The co-facilitators of the negotiations on the Ministerial Declaration of the high-level segment of the 2025 session of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) convened the first informal consultation to hear Member States’ views on “on any issues [they] consider important to be included” in the Ministerial Declaration.
The consultation took place on 6 March 2025.
In a letter dated 25 February, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic Jakub Kulhánek and Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Inga Rhonda King looked forward to engaging with delegations and major groups and other stakeholders (MGoS) “to achieve a concise, focused, action-oriented, and forward-looking Declaration, outlining priority areas for accelerated actions.”
Their vision for the Declaration, according to the letter, is to build on collective accomplishments, particularly “the consensus on the 2030 Agenda reaffirmed at the Summit of the Future” (SoF). The Declaration would also reiterate the HLPF’s central role in overseeing the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and its contribution to sharing knowledge and creating synergies to achieve the SDGs.
To guide inputs, the co-facilitators invited Member States’ views on the following questions:
- What are emerging and persistent challenges to progress on the SDGs?
- What are the impactful science- and evidence-based solutions and actions that can accelerate the implementation of the SDGs, leaving no one behind, over the next five years to 2030 and in follow up on the outcomes of the Summit of the Future?
- What are the priority actions necessary for achieving SDGs 3, 5, 8, 14, and 17?
- What are key areas that need to be addressed to support developing countries’ advancement on the SDGs?
- What are key messages regarding the voluntary national reviews (VNRs)?
The co-facilitators urged Member States “to engage in constructive dialogue, share innovative solutions, and work toward a Declaration that reflects our determination to turn ambition into tangible progress.”
HLPF 2025 will be held on the theme, ‘Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for leaving no one behind.’ It will conduct in-depth review of SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).
At HLPF 2025, 39 countries will present voluntary national reviews (VNRs) of their implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national level. These are Angola, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, the Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malta, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Nigeria, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Philippines, Qatar, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, South Africa, the ‘State of Palestine,’ the Sudan, Suriname, and Thailand.
Updated handbook for the preparation of VNRs and the UN Secretary-General’s voluntary common reporting guidelines for VNRs will support the presenters in their endeavors. [HLPF 2025 Outcomes]
