December 2018: The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has provided information on the September 2019 meeting of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), also known as the “SDG Summit,” in a Question and Answers document on the HLPF webpage.

The HLPF will convene on the afternoon of Tuesday, 24 September and all day on Wednesday, 25 September 2019, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. The Q&A refers to the meeting as the “SDG Summit,” noting that it will meet under the auspices of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) at the level of Heads of State and Heads of Government. The chair will be the president of UNGA 74.

DESA points to three expected outcomes from the Summit: a political declaration, a range of voluntary commitments, and the reaffirmation of the 2030 Agenda and the UN’s role. On the political declaration, DESA says that this will be adopted by Heads of State and Government at the Forum, following negotiations by Member States in a process to be co-facilitated by the permanent representatives of Bahamas and Sweden. The declaration will provide political guidance on accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs, DESA notes.

On the voluntary commitments, the Q&A says that governments and stakeholders are encouraged to announce commitments for the implementation of SDGs. Commitments can be announced during the Summit, or online before the Summit.

On the reaffirmation of the 2030 Agenda and UN role, DESA suggests that the Summit “could demonstrate the benefits of an inclusive multilateralism through the reaffirmation of the 2030 Agenda and the revitalization of the United Nations’ role in linking peace and security, human rights and development and promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda as the international community seeks to provide global solutions to our common challenges, promote prosperity for all and endeavor to leave no one behind.”

The three events will be mutually reinforcing in identifying areas for action to accelerate progress towards sustainable development, DESA notes.

The Summit also is expected to play several other roles, including:

• Enable the international community to look back at areas where progress has been insufficient to meet the Goals on time, and identify what can be done to catalyze the needed changes;
• Identify and showcase areas of progress, and consider actions needed for scaling up;
• Share experiences and best practices, and provide access to tools that can accelerate change; and
• Provide a space for building partnerships to further SDG achievement at all levels.

The Summit will convene in parallel to the UNGA’s general debate as it begins its 74th session in September 2019. Taking place back-to-back with the Summit will be the 2019 Climate Summit convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and the UNGA’s High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development (FFD). Like the SDG Summit/HPLF meeting under UNGA auspices, the FFD dialogue is mandated by the 2030 Agenda to take place every four years. DESA notes that the three events will be “mutually reinforcing in identifying areas for action to accelerate the progress towards sustainable development.”

Finally, the Summit will include side events, special events and exhibitions on implementation of the 2030 Agenda and SDGs, civil society meetings, and an SDG media zone. [Q&A on September 2019 HLPF]