The co-facilitators of the intergovernmental process to review the arrangements for the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) have issued a revised zero draft of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution. The co-facilitators presented the revised zero draft to Member States during a meeting on 2 May 2024. Informal consultations continued on 6 May.
In their letter dated 24 April 2024, the co-facilitators for the informal consultations – Permanent Representative of Guinea Paul Goa Zoumanigui and Permanent Representative of Latvia Sanita Pavļuta-Deslandes – explain that the revised zero draft is informed by written and oral feedback received during informal consultations on 28 March. The co-facilitators hope the revised draft can “serve as a basis for moving forward.”
The revised zero draft consists of four documents:
In Part A, the UNGA reaffirms its commitment to strengthen the work of ECOSOC “as a principal organ for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue, and recommendations on issues of economic and social development” and looks forward to the Summit of the Future and the Pact for the Future as an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieve the SDGs.
By the text, ECOSOC should, inter alia:
- Further enhance its contribution to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda during the six remaining years of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development;
- Provide integrated policy guidance on the follow-up to and operationalization of the intergovernmentally negotiated ministerial declaration;
- Give adequate attention to the special challenges facing the most vulnerable countries, in particular, African countries, least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), small island developing States (SIDS), and countries in conflict and post-conflict situations, as well as the specific challenges facing middle-income countries (MICs), in pursuing sustainable development; and
- Work towards the eradication of poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, as the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.
The revised zero draft also contains details on the functions and working modalities of the Council and its subsidiary bodies. It also states that ECOSOC, while retaining its intergovernmental nature, “should seek to promote the active participation of international and regional organizations, members of parliaments, academia, scientists, non-governmental organizations [(NGOs)], local governments, the private sector, women, youth, and major groups and other stakeholders [(MGoS)].”
According to Part B, the principles established in the 2030 Agenda for guiding follow-up and review processes should continue to be implemented at all levels. They will, inter alia:
- Be voluntary and country-led;
- Track progress in implementing the SDGs in a manner which respects their universal, integrated, and interrelated nature and the three dimensions of sustainable development;
- Maintain a longer-term orientation by identifying achievements, challenges, gaps, and critical success factors;
- Be open, inclusive, participatory, and transparent and support the reporting by all relevant stakeholders; and
- Be people-centered, gender-sensitive, respect human rights, and have a particular focus on those furthest behind.
Follow-up and review processes will also build on existing platforms and processes and be rigorous and based on evidence.
By the text, the HLPF shall strengthen: peer learning and implementation by providing sufficient time for the sharing of best practices and experiences; and its analysis of the interlinkages across the SDGs and targets, including policy implications of their synergies and trade-offs. At the same time, the HLPF “will strive to strike a balance between giving greater attention to interlinkages across the Goals and targets and ensuring in-depth reviews of individual [SDGs].”
Part B of the 24 April draft also contains adjusted themes for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 sessions, as follows:
- For 2025: ‘Advancing sustainable and inclusive solutions for leaving no one behind’;
- For 2026: ‘Transformative actions for a sustainable future for all’; and
- For 2027: ‘Scaling up transitions for the full implementation of the 2030
Agenda.’
The sets of Goals to undergo in-depth review during the remainder of the current cycle are, by the text:
- For 2025: Goals 3, 8 10, 14 and 17;
- For 2026: Goals 6, 7, 9, 11 and 17; and
- For 2027: Goals 4, 5, 12, 15 and 17.
In its 2021 resolutions 75/290 A and 75/290 B, the UNGA decided to conduct the reviews of the ECOSOC and the HLPF in conjunction with each other at its 78th session. Per the revised zero draft, the next review of the arrangements for ECOSOC and the HLPF will be conducted at UNGA’s 82nd session in 2028. [Letter from the Co-facilitators Dated 24 April 2024] [UNGA Reviews of ECOSOC and HLPF] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Zero Draft of UNGA Resolution on ECOSOC and HLPF Review]