General Assembly resolution on theme for 2021 ECOSOC/HLPF and related SDGs

After lengthy consultations, which began last February, the UN General Assembly resolution entitled “Review process of the implementation of General Assembly resolutions 67/290 and 70/299 on the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level and resolution 72/305 on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council” was adopted through the silence procedure on 3 August. It provides the theme and lists the nine SDGs that will be reviewed in depth at the 2021 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

The originally proposed in-depth reviews of the HLPF and ECOSOC were postponed until the 75th UNGA session, with consultations leading up to agreement on the resolution only being on “essential elements for the way forward.”

Thematic focus

The thematic focus of ECOSOC and the HLPF in 2021 will be ‘Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, that promotes the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: Building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.’

SDGs to be reviewed…

The HLPF session will focus particularly on the following nine SDGs:

• Goal 1: No poverty

• Goal 2: Zero hunger

• Goal 3: Good health and wellbeing

• Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth

• Goal 10: Reduced inequalities

• Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production

• Goal 13: Climate action

• Goal 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

• Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals

The review will also cover SDG targets that have a 2020 timeline. 

The remainder of the current four-year HLPF cycle (2020-2023) will include an in-depth review of the other SDGs. The theme of the remaining HLPF sessions will be defined “as soon as possible” in the 75th UN General Assembly session.

During the 77th UN General Assembly session (2022-2023), the themes and sets of goals to be reviewed at each session during the following HLPF cycle will be agreed. 

Comments…

An earlier draft of the resolution (7 July) was under silence procedure but the silence was broken over four paragraphs, as indicated in the letter from the co-facilitators. The changes which were made to ensure consensus included dropping references to a ‘green’ recovery and ‘health and human well-being’, as well as a paragraph on ‘space for stakeholder input in the review process’.

While it is encouraging that the resolution could finally be adopted, it is a sad reflection that it had to be at the expense of stakeholder input.  In addition, the theme for the next HLPF on sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will provide an important opportunity in ‘building back better’ for strong linkages with the 2030 Agenda and SDGs in the context of the decade for action. At the same time, when on the same day that the resolution was agreed, the WHO Director-General confirmed that the number of those infected by COVID-19 had reached 17.5 million, with 680,000 deaths, there is a need for action by countries not only at the national level, but also at the global level, working together, to bring the pandemic under control.