The UN Secretariat has released the draft programme for the July session of the 2024 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The annual meeting is held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its 2024 edition is the first to convene after the 2023 SDG Summit. It will support follow-up to the Summit’s political declaration and contribute to the preparations for the Summit of the Future (SoF) in September.

A letter from ECOSOC President Paula Narváez Ojeda, dated 17 April, invites countries to attend the 2024 session of the HLPF. The theme of HLPF 2024 is ‘Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient, and innovative solutions.’ It is scheduled to take place from 8-12 July and 15-18 July at UN Headquarters in New York, US, including the three-day ministerial segment from 15-17 July, held jointly with the ECOSOC high-level segment, which will conclude on 18 July.

Narváez Ojeda notes that the ECOSOC high-level segment “will focus on the support of the multilateral system to commitments made by the governments and stakeholders at [the] SDG Summit, as well as on current key global trends and their impacts [on] the realization of the SDGs by 2030.” She further notes that the HLPF and the high-level segment of the Council will result in a negotiated ministerial declaration. Informal consultations on the ministerial declaration commenced on 27 March 2024.

The provisional programme circulated with the 17 April letter indicates that following an opening session and a townhall meeting on the theme, ‘From the SDG Summit to the Effective Delivery of Sustainable, Resilient, and Innovative Solutions,’ the first week of HLPF 2024 will be dedicated to in-depth review of five Goals:

• SDG 1 (no poverty);
• SDG 2 (zero hunger);
• SDG 13 (climate action);
• SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions); and
• SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals), including sessions on ‘Unlocking Investment in the SDGs’ and ‘Science, Technology and Innovation: Triggering Transformation and Sustaining Science-driven Solutions.’

The first week will also include a series of thematic discussions, beginning with a session on implementing the outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4). A session on ‘Acting at Local Level’ will discuss local-level transformations to overcome crises and shift towards the full implementation of the SDGs. Other thematic sessions will address: building resilience and capacity in times of crises and transition in African countries, least developed countries (LDCs), and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs); overcoming barriers in achieving the SDGs in middle-income countries (MICs); and perspectives from major groups and other stakeholders (MGoS) on partnerships for transformative and urgent actions.

The presentation of voluntary national reviews (VNRs) will begin on Friday, 12 July, and continue through week two, concluding on Wednesday, 17 July. Thirty-eight countries will conduct VNRs. These are Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belize, Brazil, Chad, Colombia, the Republic of the Congo, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Georgia, Guinea, Honduras, Kenya, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Libya, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia, Namibia, Nepal, Oman, Palau, Peru, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Sudan, Spain, Syria, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

Also during the second week, the three-day ministerial segment will convene jointly with the ECOSOC high-level segment, from 15-17 July. The general debate will address the theme, ‘From the SDG Summit to the Summit of the Future.’ On Tuesday, 16 July, a dialogue on regional realities will convene to discuss “[h]ow we can mobilize regional action and leverage regional frameworks to support countries in overcoming crises to ensure full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and follow up to the Political Declaration of the SDG Summit.”

The morning and afternoon sessions of the ECOSOC high-level segment on 18 July will reflect on ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow: The Role of ECOSOC Towards a Sustainable and Resilient Path by 2030’ and on ‘Current Trends and Their Impacts: Looking to the Future and the Realization of the SDGs,’ respectively.

During the HLPF, side events, VNR “labs,” special events, and exhibitions will also take place. Applications for side events and exhibitions will be accepted on the 2024 HLPF website until 6 May 2024. [Invitation from ECOSOC President] [Draft Programme]