MEDIA ADVISORY
2 July 2019
Government, private and public-sector leaders to attend largest gathering on sustainable development progress
9-18 July 2019, UN Headquarters, New York
More than two thousand participants, including approximately 100 ministers, as well as business and civil society leaders will attend the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) this month to take stock of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and discuss plans, successes, challenges and lessons learnt on the road to a fairer, more peaceful and prosperous world on a healthy planet by 2030.
Convened by the Economic and Social Council and called the largest annual gathering on SDG implementation, the Forum will also attract nearly 156 side events over ten days.
The theme of this year’s Forum is “empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality” with a special emphasis on six out of the 17 Goals. The Goals under review this year are Goal 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 10 (Reducing Inequalities), 13 (Climate Action), 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and 17 (Partnerships).
This year, 47 countries are expected to present their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) – with an aim to share experiences with the global community, in efforts to accelerate the implementation of the sustainable development agenda.
From the adoption of the SDGs in 2015 to the conclusion of this year’s HLPF, nearly 142 countries will have submitted their VNRs, showing immense support for delivering on the SDGs. For the first time last year, four cities, including New York City, submitted their Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs)—complementing VNRs by bridging the gap between local reality and national policies.
The fourth such meeting since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, the Forum will set the stage for the high-level week during the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly in September, during which the organization will host the Climate Action and SDG Summits as well as the high-level meetings on Financing for Development, Universal Health Coverage and the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway—galvanizing support for some of the major issues at the heart of the 2030 Agenda.
Major side events include the SDG Media Zone (9 to 10 July) as well as the launches of the Sustainable Development Report 2019 (9 July), the State of Food Security and Nutrition Report (15 July), and the UN Legal Identity Agenda (16 July).
The Sustainable Development Goals Report, to be launched on the opening day of HLPF, will present new data and show how actions undertaken for the SDGs around the world over the past four years have begun to produce results. It will also highlight challenges and setbacks as well as provide estimates on whether we are on track to meet the 2030 deadline.
A series of major special events will happen on the sidelines of the HLPF to engage more stakeholders with the SDGs, including the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (10 July), the SDGs in Action Film Festival (11 July), the Philanthropy and the SDGs event (16 July), the Lead, Transform, Succeed: Chief Sustainability Officers for the SDGs forum (17 July), and the Local 2030: Local Action for Global Commitments event (16-17 July).
For more information, please visit:
High-level Political Forum: https://is.gd/2019hlpf
Full list of participants: http://bit.ly/HLPFProgramme
Voluntary National Reviews: http://bit.ly/VNReviews
Special events: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2019/specialevents
Full list of side events: https://bit.ly/2JgTn97
The Sustainable Development Goals Report: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs
UN General Assembly High-level Week: www.un.org/en/summits2019
PRESS BRIEFINGS:
1. Curtain-raiser Press Conference (To be confirmed)
Who:
Ms. Inga Rhonda King, President, UN Economic and Social Council
When:
Monday, 8 July 2019: Guest at the UN Secretary-General’s
Spokesman’s Noon Briefing, approximately 12:30 p.m.
Where:
S-237, UN Headquarters, New York or live through http://webtv.un.org
2. Launch of the SDG Progress Report
Who:
Mr. Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs
Ms. Francesca Perucci, Chief, Statistical Services Branch, UN Statistics Division
When:
Tuesday, 9 July 2019: Guest at the UN Secretary-General’s
Spokesman’s Noon Briefing, approximately 12:30 p.m.
Where:
S-237, UN Headquarters, New York or live through http://webtv.un.org
SDG MEDIA ZONE
The SDG Media Zone, which will take place 9 and 10 July at the UNHQ Visitors’ Lobby, will host government, civil society and private sector leaders as well as experts, celebrities and other change-makers committed to the global good.
The event will feature action-driven and solutions-based initiatives by the UN System and its partners. Live programming, including panel discussions, interviews, Ted-style talks and presentations will take place between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
It will allow for in-depth conversations on the SDG Progress Report (9 July), the embargoed 2019 Multidimensional Poverty Index (11 July), and the SDG 16+ Report on peace, justice and human rights, among other topics.
The space will showcase major UN initiatives that inspire people to do their part to care for the Planet, such as the award-winning Act Now climate action campaign that recommends everyday actions to reduce our carbon footprints.
It will host experts and initiatives from partners such as Sony Picture Entertainment, National Geographic and the Global Compact’s community of responsible businesses. Two special guests will host story time sessions with books from the SDG Book Club.
More information on the SDG Media Zone: www.un.org/sdgmediazone
All major HLPF events will be live-streamed on UN Web TV: http://webtv.un.org
MEDIA CONTACTS
UN Department of Global Communications
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
