The UN Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) has released the official schedule of activities and events for the July, 2016 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is the UN’s central platform for the follow-up, tracking, and review of the 2030 agenda and SDGS.
HLPF inclusive and participatory.
Organizers say the HLPF is “the most inclusive and participatory forum at the United Nations, bringing all States Members of the United Nations and States members of specialized agencies.” The July 2016 Forum is the first since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs, and will feature among other activities; voluntary reviews of SDGs implementation progress; a host of other sideline activities, a partnership exchange event and SDGs learning, Training and Practice sessions.
United Nations member states on 25th September 2015 at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York, replaced the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a new set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The official HLPF program comprises timelines of activities for the first 5 days of the HLPF (11-15 July) and the High-Level Segment (HLS) slotted for July 19-22 July.
Forum’s Key Highlight.
A key highlight of the 1st segment will be the large round table of major groups, and other stakeholders with member states as respondents on 15th July. Chairs of Regional Forums and Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions will meet later that afternoon for an interactive dialogues session on regional experiences.
Mainstreaming SGDs into national policies, plans and strategies and integrating the three dimensions of sustainable development will be part of deliberations at HLPF. Challenges that have been experienced during the 1st year in mobilizing means of implementation (financing, technology, capacity building) of SDGs at the national level will also be discussed.
UN Secretary General.
UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon is scheduled to deliver a special address during the High-Level Segment (HLS) on July 19 – a day that has been mainly earmarked for national voluntary reviews. “Ensuring that no one is left behind” in the implementation of the 2030 agenda and SDGs is the theme of the 2016 High-Level Political Forum