The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) briefed Member States and stakeholders on the outcomes of Expert Group Meetings (EGMs) on the SDGs undergoing in-depth review at the July session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
The in-focus Goals are 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). To contribute to their review, EGMs are convening on:
- SDG 6 in Dakar, Senegal, on 27 January 2026, organized during the High-Level Preparatory Meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO);
- SDG 7 in Geneva, Switzerland, to be held from 25-26 March 2026, organized in collaboration with UN-Energy and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE);
- SDG 9 in Vienna, Austria, from 23-24 February 2026, organized in collaboration with the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); and
- SDG 11 in Nairobi, Kenya, from 20-21 January 2026, organized in collaboration with UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
These EGMs bring together experts from academia, civil society, international organizations, youth, and the private sector to assess progress to date, reflect on challenges and opportunities for accelerating achievements, and identify innovative solutions for advancing progress. They build on the background materials prepared for each of the four SDGs when they were last reviewed, assess new challenges, and highlight ways to leverage the momentum, opportunities, and solutions generated by the Summit of the Future, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), and the Second World Summit for Social Development.
The summaries of the EGMs provide a source of evidence to support Member States in their preparations for the HLPF, including the development of the ministerial declaration. The HLPF will assess progress on the Goals under review and identify opportunities to accelerate action, linking with other intergovernmental processes such as the 2026 UN Water Conference.
The EGM briefing was held on 13 March 2026.
HLPF 2026 will convene from 7-15 July under the theme, ‘Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all.’ [HLPF 2026]