UN Forum Reaffirms Strong Commitment to Sustainable Goals

Member States strongly reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable development at the end of a high-level forum on Wednesday.

The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) concluded at United Nations Headquarters in New York following a week and a half of substantive discussions among Member States, civil society representatives, and UN agencies.

At the conference’s close on Wednesday, Member States adopted a Ministerial Declaration by a vote of 154-2-2, with the United States and Israel voting against the document, and Paraguay and Iran abstaining.

“We strongly reaffirm our commitment to effectively implement the 2030 Agenda, which remains our overarching roadmap for achieving sustainable development and overcoming the multiple crises we face,” the text stated.

Junhua Li, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, commended Member States for adopting this Declaration as a “powerful reaffirmation of multilateral resolve.”

“Let us leave this HLPF with a renewed resolve, shared sense of possibility, and a reinvigorated sense of responsibility to lead the way forward,” he said.

The HLPF has convened annually since 2010 and is organised by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to discuss progress—or lack thereof—on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda, aiming for a more equitable and inclusive world.

This year, the forum focused on five goals: good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, life below water, and partnerships.

Negotiations on the ministerial document were led by representatives from Czechia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who highlighted the significance of the proceedings.

“This year’s deliberations have held particular significance. Ten years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, a range of interlinked and persistent challenges continues to jeopardise the full realisation of the SDGs,” said Jakub Kulhánek, permanent representative of Czechia and one of the two lead facilitators of the declaration.

The ministerial declaration emphasised that time is running out to achieve the SDGs, which remain severely off track.

According to the Secretary-General’s report on the Goals, released on the first day of the HLPF, only 18 per cent of the SDGs are on track to be achieved by 2030, with over half progressing too slowly.

While the declaration addressed each of the five spotlighted SDGs, Member States particularly stressed the role of poverty in impeding sustainable development and the worsening climate crisis threatening all aspects of the development agenda.

The declaration called both issues among the “greatest global challenges” facing the world.

In line with SDG 16, which highlights the role institutions such as governments must play in promoting peace, Member States affirmed that strong governance and partnerships are essential for realising peace, a prerequisite for development.

“We recognise that sustainable development cannot be realised without peace and security, and peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development,” the declaration stated.

Amid challenges to multilateralism, Member States said the declaration affirmed the UN’s commitment to multilateralism, celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.

“At a time when serious doubts about the future of multilateralism persist, your steadfast commitment has been both reassuring and inspiring,” said Mr. Kulhánek.

Member States affirmed a commitment to urgently work towards the SDGs to achieve a better world.

“We will act with urgency to realise its vision as a plan of action for people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership, leaving no one behind.”

The Declaration was also adopted the following day during the closing of the ECOSOC High-Level Segment, which included the three-day HLPF ministerial segment.

Mr. Li noted that the proceedings took place amid profound global uncertainty but also immense possibility.

He praised the Council’s efforts to respond to global challenges “not with despair, but with determination and decisive action,” highlighting how it brought together governments, the UN system, and other stakeholders to advance dialogue on issues such as financing for development, artificial intelligence, displacement, and the empowerment of women and girls.

ECOSOC President Bob Rae acknowledged that adopting the Ministerial Declaration required hard work and that differences of opinion must not be ignored.

“Let’s be clear,” he said. “Equality among all of us—regardless of gender, race, colour, or creed—is foundational to sustainable development, human rights, and the credibility of our multilateral system.”

Mr. Rae stressed the urgent need for renewed dialogue, requiring courage and leadership. He pointed to the UN Charter, saying it “strikes a balance between the rights of sovereign states and the universality of other freedoms and rights, and that is the balance that we must continue to strike.”

This is why ECOSOC must lead, he said, not just as a platform for dialogue but “as a driver of solutions, implementation, and results,” especially for those members of the global community who are furthest behind.

“There are so many who today are living in stress, on the edge of poverty, and in the midst of starvation,” he said. “We need to understand that our task, and our hearts and our minds, must always be those who are living on the margins.”