High-level Political Forum 2017

The dates for the 2017 session of the high-level political forum will be Monday 10 to Wednesday 19 July, with the three-day ministerial meeting taking place from Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 July.

The theme for the meeting will be Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world. The following goals will be reviewed, together with Goal 17. Strengthening the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, which is considered annually:...

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IAEG-SDGs 4th Meeting postponed to 17-18 November 2016

The UN Statistical Division (UNSD) has announced that the 4th Meeting of the IAEG-SDGs has been postponed and re-scheduled, due to the "State of Emergency" in Ethiopia, which has meant that many IAEG Members have been unable to obtain travel clearance from their Governments.

The Economic Commission of Europe has offered to host the rescheduled meeting and the new meeting dates will be from 17-18 November 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland...

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Update on 4th Meeting of the IAEG-SDGs

The UN Statistical Division (UNSD) has made available an updated Provisional Agenda for the Plenary Session of the Fourth Meeting of the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on the Sustainable Development Goals (IAEG-SDGs) that will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 20-21 October 2016.

Follow the opening of the meeting with introductory remarks from the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); Francesca...

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Final stage in appointment of António Guterres as next Secretary-General

Now that the UN Security Council has adopted by consensus António Guterres, former Prime Minister of Portugal, as its nominee to be the next Secretary-General when Ban Ki-moon steps down at the end of December, the final stage of the process will be formal approval by the General Assembly. In addition to serving as his country’s Prime Minister, Mr Guterres has also been the UN High Commissioner for Refugees...

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UN General Assembly gets down to work

After the opening week of the UN General Assembly the various committees are now beginning their work. As can be seen from the theme for the General Debate The Sustainable Development Goals: a universal push to transform our world, implementation of the 2030 Agenda is the main concern running through much of the work of the General Assembly this session, with various aspects being taken up in different committees under the “Promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and recent United Nations conferences”...

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Regional Cooperation for implementing the SDGs

Although not heavily stressed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda), regional cooperation will be critically important for the implementation of the SDGs at the national level. At a side event organized by the UN Regional Commissions on 23 September, UN high-level officials and Member States discussed regional cooperation and initiatives to support country implementation of the 2030 Agenda. They shared regional experiences in delivering the 2030 Agenda, including on partnerships among governments, regional and sub-regional organizations and other stakeholders...

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Last week to register for Habitat III Conference in Quito (15-20 October) - deadline 1 October 2016

This is a reminder that this is the last week to register to attend the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), 15-20 October in Quito, Ecuador. Any individual can register online before 1 October 2016 to participate. Please see the full program schedule online here. 

Accreditation at the Conference...

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Reminder: Registration now open for two upcoming transport-related events

The High-Level Meeting on Sustainable Transport of LLDCs will review the progress made by LLDCs, as well as challenges, in the development and maintenance of efficient, reliable and sustainable transport systems and the linkages between the Vienna Programme of Action and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the area of transport. The meeting will be held in Santa Cruz, Bolivia from 13-14 October, 2016...

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Global Policy Watch Briefing #12: Silos or system? The 2030 Agenda requires an integrated approach to sustainable development

Silos or system? The 2030 Agenda requires an integrated approach to sustainable development

By Barbara Adams and Karen Judd

Download this briefing (pdf version)

The United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) met in New York from 11 to 20 July 2016. It is the central UN body addressing sustainable development, and its chief task is to monitor the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The 2030 Agenda goes far beyond previous development agendas. First, it recognizes that inequality and unsustainable consumption and production are by-products of economic growth and constitute a big challenge in a world of finite resources. This understanding would have been unthinkable as little as 10 years ago...

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Open Consultation on Possible Refinements to the Global Indicator Framework for the SDGs

We have received the following information about the open consultation on possible refinements to the Global Indicator Framework for the SDGs from the Statistics Division. The consultation ends on 28 September and involves a number of indicators which have been identified by the IAEG-SDGs. There are three that related to health targets — 3.8 on Universal Health Coverage; 3.b on research into vaccines and medicines for communicable and non-communicable diseases; and 5.6 on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights...

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