Objectives

In accordance with General Assembly resolutions 66/288 and 67/290, the Forum, consistent with its universal intergovernmental character, shall:

1. provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development;
2. enhance integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development in a holistic and cross-sectoral manner at all levels;
3. provide a dynamic platform for regular dialogue and for stocktaking and agenda-setting to advance sustainable development;
4. have a focused, dynamic and action-oriented agenda, ensuring the appropriate consideration of new and emerging sustainable development challenges;
5. follow up and review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments contained in Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the Barbados Programme of Action, the Mauritius Strategy and The Future We Want and, as appropriate, relevant outcomes of other United Nations summits and conferences, including the outcome of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries as well as their respective means of implementation;
6. encourage high-level system-wide participation of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes and invite to participate, as appropriate, other relevant multilateral financial and trade institutions and treaty bodies, within their respective mandates and in accordance with United Nations rules and provisions;
7. improve cooperation and coordination within the United Nations system on sustainable development programmes and policies;
8. promote transparency and implementation by further enhancing the consultative role and participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders at the international level in order to better make use of their expertise, while retaining the intergovernmental nature of discussions;
9. promote the sharing of best practices and experiences relating to the implementation of sustainable development and, on a voluntary basis, facilitate sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned;
10. strengthen the science-policy interface through review of documentation, bringing together dispersed information and assessments, including in the form of a global sustainable development report, building on existing assessments;
11. enhance evidence-based decision-making at all levels and contribute to strengthening ongoing capacity-building for data collection and analysis in developing countries; and
12. promote system-wide coherence and coordination of sustainable development policies.

Follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals

As stipulated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the HLPF has a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs at the global level, working coherently with the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and other relevant organs and forums.

The Forum facilitates the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned and provides political leadership, guidance and recommendations for follow-up. It promotes system-wide coherence and coordination of sustainable development policies. It ensures that the 2030 Agenda remains relevant and ambitious and focuses on the assessment of progress, achievements and challenges faced by developed and developing countries as well as new and emerging issues. Effective linkages are made with the follow-up and review arrangements of all relevant United Nations conferences and processes, including on least developed countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries.

A central feature of the HLPF are the voluntary national reviews (VNRs) that it receives from Member States on their implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Regularly undertaken by both developed and developing countries, the VNRs provide a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders.

The HLPF also undertakes annual thematic reviews of the SDGs including cross-cutting issues. As decided in General Assembly resolution 70/299, the themes of and the sets of SDGs to be reviewed by the HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC from 2017 to 2019 are:

Follow up and review at the HLPF is informed by an annual progress report on the SDGs prepared by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The most recent report is available here.. The HLPF is also informed by the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR), which strengthens the science-policy interface and is issued every four years (E/HLS/2016/1). Details of the 2019 GSDR, including bios of the independent group of scientists tasked with drafting it, are available here. The follow up and review at the HLPF are also informed by other relevant inputs.

Members

The General Assembly in resolution 67/290 decides that all meetings of the Forum shall provide for the full and effective participation of all States Members of the United Nations and States members of specialized agencies.

Structure

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development meets:

• Every four years at the level of Heads of State and Government under the auspices of the General Assembly for two days;
• Every year under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council for a period of eight days, including a three-day ministerial segment.

For further information please see General Assembly resolution 67/290 on the format and organizational aspects of the Forum and resolution 70/299 on the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level.

For the positioning of the HLPF in the UN system, please click here.

ECOSOC & HLPF Reviews

• GA resolution 70/299 decided to review progress in implementing resolution 70/299 and resolution 67/290 on the format and organizational aspects of the high-level political forum(HLPF) at the 74th session of the GA, in order to benefit from lessons learned in the first cycle of the forum as well as from other processes under the GA and the ECOSOC related to the follow-up and review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  
• Efforts to strengthen ECOSOC have been ongoing since its creation. GA resolution 72/305, the latest in this effort, addressed a wide range of issues, including a more focused and pertinent agenda, revisiting the ECOSOC cycle, and the Council’s oversight and coordination function of its subsidiary bodies. 
• GA resolution 72/305 on the implementation of the GA resolution 68/1 on ECOSOC strengthening decided that the arrangements contained in that resolution and its annex would be reviewed at the 74th session of the GA and at subsequent review cycles in conjunction with the review process of the HLPF. 
• On 13 January 2020, the President of the General Assembly appointed the Permanent Representative of Benin and the Permanent Representative of Georgia to facilitate the intergovernmental negotiations related to the implementation of the resolution 72/305  on ECOSOC strengthening and the HLPF resolutions (67/290 and 70/299).
   

