Page contentsPage contents The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development In September 2015, at the United Nations General Assembly, countries around the world signed up to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). World leaders committed to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 2030 Agenda, together Paris Agreement on Climate Change, are the roadmap to a better world and the global framework for international cooperation on sustainable development and its economic, social, environmental and governance dimensions. The importance of consistently progressing towards the SDGs and engaging with partner countries and civil society as well as the Union’s representation at high-level international fora, including the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, is crucial to advance the EU’s commitment to and leadership in sustainable development, as well as addressing the impact of COVID-19 globally. High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development The High Level Political Forum is the main United Nations platform on sustainable development. It has a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a global level. High-Level Political Forum 2023 The meeting of the High-Level Political Forum will be held under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council from 10 to 19 July 2023. This included the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from 17 to 19 July 2023. The theme is "Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at all levels ". SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17 will be reviewed in depth. On 19 July 2023, the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee co-organise the flagship EU side-event (link) dedicated to “Delivering the SDGs: revitalised partnerships with the EU”. High-Level Political Forum 2022 The meeting of the High-Level Political Forum convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council from 5 to 15 July 2022. This included the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from 13 to 15 July 2022. The theme was "Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". SDGs 4, 5, 14, 15 and 17 were reviewed in depth. On 7 July 2022, the European Commission organised a side-event focused on education as a key pillar of EU Global Gateway strategy and SDG implementation. High-Level Political Forum 2021 2021: Sustainable Development Goals as a compass for Europe’s recovery The meeting of the High-Level Political Forum convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council from 6 to 15 July 2021. This included the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from 13 to 15 July 2019. The theme was "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 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16 and 17 were reviewed in depth. On 14 July 2021, the European Commission organised a side event focused on using the SDGs as a compass for Europe’s recovery and building a better future through a new growth model. The event took stock of EU action in implementing the SDGs, underscoring its whole-of-government approach, the global perspectives for recovery and the need for a strong global partnership, and look ahead to the opportunities and how to best address the many interconnected challenges of a sustainable recovery at all levels. High-Level Political Forum 2020 The meeting of the High-Level Political Forum convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council from 7 to 16 July 2020. This included the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from 14 to 16 July 2020. The theme was "Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development ". Participants debated the state of play on SDG implementation in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They reflected on how the international community can respond to the pandemic in a way that puts us back on track to achieve the SDGs and accelerate progress during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development. High-Level Political Forum 2019 The meeting of the High-Level Political Forum convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council from 9 to 18 July 2019. This included the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from 16 to 18 July 2019. The theme was "Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality". SDGs 4, 8, 10, 13, 16 and 17 were reviewed in depth. On 18 July 2019, the European Commission organised a high-level side-event where it presented its approach to implementing SDGs including the Commission’s Reflection Paper ‘Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030’; the ‘Eurostat Monitoring Report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context’; the ‘Joint Synthesis Report on the implementation of the European Consensus on Development’; the EU Report on Policy Coherence for Development.
