Governments and Experts Exchange Proposals for Improving High-Level Political Forum

hereIISD SDG Knowledge Hubco-facilitatorsOn Thursday, the 14th of May, the organizers of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) released a new draft program for the annual meeting of the HLPF in 2020. The HLPF is a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated toward exchanging experiences regarding the implementation of the SDGs between its 197 member states. Its annual meeting represents the unique opportunity to review the progress of the different member countries via the presentation of their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). The HLPF 2020 is scheduled to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from the 7th to the 16th of July. 

In preparation for this years Forum the co-facilitators for intergovernmental negotiations on the HLPF review process invited government representatives to take part in a detailed review process of the HLPF’s current format. Based on the advanced ideas of the different member countries the co-facilitators developed a brief to summarize the specific proposals suggested by state and non-state actors for the three key topics under discussion: VNRs, HLPF agenda and the ministerial declaration. Examples of these proposals include the heightened involvement of civil society or the private sector for VNR preparation, a stronger focus of the VNR’s on evidence-based approaches, more interactive sessions for VNR presentation at the HLPF’s annual meeting or placing a greater emphasis on the regional dimension.

To learn more about the developed suggestions read the full article on the brief by Faye Leone  here on the IISD SDG Knowledge Hub’s website.