30 December 2016: In a letter to incoming UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the High-Level Group in support of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for making the effective, universal implementation of the 2030 Agenda “a top priority” of his tenure. The High-Level Group was initiated by the Government of Sweden and launched during the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015.

The Group aims to ensure that the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “are implemented at all levels of society,” and promotes discussion among governments, civil society, the private sector and international organizations, regarding challenges and solutions. The High-Level Group is composed of the leaders of nine countries: Michel Temer (President of Brazil), Juan Manuel Santos (President of Colombia), Angela Merkel (Federal Chancellor of Germany), Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (President of Liberia), Jacob Zuma (President of South Africa), Stefan Löfven (Prime Minister of Sweden), John Pombe Magufuli (President of Tanzania), Rui Maria de Araújo (Prime Minister of Timor-Leste), and Beji Caid Essebsi (President of Tunisia).

The letter to Guterres states that universal implementation of the 2030 Agenda will require a strong, effective and relevant UN system in three pillars: development, human rights and peace and security. The Group notes that: its members have started to carry out concrete actions domestically, the Group is engaged with the leaders of other countries on sharing experiences and learning, and it is determined to continue these activities in 2017 and beyond. It adds that the SDGs can only be achieved through a strong global partnership. [HLG Letter to UN Secretary-General] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Joint Statement in Support of 2030 Agenda]