31 May 2017: A series of thematic meetings is under way on four of the SDGs to be reviewed in depth at the 2017 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The Expert Group Meetings are addressing SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being) and SDG 5 (gender equality).
UN Women and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) held an EGM on SDG 5, from 30-31 May 2017, in New York, US. The meeting addressed the topic, ‘Strategies to Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls through the Gender-Responsive Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.’ Day 1 focused on accelerating implementation, with panel discussions on: Eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and girls; Eliminating all forms of violence and harmful practices against women and girls; Ensuring women’s economic rights and full, equal and effective participation and leadership in decision-making; and Data for SDG 5 and Gender Statistics.
The topic for Day 2 was ‘Ensuring the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda: interlinkages between SDG 5 and other SDGs.’ Panel discussions addressed: Ending poverty and achieving food security through women’s access to and control over economic resources; Empowering women and girls through gender-responsive infrastructure; Promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth through women’s economic empowerment; and Ensuring institutional arrangements and financing to support the integrated implementation of the SDGs. At the end of each day, a roundtable discussion elicited concrete recommendations related to strategies and actions by governments and other stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of SDG 5, and more broadly, the gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Also in May, the World Bank in partnership with DESA and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) organized an EGM on SDG 1, in Copenhagen, Denmark. Discussions during the gathering on 11-12 May addressed building on progress and successful approaches, and possible solutions for emerging challenges and barriers to progress.
On SDG 2 (zero hunger), an EGM will convene in New York, US, from 12-13 June, organized by DESA in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The meeting aims to assess progress achieved in reaching each target of SDG 2, identify challenges at the national and international levels, and produce key political messages and policy recommendations.
The organizers note that the meeting will feature the experiences of Member States to provide a basis for reviewing national progress against the five targets. The outcome will include key political messages and policy guidance for countries on what is needed to accelerate the implementation of SDG 2 and achieve its targets. A briefing on the key outcomes will take place on 14 June.
Another EGM will address ‘integrated approaches to implementing Sustainable Development Goal 3,’ from 15-16 June, in New York, US. It is being organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), DESA, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UNAIDS, the UN Foundation and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The meeting will gather experts from a range of sectors to discuss challenges, opportunities and emerging issues that could affect the implementation of SDG 3.
Discussions at the SDG 3 EGM will be based on the assumption of the indivisible nature of the SDGs.
The organizers note that discussions will be based on the assumption of the “indivisible nature of the SDGs.” Key questions for discussion will include: What are the bottlenecks to implementing SDG 3?
What are key emerging issues with relevance to implementing SDG 3?
How can links between SDG 3 and other SDGs help to advance implementation of SDG 3
and the Agenda in general?
What lessons and best practices exist from MDG implementation which could be applied for SDG3 and the Agenda as a whole?
The other SDGs being reviewed in-depth at the upcoming HLPF session are Goal 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), Goal 14 (life below water) and Goal 17 (partnerships for the Goals) , which will be reviewed every year. According to the draft programme released in May, the review of the seven SDGs’ implementation will take place during the first week of meetings (10-14 July). The first week will also include: the introduction of the SDG Progress Report by the UN Secretary-General; a review of theme of the 2017 Forum, ‘Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world;’ and sessions on leveraging interlinkages and science-policy interface. [SDG 1 EGM Webpage] [SDG 2 EGM Concept Note] [SDG 2 EGM Programme] [SDG 3 EGM Concept Note] [SDG 5 EGM Concept Note and Programme] [UN Women Webpage for SDG 5 EGM] [DESA Brief for SDG 5 Thematic Review]