Participants to the seventh national HLPF conference in Germany highlighted that amid the current geopolitical tensions and growing opposition to multilateral governance, a voluntary national review (VNR) is not only an opportunity to take stock of implementation, but to galvanize public support for the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Participants called on the German government to take a strong stance for continued multilateral action for sustainable development and to present itself as reliable partner for countries in the Global South.

Stakeholders also discussed SDGs slated for in-depth review at the 2025 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and highlighted, among other issues:

• On SDG 3 (good health and well-being): the indivisibility between human and planetary health; systemic approaches like water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); prevention as cost efficiency; and linkages between poverty and poor health, defending access to products and services for sexual and reproductive health;
• On SDG 5 (gender equality): support for democracy requiring gender equality;
• On SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth): good labor conditions and future perspectives for youth as a precondition for growth, noting degrowth as a sustainability strategy for rich countries and calling for developing better indicators for data-driven policymaking; and
• On SDG 14 (life below water), a strong commitment to protecting the ocean in partnership with other countries.

On the question of the future of sustainable development beyond the 2030 deadline, several participants noted a need to shift towards new narratives that frame sustainable development as an agenda for prosperity and resilience that can offer tangible benefits to people. They also suggested a new approach to partnerships with countries of the Global South that empowers them to lead the development of the future framework and treats them as “partners at eye-level.”

The seventh German HLPF Conference convened on 24 June 2025. It was co-hosted by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN), which share the lead for Germany’s third VNR. The meeting was attended by 125 participants representing government, business, academia, and many stakeholder associations. [ENB Coverage of Seventh German HLPF Conference]