6 July 2015: The three-day ministerial segment of the 2015 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) commenced on 6 July 2015, with an opening plenary and the launch of the UN’s final report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

In the opening plenary, ECOSOC Vice-President Oh Joon, Republic of Korea, said the HLPF, serving as the “apex” for follow up and review, can act as a vibrant new platform under ECOSOC and the UN General Assembly (UNGA). He said the international community is “on the cusp of eradicating extreme poverty and reaching the world’s most vulnerable people.”

UNGA President Sam Kutesa stressed that implementation must occur at all levels, with robust follow-up and review. Kutesa called for a successful outcome from the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD 3) opening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 13 July, “with concrete deliverables to support the implementation of the new agenda.” He urged all States to “continue working constructively in order to finalize the few outstanding issues on the Addis Ababa Outcome, without further delay.”

UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson emphasized that effective policies must avoid silos, and that the HLPF should be both visionary and practical. He added that the HLPF provides an opportunity for reform within ECOSOC and the UN System, to make them more effective in facilitating and assessing implementation.

Vladimir Cuk, Executive Director, International Disability Alliance, speaking for Major Groups and Other Stakeholders, called for recognizing Major Groups and other stakeholders not just as beneficiaries but as partners.

The opening day of the Ministerial meeting also included: the launch of the 2015 MDG Report; a session on messages from the five-day segment that took place from 26 June-2 July; a session on ‘A transformative integrated agenda: How can governments, societies and the UN rise to the challenge?’ moderated by IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan; and a session on ‘Thinking ahead: Emerging issues that will matter in the future’ moderated by Irene Khan, Director-General, International Development Law Organization (IDLO).

According to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin, the high-level discussion suggested to many participants that concrete progress in defining the structure and function of the HLPF will be made only after the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda in September. Others said the participatory nature of the post-2015 development agenda processes, including the HLPF, has been a step in the right direction.

The 2015 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development is meeting from 26 June until 8 July, in New York, US. [UN Press Release] [Statement of UNGA President] [IISD RS Meeting Coverage, 6 July] [IISD RS Meeting Coverage, Ongoing] [IISD RS Story on MDG Report 2015]