The window to achieve the SDGs is closing, and regional progress must accelerate. This was the key message from the regional forum on sustainable development (RFSD) for Asia and the Pacific. The meeting served as a platform for the region’s leaders to discuss how to fast-track progress on water, energy, infrastructure, cities, and partnerships ahead of the 2030 deadline.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) convened the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) in preparation for the 2026 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July. HLPF 2026 will conduct in-depth reviews of SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).
Warning about the threat to global partnerships posed by weakening multilateralism, UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana said “the region holds the means of implementation for sustainable development in its hands.” “We must collectively consider anew how regional cooperation could provide solutions for our rapidly evolving world,” she stated.
Emphasizing that “Asia and the Pacific will play a decisive role in determining whether the world achieves the 2030 Agenda,” President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Lok Bahadur Thapa outlined four messages:
- Transformation must be scaled and sustained;
- Equity must guide every decision;
- Innovation must close divides; and
- Coordination is strength.
A representative from the Asia-Pacific People’s Forum stressed the need for development to be rooted in human rights, care, justice, and accountability. A youth representative called for meaningful and sustained engagement for young people.
Participants noted that the SDGs are progressing unevenly across the region. For example, access to drinking water and sanitation has improved, but there are areas where safe sanitation is still unavailable. While electricity access in the region is now nearly universal, power remains unreliable and expensive in many remote rural areas and island communities.
Acknowledging the importance of national and local action, participants highlighted three practical enablers:
- Political leadership willing to take difficult decisions;
- Better use of timely data to adapt policies as conditions change; and
- Stronger collaboration with businesses and civil society to deliver results on the ground.
ESCAP’s annual SDG progress report informed the discussions. Another publication launched during the Forum, the 2026 Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report, highlighted urban initiatives that can tackle inequalities and recommended policy actions to advance inclusive urban development.
Also during the Forum, ESCAP launched the Energy Transition for Green Growth and Prosperity initiative, to support South-East Asian countries in the delivery of clean energy transitions while strengthening growth, jobs, and social inclusion.
The 2026 APFSD convened in Bangkok, Thailand, from 24-27 February 2026. [ESCAP Press Release]