By Emma Vovk

The 2026 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) reviewed the latest data on global progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Drawing on the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026, discussions highlighted continued advances on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while underscoring the need to protect hard-won gains and reverse backsliding on one-sixth of measurable indicators.

Since the SDGs were adopted, Eastern Europe has made progress toward eradicating extreme poverty and reducing maternal and child mortality, while improving access to energy services and education. Several countries from the region appear in the top percentile of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s 2026 SDG Index, reflecting efforts to implement national development plans and policies aligned with the SDGs. Czechia ranks tenth among the 169 countries assessed. Nevertheless, global progress on the 2030 Agenda has slowed and, in some cases, regressed, with Eastern Europe’s sustainable development trajectory reflecting many of these trends.

Countries Highlight Resilience Priorities

Alongside the compounding impacts of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, rising geopolitical tensions continue to hinder sustainable development. Eastern European countries remain vulnerable to conflict-related spillover effects that affect economies, energy security, and food systems. Speaking at this year’s HLPF in New York, high-level government representatives reporting on national development pathways converged around a common priority for the years ahead: building resilience.

Among the Eastern European countries presenting Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) at the HLPF, Moldova highlighted how introducing a multidimensional poverty index has contributed to better adapted policies. Moldova is directing investments toward households and social services to strengthen social protection systems and cushion inflation and energy-related shocks. Acknowledging remaining challenges, Moldova identified the rising cost of living, both nationally and regionally, as a critical obstacle to achieving sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11).

Albania reported gradual progress toward gender equality. Women now hold more than one-third of parliamentary seats, supported by mandated gender-responsive budgeting. As with several Eastern European countries, Albania emphasized EU accession as a national priority. The country’s VNR presented EU accession and SDG implementation as mutually reinforcing processes, with accession negotiations driving governance reforms that can accelerate SDG implementation. Moldova’s Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Alexei Buzu, similarly described the two pathways as “mutually reinforcing agendas to build democratic, resilient, and prosperous societies.”

Two SDGs in focus at the HLPF this year underpin the provision and quality of essential services: clean water and sanitation (SDG 6) and affordable and clean energy (SDG 7). The region is generally making progress toward both goals, although it is expected to fall short of 2030 targets. Albania’s population now benefits from universal electricity access, and the country’s share of renewable energy in total consumption is among the highest in the region. Echoing others on the need for resilience, Albania plans to further diversify its energy sources to withstand climate variability and external market shocks.

Estonia reported improvements in energy independence and the share of renewables in its energy mix. Linking energy security to climate action, Estonia’s third VNR notes that these efforts are contributing to greenhouse gas emission reductions, which currently stand at 66% below 1990 levels. According to the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), greenhouse gas emissions have been declining faster in Eastern Europe than in the wider UNECE region, with this group on track to reach the 2030 target.

According to UNECE’s latest report, approximately half of UNECE countries do not meet the objective of safely treating at least 80% of domestic wastewater. The gap likely stems in part from difficulties closing urban-rural divides. In Albania, for example, wastewater treatment investments are concentrated in the capital, Tirana, and along coastal tourism areas.

Elsewhere, countries are using digital connectivity to narrow urban-rural gaps. Armenia reports that more than 90% of rural residents can access the Internet, although only 73% use it actively. Expanded efforts to localize the SDGs have shown promise. By pairing community digitalization with training on digital literacy, media awareness, and entrepreneurship, Armenia’s rural communities and businesses could contribute to more inclusive economic growth.

Inclusion, Education, and Governance Challenges Persist

Long-term resilience is essential following disasters and crises, which often expose underlying weaknesses in systems and institutions. Six years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries continue to experience its far-reaching effects. Education outcomes offer one example. Between 2012 and 2022, students’ minimum reading proficiency fell by 12 percentage points, from 59% to 47%, while minimum mathematics proficiency declined from 41% to 36%.

Eastern Europe continues to lag on social inclusion, while showing political will to advance the issue. As of December 2025, an estimated 3.7 million Ukrainians were internally displaced, and neighboring countries have received many people fleeing the war. This scale of forced movement has implications for labor markets, housing, and access to basic services. Short-term recovery measures include integrating displaced persons into local communities and increasing labor market inclusivity. Over the longer term, gender equality can support recovery by expanding women’s participation in economic life and in sectors where they have historically been underrepresented.

Building trust in institutions remains a key challenge, as does corruption, although Czechia performs above the regional average in reducing bribery. The UNECE report finds that only one-third of Eastern Europeans believe decision-making processes are inclusive, while bribery experienced at the individual level exceeds the region’s target of 3.2% threefold.

Partnerships and Financing Remain Central

Declining official development assistance (ODA) over the last few years may reflect a shift in public spending toward military capacity. Eastern Europe, whether experiencing conflict directly or living near its borders, mirrors this downturn: few countries now meet the target of allocating 1% of gross national income (GNI) to ODA. Despite these pressures, regional cooperation continues. Along the Danube River, 11 countries are pursuing cooperative transboundary water management. Armenia and Georgia have established a new arrangement to monitor transboundary flows in the Khrami-Debed(a) River Basin. Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Juraj Blanár, highlighted Slovakia’s support for a UN-Habitat initiative contributing to infrastructure reconstruction and energy-efficient housing in Ukraine.

With four years remaining before the 2030 deadline, Eastern Europe will need to continue strengthening human capital, investing in research, and reducing inequalities. Looking beyond 2030, the international community is expected to consider how future sustainable development efforts can build on lessons from SDG implementation. Czechia’s Minister of the Environment, Igor Červený, expressed optimism that the SDGs can help shape a better future, stating that “humanity is not the enemy of nature, and that prosperity and environmental protection are not enemies, but partners.”

Emma Vovk is an associate of the International Institute for Sustainable Development and a consultant on international biodiversity governance.