The 2026 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July will conduct in-depth reviews of progress towards five SDGs. SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals) is one of these SDGs. In preparation for the review, this Policy Brief reflects on the status of SDG 17 and its interlinkages with other Goals as the deadline for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development draws near.

When UN Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs in 2015, they agreed to use the next 15 years to strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development – a precondition for achieving any and all of the Goals.

Since SDG 17 is the “enabler” Goal, it is the only SDG to undergo the HLPF’s in-depth review annually. During HLPF 2026, discussions on the other four Goals under review – SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure), and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) – will all address the question of how to strengthen the means of implementation and partnerships to accelerate the achievement of these Goals.

Among other resources, the SDG 17 review at HLPF 2026 will draw from the UN Secretary-General’s annual SDG progress report, the SDG progress report by the UN Statistics Division, scheduled for launch on 7 July 2026, and the 2026 global SDG assessment by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) – a non-profit operating under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General.

Several other inputs will inform the SDG 17 review as well. The Sevilla Commitment from the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and the 2026 Financing for Sustainable Development Report, which analyzes initial implementation of the Sevilla Commitment, will support the discussions.

The outcomes and the Co-Chairs’ summary of the 11th annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum), held in May 2026, will also contribute to the review. The STI Forum focused on the theme, ‘Transformative, equitable and coordinated science, technology and innovation for the 2030 Agenda and a sustainable future for all,’ and explored how to, inter alia, shape the future of science, technology, and innovation for sustainable development in times of uncertainty and change.

Data reveal that after more than a decade of implementation, progress on SDG 17 is mixed. While digital connectivity continues to expand, SDG 17 is facing growing structural challenges as evidenced by rising debt burdens, sharp declines in Official Development Assistance (ODA), and reduced foreign direct investment (FDI). These trends “are undermining the means of implementation at precisely the moment they are most needed.”

Some of the data points include:

  • ODA from members and associates of the Development Assistance Committee (DCA) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) decreased more than 23% from 2024 to 2025 – the largest annual drop on record;
  • In the same period, bilateral ODA was down 26.4%, and core contributions to the UN system declined by 27%; and
  • In 2024, total external debt went up to a record USD 8.9 trillion, while debt servicing costs reached an historic high, with interest payments up 2.2%.

The Secretary-General’s report shows that while fixed broadband subscriptions grew at an average annual rate of 5.9% between 2015 and 2025, high prices and a lack of infrastructure make fixed connections prohibitive in low-income countries, with more than a quarter of the global population remaining offline.

Slowing progress on data points to “the urgent need for more inclusive and sustained investment in data infrastructure.” While funding to strengthen statistics increased 57% since 2015, the state of global funding uncertainty makes prospects of continued growth uncertain.

Overall, as the Secretary-General’s report notes, “[t]he countries with the greatest development needs are also the ones with the least connectivity, limited statistical capacity, and the most constrained fiscal space.” At HLPF 2026, dedicated session will explore the role of means of implementation in: accelerating SDG achievement in African countries, least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and middle-income countries (MICs); identifying strategies for SDG success in small island developing States (SIDS); and strengthening alliances for SDG implementation through stakeholder engagement for the 2030 Agenda.

HLPF 2026 convenes in New York, US, from 7-15 July. Its theme is ‘Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all.’ Its review of SDG 17 takes place against the backdrop of a shifting geopolitical landscape, the increasingly urgent need for reform of the international financial architecture, as recognized in the Pact for the Future, and the UN80 initiative, which seeks to reform the way the organization conducts business. [HLPF 2026]