future on this planet.

The Earth is feeling the heat.

Governments deal with climate change and biodiversity through two different international agreements – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), both established at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

Similar to the historic Paris Agreement made in 2015 under the UNFCCC, parties to the Biodiversity Convention in December 2022 adopted an agreement for nature, known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which succeeds the Aichi Biodiversity Targets adopted in 2010.

The framework includes wide-ranging steps to tackle the causes of biodiversity loss worldwide, including climate change and pollution.

“An ambitious and effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework, with clear targets and benchmarks, can put nature and people back on track,” the UN Secretary-General said, adding that, “this framework should work in synergy with the Paris Agreement on climate change and other multilateral agreements on forests, desertification and oceans.”

In December 2022, governments met in Montreal, Canada to agree on the new framework to secure an ambitious and transformative global plan to set humanity on a path to living in harmony with nature.

“Delivering on the framework will contribute to the climate agenda, while full delivery of the Paris Agreement is needed to allow the framework to succeed,” said Inger Andersen, the head of the UN Environment Programme. “We can’t work in isolation if we are to end the triple planetary crises.”

Watch our interview with Elizabeth Mrema, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

Read the UN Secretary-General’s speech at the Countdown to COP15: Leaders Event for a Nature-Positive World in September 2022, and his remarks at the December 2022 Biodiversity Conference and Press Conference.  

Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity

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High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2022

The 2022 HLPF will hold in-depth reviews of five SDGs: 4 (quality education), 5 (gender equality), 14 (life below water), 15 (life on land), and 17 (partnerships for the Goals). 

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High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) 2022

5-15 JULY 2022 | New York City, US

The meeting of the HLPF in 2022 will be held from Tuesday, 5 July, to Thursday, 7 July, and from Monday, 11 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022 , under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. This includes the three-day ministerial segment of the forum from Wednesday, 13 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022. The high-level segment of the Council will conclude with a final day on Monday, 18 July 2022.

The theme for the 2022 HLPF is “ Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ”.

As the world is struggling to recover from COVID-19 amidst continuing crises, the HLPF will reflect on how recovery policies can reverse the negative impacts of the pandemic on the SDGs and move countries on to a path to realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda.

The HLPF will also review in-depth Sustainable Development Goals 4 on quality education, 5 on gender equality, 14 on life below water, 15 on life on land, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals. It will take into account the different impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across all Sustainable Development Goals and the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the Goals.

44 countries will carry out voluntary national reviews (VNRs) of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development . For more details, please click here.

The HLPF will adopt the Ministerial Declaration as the outcome of its session. The President of ECOSOC will also prepare a summary to capture the key messages of the discussions. For more information, click here

Other events, including Side Events, VNR Labs, Special Events, and Exhibition are being organized on the margins of the 2022 HLPF.

Learn more here: https://hlpf.un.org/2022

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UN Secretary-General's Video Message for “Bridge for Cities 2021”
"Bridge for Cities” is an annual event that aims to promote the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development via the Belt and Road Initiative, with which it shares many similarities, and to encourage municipal officials and development stakeholders to scale up their engagement in inclusive and sustainable urban and industrial development initiatives.
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UN Secretary-General's Video Message for “Bridge for Cities 2021”

12 October 2021 

Watch the video here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+8+Oct+21/2666710_MSG+SG+BRIDGE+FOR+CITIES+08+OCT+21.mp4

VIDEO MESSAGE

I am pleased to greet the sixth “Bridge for Cities” event.

Cities have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic — yet they are also demonstrating remarkable resilience and creative problem solving to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Many cities are rethinking urban spaces, making them more inclusive, sustainable, and safe;

establishing social protection measures to support women, vulnerable groups and young people;

inventing new ways to live, travel and work for a net zero emissions and resilient world;

providing financial assistance to local business and supporting job creation;

leveraging technology and digitalisation;

and strengthening public health and education systems.

Investment in recovery is a generational opportunity to put climate action, clean energy, gender equality and sustainable development at the heart of cities’ strategies and policies.

But cities cannot do it alone.

They need coordinated action from all levels of government;

strong partnerships with the private sector and civil society;

and the fiscal and policy space to bring solutions to scale.

They also need to be able to learn from each other.

That is why we launched the Local2030 Coalition – to identify innovations and help localize the SDGs.

The United Nations is committed to working with you.

Organizations such as UNIDO are providing platforms for cities to partner up.

Our Resident Coordinators and Country Teams can support your priorities, provide the expertise of our specialized agencies, and connect you with other global players.

Together, we can build bridges to an inclusive, sustainable recovery and clean, green cities for all.

Thank you.

Retrieved from https://www.un.org/sg/en/node/260045

​ Learn more here: https://www.unido.org/bridge-for-cities

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SDG Moment 2021

SDG Moment 2021

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The Sustainable Development Goals are a blueprint for fighting poverty and hunger, confronting the climate crisis, achieving gender equality and much more, within the next ten years. At a time of great uncertainty, the SDGs show the way forward to a strong recovery from COVID-19 and a better future for all on a safe and healthy planet.

Overview

Convened by the UN Secretary-General, the second SDG Moment of the Decade of Action will be held virtually on Monday, 20 September 2021 from 9 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Background Note | Full Programme

Objectives

As the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and major challenges to progress across the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the SDG Moment will seek to: 

  1. Reinforce the continued relevance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and build momentum in advance of major summits and intergovernmental meetings.   
  2. Highlight urgent actions needed to ensure COVID-19 response and recovery efforts are equitable, inclusive and accelerate the transition to sustainable development.   
  3. Demonstrate that transformative change at scale is possible between now and 2030.  

The meeting will convene leaders from over 30 Member States as well as champions for the SDGs from civil society, the private sector and international partners. It will be accessible to everyone, everywhere through UN media channels including:

Stay tuned for announcements on speakers and special guests over the coming weeks here: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-moment/

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