25/6/2021

SDG Lab Briefing on the 2021 High-Level Political Forum: All You Need to Know

On June 24, the SDG Lab convened a virtual informal briefing on the upcoming High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) for Geneva-based SDGs practitioners, Heads of Agencies and Member States, represented through their Permanent Missions in Geneva.

Opening the briefing was UN Geneva Director-General, Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, who in her remarks underscored the urgency behind accelerating the SDGs within this decade. She noted that progress on the 17 goals was lagging before the global COVID-19 outbreak and how unprecedented efforts, including a buildup of partnerships, are now needed by all actors if the SDGs are to be achieved by 2030.

The Lab’s Director, Ms. Nadia Isler, joined the Director-General in welcoming participants and spoke to the SDG Lab’s role in helping unpack events like the HLPF and spotlighting themes and issues relevant to Geneva’s community of SDG actors. Ms. Isler also reiterated how the 2030 Agenda’s paradigms of innovation, integration and collaboration serve as a driving force behind the Lab’s organization of such sessions.

Moderating the discussion, Ms. Trine Schmidt, the new lead of the Geneva 2030 Ecosystem at the SDG Lab and IISD, together with Ms. Evgeniya Altukhova, SDG Lab focal point for Member State engagement.

Reiterating the UN Secretary-General’s call to mobilize all sectors of society for the Decade of Action, the informal briefing represented a key contribution of UN Geneva to this effort, advancing multi-stakeholder engagement and bringing the ecosystem of International Geneva together across sectors.

The briefing on the HLPF 2021 offered an overview of this year’s main priorities and themes, such as stronger health and social protection, universal connectivity and sustainable finance, protection of biodiversity and environment capital, social justice and ownership of SDG implementation at local, national and regional levels.

These focus areas strongly resonated with the key messages that emerged from the five UN Regional Forums on Sustainable Development and the 2021 Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), both highlighted during the discussion.

One year into the Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the briefing also focused on taking stock of the impact of the pandemic on the SDGs by elucidating on the main outcomes, recommendations and “rays of hope” contained in the latest Secretary-General’s Report on Progress Towards the Sustainable Development Goals (advanced unedited copy).

The session continued by providing information on how to make the most out of the HLPF 2021, as well as offering guidance on the programme, side events and engagement opportunities, opening the stage for participants to share information on their plans and side events.