GFDD and Funglode Attend the 2017 Edition of the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and Supports the Delivery of the NGO Major Group Position Paper

Together with hundreds of sustainable development advocates and government delegates, GFDD and Funglode participated in the 2017 High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) earlier this week. This year’s meeting, the second since the adoption of the new development Agenda in 2015, is on the theme of “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world.”

Over the course of two weeks, the HLPF
reflected on experiences and lessons learned during the last year of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation, and resulted in a ministerial declaration endorsed by more than 70 ministers from around the world aimed at accelerating the pace of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to lift millions out of poverty.

Some speakers representing blocs of countries expressed regret at the omission of key issues in the Declaration.
Ecuador’s representative, speaking for the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said it was unfortunate that despite many proposals some States had made, there was no mention of harmony with nature and the distribution of wealth. Echoing a concern shared by other groups of countries, Estonia’s delegate, speaking for the European Union, said that while the text was balanced in its treatment of the three pillars of sustainable development, many
issues that the bloc had promoted were absent, among them the root causes of migration and issues such as sexual and reproductive health rights.

Many speakers from developing countries underlined the importance of partnerships in advancing progress on achieving the Goals.

Some speakers underlined the need to foster change and progress in other areas of concern, including gender equality and climate change. “Leaving no one behind
means combating climate change and ending poverty together,” said Andrew Doyle, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture of Ireland. That translated into implementing the Goals as an overarching framework for guiding and monitoring development assistance and as a road map for domestic action.

This year”s discussions included presentations on the challenges and gaps in reaching the development agenda in 44 countries that volunteered to give
progress reports known as voluntary national reviews, and more than 120 side events related to the SDGs. To read the progress reports of these countries please click here.

During the side events, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed urged public institutions to embrace the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Goals (SDGs) to
end poverty, reduce inequality and end tackle climate change.

“When the center of government functions effectively, collective expertise from across the public sector can be mobilized and brought to bear on the most pressing decisions confronting a country,” the Deputy Secretary-General told a high-level event on getting Governments organized to deliver on the SDGs.

In its capacity as a member of the Non-Governmental
Organization Major Group (NGO MG) of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, GFDD/Funglode co-signed, together with 148 other NGOs, the official NGO MG Position Paper for the HLPF 2017 which was delivered during the conference. The paper expresses the common views of civil society regarding this year’s HLPF theme: “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world.” By releasing the paper two months before the actual HLPF, the
NGO Major Group hopes to make its position known among the Member States, and bolster the collective advocacy of civil society. Aligned with the work of the HLPF this year, the NGO Major Group expressed its opinion in relation to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, 3, 5, 9 and 14 of the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development. To read a summary of the NGO Major Group statement please click here.

On July 18, the United
Nations Global Compact brought together leaders from business with representatives from Government, the UN, civil society and academia to highlight private sector commitment to take action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – the annual platform for reviewing progress and guiding global efforts on the achievement of the SDGs by 2030.Titled the 2017 SDG Business Forum, the event recognized the critical
role of business in delivering on the promise of sustainable and inclusive development. Speaking at the SDG Business Forum High-Level Luncheon, UN Secretary-General António Guterres encouraged the business community to see the SDGs as an opportunity to “participate in dialog with other sectors of society in building a common project, in building a common approach, in which the combined efforts of everybody can guarantee that the Goals are implemented.” He
highlighted the important role the private sector can play in providing financial solutions to help achieve the SDGs, ensuring that labor markets are prepared to adapt to future technologies, advancing the green economy, engaging in multi-lateral platforms of dialog to address issues around migration, fragility, and achieving Goal 16 including advancing the rule of law and good governance, fighting corruption, and building conditions for the cohesion of society.

The
one-day side event was also an opportunity for the UN Global Compact to market its most recent guidance note “Making Global Goals Local Business” to the audience which lays the organization’s multi-year strategy to drive business awareness and action in support of achieving the SDGs by 2030. Finally, the conference was also an opportunity for Secretary-General António Guterres to present the annual SDGs report. The report stressed that if the world
is to eradicate poverty, address climate change and build peaceful, inclusive societies for all by 2030, then greater efforts are needed to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Implementation has begun, but the clock is ticking,” stated Mr. Guterres. “This report shows that the rate of progress in many areas is far slower than needed to meet the targets by 2030.” Using the most recent data available, the annual SDGs report
provides an overview of the world””””s implementation efforts to date, highlighting areas of progress and areas where more action needs to be taken to ensure no one is left behind. The report notes that while nearly a billion people have escaped extreme poverty since 1999, about 767 million people remained destitute in 2013, most of whom live in fragile situations. Highlighting unevenness in progress, the document underscores that the benefits of development are not equally shared. It
shows that on average, women spent almost triple the amount of time on unpaid domestic and care work as men, based on data from 2010 to 2016. The annual document also emphasizes the importance of harnessing the power of data. It notes that while data availability and quality have steadily improved over the years, statistical capacity still needs

strengthening worldwide. The global statistical community is working to modernize and strengthen systems to address all
aspects of production and use of data for the SDGs. To download a copy of the 2017 SDGs report please click here.

About the HLPF

The meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2017 convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, it was held from Monday, 10 July, to Wednesday, 19 July 2017; including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum from Monday, 17 July, to Wednesday, 19 July 2017.
The theme was "Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world". The set of goals that were reviewed in depth included SDG 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 14 and 17:

· Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

· Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

· Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote
well-being for all at all ages

· Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

· Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

· Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

· Goal 17. Strengthen the means
of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

Related Links: SDG Report 2017 UN Member States – Voluntary National Reviews NGO Major Group Official Position Paper UN Global Compact Report – Making Global Goals Local Business