Background
The theme of the 2024 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”. The 2024 HLPF will have an in-depth review of Sustainable Development Goal 1, End poverty in all its forms everywhere; Goal 2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; Goal 13, Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; Goal 16, Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels; and Goal 17, Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
The HLPF in July 2024 will be the first HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC after the 2023 SDG Summit - the HLPF convened under the auspices of the General Assembly in September 2023. The 2024 HLPF will support the implementation of the Political Declaration and other outcomes of the SDG Summit for advancing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. The Forum will provide an opportunity to translate the political guidance and commitments from the SDG Summit into tangible policy guidance and practical actions.
In preparation for the review of SDG 16 and its role in advancing sustainable development across the 2030 Agenda, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development Goals (UN-DESA/DSDG), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), together with other partners, organized an Expert Group Meeting (EGM).
The objective of the meeting was to take stock of where we are in terms of progress towards SDG 16; to identify innovative solutions for accelerating progress; to consider how monitoring of progress towards the Goal can best be enhanced; to build on new opportunities, learnings and good practices that have emerged; and to harness the political momentum from the SDG Summit.
These discussions have helped inform the HLPF, assist in planning its sessions, and help to identify collaborations and programmes of work on SDG 16 going forward from 2024.
