The UN has released the Secretary-General’s analysis of the theme of the 2026 UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). The report outlines key interventions countries can use to move from sectoral to systems approaches in simultaneously advancing the five Goals undergoing in-depth review this year – 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), among other SDGs.
The report is titled, ‘Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all.’ It offers recommendations on advancing multiple SDGs while overcoming barriers to progress through transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions.
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The report notes that a sustainable future for all can be achieved through the implementation of coherent policies and actions at the national and local levels, backed by coordinated international cooperation to further global frameworks, drive systemic transformation, and harness innovation in an equitable manner while leaving no one behind. However, it warns about fragmentation of current policy frameworks and practices across sectors, noting that outdated institutional structures often perpetuate siloed approaches.
The report identifies three cross‑cutting enablers of policy coherence for the SDGs: a whole‑of‑government approach to coordination; alignment of finance; and data, science, and learning for evidence‑informed decisions.
Underscoring the need for strengthened policy coherence, the report recommends, among other actions:
- Institutionalizing systems thinking in public administration by mandating inter‑ministerial assessments of SDG interlinkages to identify synergies;
- Adopting mission‑oriented programmes using shared outcomes and pooled budgets to replace siloed interventions with integrated portfolios;
- Aligning financial architecture with national transformation missions through medium-term expenditure frameworks and programme-based budgeting that sequence policy reforms with investment pipelines;
- Revitalizing partnerships through co-creation and participatory monitoring for improved transparency and accountability for SDG delivery; and
- Institutionalizing the collection of disaggregated data to track progress and trigger automatic policy corrections when specific groups are identified as falling behind.
The Secretary-General’s report was issued in May 2025 as an advance unedited version. [Publication: Transformative, Equitable, Innovative and Coordinated Actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a Sustainable Future for All: Report of the Secretary-General] [HLPF 2026]