National Capacity Building
Achieving the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs in each country will depend on collaborative partnerships between governments and non-State actors at all levels, and at all stages of the programmatic cycle-planning, consultations, implementation, monitoring and reviews. Click to read more.
How to get involved
UN DESA, collaborates closely with MGoS through a coordinating body of facilitators known as the Organizing Partners, comprised of accredited organizations that are invited to be facilitators between the Major Groups and other stakeholders and DESA. Organizing Partners are tasked with coordinating inputs and streamlining communications from their particular constituencies. To get involved and learn more about the activities of your Major Group, please contact the corresponding Organizing Partner directly (contact information under each constituency above).
The resolution
67/290 has also encouraged MGoS “to autonomously establish and maintain effective coordination mechanisms for participation in the high-level political forum and for actions derived from that participation at the global, regional and national levels, in a way that ensures effective, broad and balanced participation by region and by type of organization”. Subsequently, a coordination mechanism has been established with two co-chairs and and is a central channel for engagement with HLPF on sustainable development.
follow-up and review of 2030 Agenda
Technology facilitation mechanism
The second annual multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) will be held from 15-16 May 2017 at the UN Headquarters in New York City. For more information, please visit
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/TFM/STIForum
The first annual multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) was held from 6-7 June 2016 at the UN Headquarters in New York City. For more information, please visit
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/TFM/STIForum2016
Since the first United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 - known as the Earth Summit, it was recognized that achieving sustainable development would require the active participation of all sectors of society and all types of people.
Agenda 21, adopted at the Earth Summit, drew upon this sentiment and formalized nine sectors of society as the main channels through which broad participation would be facilitated in UN activities related to sustainable development. These are officially called "Major Groups" and include the following sectors:
- Women
- Children and Youth
- Indigenous Peoples
- Non-Governmental Organizations
- Local Authorities
- Workers and Trade Unions
- Business and Industry
- Scientific and Technological Community
- Farmers
Two decades after the Earth Summit, the importance of effectively engaging these nine sectors of society was reaffirmed by the Rio+20 Conference. Its outcome document "The Future We Want" highlights the role that Major Groups can play in pursuing sustainable societies for future generations. In addition, governments invited other stakeholders, including local communities, volunteer groups and foundations, migrants and families, as well as older persons and persons with disabilities, to also participate in UN processes related to sustainable development.
Subsequently, the resolution on format and organizational aspects of the high-level political forum on sustainable development
(67/290) identified also private philanthropic organizations, educational and academic entities and other stakeholders active in areas related to sustainable development as relevant stakeholders.
The 2030 Agenda also underlined the important role of major groups and other stakeholders in its implementation.
Major Groups and other stakeholders (MGoS) continue to demonstrate a high level of engagement with intergovernmental processes at the UN.
Their engagement with HLPF has been within the parameters set up in the paragraph 15 of the resolution 67/290, namely that they are allowed:
(a) To attend all official meetings of the forum;
(b) To have access to all official information and documents;
(c) To intervene in official meetings;
(d) To submit documents and present written and oral contributions;
(e) To make recommendations;
(f) To organize side events and round tables, in cooperation with Member States and the Secretariat.
The coordination of their input to intergovernmental processes on sustainable development has been facilitated by UNDESA.
