Each year, the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development is held with the purpose of reviewing the progress made towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
This year’s forum will take place from Tuesday, 7 July, to Thursday, 16 July 2020, with the agreed theme “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realising the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”. In response to recent events, participants will assess progress made towards the achievement of the SDGs in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with discussions on how the international community can respond to the crisis in ways that best facilitate the delivery of the SDGs. Due to current limitations on travel and on mass gatherings, physical participation will be limited to New York based delegates only, and for the first time ever, all side-events will be held virtually.
47 countries have submitted Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), outlining their implementation of the 2030 Agenda, whilst Civil Society Organisations have had the opportunity to input their own independent reports.
Soroptimist International’s report ‘The Road to Equality: The Sustainable Development Goals, Women & Girls’, demonstrates the innovations that SI members bring to their communities, supporting countries on pathways to sustainable development, whilst highlighting ways in which civil society organisations, such as SI, are able to mobilise and respond quickly and efficiently in emergency situations.
The outcome document for this year’s HLPF will take the form of a Ministerial Declaration and the President of The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will offer a summary of the key messages arising from the discussions.
To view the Soroptimist International Report for the High-Level Political Forum 2020 in full, please click on the image below.
Further to this report, Soroptimist International has submitted a statement, with input from Women for Water Partnership and Associated Country Women of the World. The statement recognises that a decade into achieving the SDGs, the outcomes have been endangered by COVID-19, and so we urge Member States to consider the vital roles of food security, water, and sanitation in the global recovery. Now, more than ever, we must ensure that women and girls are supported and empowered to play a leading role in the emerging future.
View the HLPF 2020 Programme HERE
Visit the Voluntary National Reviews Database HERE