Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 20th July. UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development concluded on Wednesday with laying the groundwork for the crucial SDG Summit in September.
The world leaders, policymakers, and key stakeholders gathered to review progress, share experiences, and discuss strategies for advancing sustainable development in past 10 days.
The HLPF serves as a central platform for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the SDGs, which were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015.
These goals encompass a wide range of objectives, including eradicating poverty, promoting gender equality, ensuring access to quality education and healthcare, and protecting the environment.
Focused on the theme of Sustainable and Resilient Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic, this year’s HLPF recognized the unprecedented challenges posed by the global health crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impacts on all aspects of society, exacerbating existing inequalities and hindering progress towards the SDGs.
The forum aimed to identify solutions and strategies for building back better in a post-pandemic world.
It acknowledged that the world is “woefully off track” to achieve the SDGs by the 2030 deadline.
UN officials, ministers and policy makers and the representatives of the private sector and major public groups discussed the ways to push forward the implementation of five out of the 17 SDGs.
They put under scrutiny progress made so far in universal access to clean water, sanitation and power, and reviewed ways to take advantage of new technology, also discussing the crucial role of urban development.
Lachezera Stoeva, President of the Economic and Social Council emphasized the importance of innovation, technology, and high-impact partnerships.
“We are halfway to 2030 and yet nowhere near to achieving the SDGs. The bad news is we’ve lost seven years. The good news is, we still have seven years and victory is within our reach,” she said.
The participants engaged in over 200 high-level panel discussions, interactive dialogues, and Voluntary National |Reviews.
Over 39 countries provided data on their progress towards achieving the SDGs one of the key components of the development agenda.
HLPF was to achieve the SDGs requires a collective effort involving governments, civil society, businesses, and individuals.
It is crucial to foster multi-stakeholder partnerships and mobilize resources to accelerate progress towards the goals.
The private sector has a vital role to play to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth through responsible business practices and investments.
HLPF concluded that it is essential to carry forward the momentum generated during this week. The deliverables laid bare at the Forum, are crucial for the success of the SDG Summit in September.
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