Despite frequent references to “multiple interlinked crises,” a sense of “positive realism” permeated discussions at the 2025 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Delegates welcomed notable improvements on some of the SDG targets on health, energy access, social protection, and girls’ education, recognizing the need to accelerate progress on two-thirds of the targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Discussions drew on the data from the latest edition of the Sustainable Development Goals Report by the Statistics Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). According to the report, only 35% of the SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress, while nearly half are moving too slowly and 18% have regressed.

The Forum built on momentum from the Third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) and the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), among other high-level events. It also featured discussions on the imperative of restoring trust in multilateralism during a period of unprecedented global challenges – in alignment with the UN Secretary-General’s UN80 initiative to streamline UN operations.

The HLPF carried out in-depth reviews of five Goals – 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). Thirty-five countries presented voluntary national reviews (VNRs) to enhance the sharing of good practices and lessons learned in SDG implementation, marking VNRs’ tenth anniversary.

During the HLPF closing plenary, delegates adopted the pre-negotiated outcome document following several votes on proposed amendments – and, at the behest of the US, on the Ministerial Declaration itself. This prompted HLPF Chair Bob Rae, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), to note that “consensus does not mean unanimity,” the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting highlights. The proposed amendments centered on language relating to gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SDG 5), striving towards decent employment for all (SDG 8), and ensuring access to medicines (SDG 3).

The 130-paragraph Ministerial Declaration outlines current challenges and their impacts on accelerating the implementation of the SDGs, highlights priority actions for advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda, and offers reflections on the VNRs.

ENB notes that “[w]hile an overwhelming majority of Member States voted in favor of the negotiated text, many requested the floor to clarify their country positions, or record an intention to dissociate themselves from final language in some paragraphs of the Declaration.”

At the same time, the ENB analysis of the Forum highlights, many viewed the HLPF as representing a “glass half full rather than half empty.” Delegates praised the Forum’s role in advancing momentum toward sustainable development by facilitating “an open exchange on how multilateral and other forms of international cooperation can move SDG implementation forward.” “We must turn momentum into transformation,” urged UN Secretary-General António Guterres, addressing ministers.

HLPF 2025 was held from 14-23 July 2025 at UN Headquarters in New York, US. Convening under the auspices of ECOSOC, it took place on the overarching theme, ‘Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs for leaving no one behind.’ [ENB Coverage of HLPF 2025]