A second revised draft of the 2021 outcome agreement of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) has been issued for consideration by UN Member States. Informal consultations on the Ministerial Declaration will resume on 10 June, in person.

After releasing a zero draft  in April and a revised draft on 3 May, the co-facilitators for negotiations – the Permanent Representatives of Finland and Iraq – released a second revised draft of the declaration on 31 May. 

The section on ‘Other priority issues’ includes a new paragraph on refugees. This text invites the mobilization of direct aid to host countries, refugee populations, and countries of origin of refugees, “with a view to enhancing the capacity of and reducing the heavy burden borne by countries and communities hosting refugees and displaced persons,” while respecting humanitarian principles. It also invites support for countries of origin for “durable solutions, with a focus on voluntary repatriation in safety and dignity.”

Among other changes, the paragraphs on countries in special situations and territorial integrity appear earlier than in the previous version in the list of priority issues.

The co-facilitators will convene a third round of consultations from 10-11 June 2021 at UN Headquarters, and circulate the third revision on 14 June.

The Declaration is being prepared for adoption at the the high-level segment of the 2021 session of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the HLPF’s ministerial segment. [Second revised draft of Ministerial Declaration] [All letters and drafts of 2021 Ministerial Declaration]