The UN Secretariat has released the draft programme for the July 2022 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The annual meeting is held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The 2022 HLPF is being planned as a predominantly in-person meeting.
A letter from ECOSOC President Collen Vixen Kelapile invites countries to attend the “2022 in-person session” of the HLPF. It is scheduled to take place from 5-7 July and 11-15 July at UN Headquarters in New York, US, followed by the last day of the ECOSOC high-level segment on 18 July.
Kelapile notes that he hopes for “strong in-person participation” at the meeting and will limit virtual interventions to a very small number. He notes that health conditions in the New York City area could make it necessary to revert to a hybrid format, which would affect the programme.
The first week of the Forum will consist of Tuesday-Thursday, 5-7 July, and Monday-Tuesday, 11-12 July. After an opening session, the first morning will be dedicated to a “town hall meeting” on building back better and advancing the SDGs. The meeting will discuss how COVID-19 has affected the SDGs and whether recovery measures are advancing the 2030 Agenda, leaving no one behind, and addressing trade-offs.
The HLPF will then focus on in-depth reviews of five SDGs:
- Goal 4 (quality education) on Wednesday, 6 July
- Goal 5 (gender equality) on Thursday, 7 July
- Goal 14 (life below water) on Thursday, 7 July
- Goal 15 (life on land) on Monday, 11 July, and
- Goal 17 (partnerships for the Goals), on Tuesday, 6 July.
The first week will also include a series of other thematic discussions. First, a session on ‘Acting at local level’ will explore subnational and local dimensions. As stated in the HLPF concept note, cities and regions “have a major role in implementing the SDGs” and the HLPF could learn from their voluntary local reviews of SDG implementation. The thematic discussions will also address: ensuring equal access to vaccines and resources in African countries, the least developed countries (LDCs) and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs); building back better for small island developing States (SIDS); and ‘Vision of civil society: Leaving no one behind in recovering better.’
The 2022 HLPF will feature the launch of preparations for the 2023 SDG Summit, which will conduct a “mid-term review of the SDGs”. The SDG Summit will take place at the level of heads of state and government, under the auspices of the UN General Assembly, in September 2023.
The presentation of 45 countries’ voluntary national reviews (VNRs) will begin on Monday, 11 July and continue through Friday, 15 July. Countries reporting for the first time will have the longest time slots, with 15 minutes to present and 20 minutes to engage in questions and answers with other participants. These countries can present either individually or as part of a panel.
Other countries – who will be presenting their second, third, or fourth VNRs – will have ten minutes for their presentations and 15 for interaction. They will present in panel format.
Also during the second week, ECOSOC will hold its high-level ministerial segment. This will include outcomes of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 5), messages from each of the five UN regions, and the adoption of the HLPF Ministerial Declaration. Intergovernmental consultations to draft the Declaration are ongoing with the leadership of the delegations of Italy and Nauru.
The HLPF will also be the site of side events, VNR “labs,” special events, and exhibitions. These will be held virtually. Applications for side events and exhibitions are being accepted until 31 May. [Invitation from ECOSOC President] [Draft programme of 6 April] [Concept note for 2022 HLPF] [Side event guidelines]