STATEMENTS

• Co-facilitators’ remarks for the virtual information consultations on ECOSOC/HLPF review (8 April 2020)

LETTERS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

• Letter from the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the Economic and Social Council and the High-Level Political Forum, conveying the inputs received from delegations (21 May 2020)
• Letter by the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum on the virtual informal consultations taking place on 8 May 2020 (5 May 2020)
• Letter by the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum on the zero draft of the GA resolution for the HLPF/ECOSOC review (24 April 2020)
• Letter by the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum announcing a virtual consultation to discuss the way forward for the HLPF/ECOSOC Review in light of the COVID-19 pandemic on 8 April 2020 at 3 p.m. (6 April 2020)
• Letter by the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum (1 April 2020)
• Letter from the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum (18 March 2020)
• Letter from the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the Economic and Social Council and the High-level Political Forum (5 March 2020)
• Letter from the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the ECOSOC and the HLPF, conveying the dates of the forthcoming thematic review meetings (26 February 2020)
• Letter from the co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations for the review process of the ECOSOC and the HLPF resolutions (3 February 2020)
• Letter on the appointment of co-facilitators for the intergovernmental negotiations related to the ECOSOC and the HLPF (13 January 2020)
• Letter by the President of the General Assembly and the President of ECOSOC on the Group of Friends of the VNRs,(14 November 2019)
   

MAJOR DOCUMENTS RELATED TO ECOSOC AND HLPF MANDATES

• United Nations Charter (1945):  Chapter IX: “International economic and social cooperation” and Chapter X: “The Economic and Social Council” 
• A/RES/32/197 (1977): Restructuring of the economic and social sectors of the UN System
• A/RES/45/264 (1991): Restructuring and revitalization of the UN in the economic, social and related field's
• A/RES/48/162 (1993): Further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the UN in the economic, social and related fields
• A/RES/50/227 (1996): Further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the UN in the economic, social and related fields  
• A/RES/53/12B (1997): Renewing the United Nations: a programme for reform
• A/RES/60/1 (2005): World Summit Outcome Document
• A/RES/61/16 (2006): Strengthening of the Economic and Social Council
• A/RES/66/288 (2012): The Future We Want
• A/RES/67/290 (2013): Format and organizational aspects of the high-level political forum on sustainable development
• A/RES/68/1 (2013): Review of the implementation of GA resolution 61/16 on the strengthening of the Economic and Social Council
• A/RES/70/1 (2015): Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
• A/RES/70/299 (2016): Follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level
• A/RES/72/305 (2018): Review of the implementation of GA resolution 68/1 on the strengthening of the ECOSOC
• A/RES/74/4 (2019): Political Declaration of the HLPF convened under the auspices of the General Assembly
   

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS

Non-papers for the Consultations:
• Non-paper by the co-facilitators “High-level political forum on sustainable development: thematic reviews, VNRs and HLPF-related issues”
• Non-paper by the co-facilitators “Review of the implementation of GA resolution 72/305 on Strengthening the Economic and Social Council”

Secretariat’s Issue Briefs on ECOSOC’s work and roles
• Brief I:  ECOSOC mandates and evolution of functions
• Brief II: ECOSOC Policy Dialogue and Guidance
• Brief III: ECOSOC Guiding and promoting a coherent and coordinated UN system
• Brief IV: ECOSOC Subsidiary bodies
• Brief V: ECOSOC’s Relationship with the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council
• Brief VI: ECOSOC and Countries in Special Situations
• Brief VII: ECOSOC Addressing Emergency Issues

Other Relevant Background Documents:
• Summary of the Expert Group Meeting on “The Way Forward – Strengthening ECOSOC and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development” held at UNHQ in New York, 3 to 4 December 2019
• Summary of the Expert Group Meeting on “Lessons learned from the first cycle of the HLPF” held at UNHQ in New York, 6 to 7 May 2019.
• HLPF thematic session on “Lessons learned from the first cycle of the HLPF and Messages for the 2019 HLPF Summit”, 18 July 2019
• Background note of the HLPF thematic session on “Lessons learned from the first cycle of HLPF and Messages for 2019 HLPF Summit: What should Heads of State and Government know and how can we improve the HLPF?”, 18 July 2019.
• Results of the Survey on the HLPF: Evaluation after 4 years

Relations with the UN system organizations and other intergovernmental organizations

The organizations of the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions and other relevant intergovernmental organizations, including the World Trade Organization, are invited to contribute within their respective mandates to the discussions of the Forum.

Relations with the major groups and other stakeholders

Member States have stressed the need for the HLPF to promote transparency and implementation by further enhancing the consultative role and participation of the major groups and other relevant stakeholders at the international level in order to make better use of their expertise, while retaining the intergovernmental nature of discussions. The major groups and other stakeholders include non-governmental and non-profit organisations, business and industry, and local authorities, among others. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 67/290, the Forum is open to the major groups, other relevant stakeholders and entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the General Assembly, building on arrangements and practices observed by the Commission on Sustainable Development.

While retaining the intergovernmental character of the forum, the representatives of the major groups and other relevant stakeholders shall be allowed:

1. To attend all official meetings of the forum;
2. To have access to all official information and documents;
3. To intervene in official meetings;
4. To submit documents and present written and oral contributions;
5. To make recommendations;
6. To organize side events and round tables, in cooperation with Member States and the Secretariat;

Secretariat

The Office for Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs serves as the Secretariat of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

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