On the second day of the High-level Segment of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), delegates continued discussions on two parallel tracks.
In the morning, special panels discussed, respectively, ‘Messages from the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA),’ and regional perspectives on implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The latter discussions built on outcomes of the five UN Regional Commissions that convened to offer a platform for articulating regional priorities and perspectives to inform deliberations of major global summits that drive SDG delivery, notably the HLPF, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), and the Second World Summit for Social Development.
Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.
Delegates continued to hear Voluntary National Review (VNR) presentations for the rest of the day, with nine countries - Finland, the Philippines, Germany, Kazakhstan, Seychelles, Japan, The Gambia, Indonesia, and Suriname - presenting presenting their SDG progress reports. The VNR sessions were structured in a peer-review format in which representatives of countries, as well as other stakeholders, sought further clarification on the presentations.
The General Debate also continued through the afternoon, with more than 40 high-level speakers. They offered perspectives on broad themes such as:
- multilateralism and the UN80 initiative;
- SDG successes and challenges at national, regional and global levels;
- strategies for scaling up innovative financing for the Global Goals; and
- ideas for tackling entrenched challenges such as conflict and insecurity, economic and social inequality, and transnational threats such as online scams, illicit financial flows, and human trafficking.
A number of countries stressed the need to look beyond 2030, highlighting initiatives underway to align the SDGs with the Pact for the Future and other longer-term planning frameworks.
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All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For HLPF 2025 please use: Photo by IISD/ENB - Kiara Worth
Messages from the UN Environment Assembly
Delegates gather to hear an update from the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA)
Krzysztof Szczerski, Vice-President, ECOSOC
Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Amri, President of UNEA, and Chairman, Environment Authority, Oman
Regional Perspectives on SDG implementation
A special session discusses how the UN Regional Commissions are at the forefront of strengthening capacity for SDG implementation
Keisha McGuire, President and CEO, Present and Future Institute
Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, and Chair, Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development
Muhammad Ali Tamim, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, Iraq, and Chair, Arab Regional Forum on Sustainable Development
Umid Abidkhadjaev, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Uzbekistan, and Co-Chair, UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development
Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commissions for Western Asia (ESCWA); Arminda Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Tatiana Molcean, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission of Europe (ECE); and Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and Coordinator, UN Regional Commissions
Jorge Felix Rubio, Director-General for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peru, and Chair, Latin America and Caribbean Regional Forum on Sustainable Development
Ioannis Ghikas, Permanent Representative of Greece to the UN in Geneva, and Co-Chair, UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development
Suman Bery, Vice-Chair, National Institution for Transforming India (NITI), and Chair, Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development
Faisal Alfadl, Secretary-General, Saudi Green Building Forum
Delegates listen to the interventions
VNR Presentations throughout the Day
Krzysztof Szczerski, Vice-President, ECOSOC, presides over the VNRs
Petteri Orpo, Prime Minister of Finland
Finland's VNR highlights how happiness is a key focus of their development work
The Philippines' VNR highlights progress across the SDGs
Rosemarie Edillon, Undersecretary, Department of Economy, Planning and Development, the Philippines
Delegates listen to the VNR presentations
Silke Birkenborg Andersen, Denmark
Oluseyi Oyebisi, NGO Major Group
Joanne Marian Cesario, Workers and Trade Unions Major Group
Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Advisor to the President on SDGs, Nigeria
Lok Bahadur Thapa, Vice-President, ECOSOC
Germany presents their third VNR
Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
Assan Darbayev, Vice-Minister of National Economy, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's VNR highlights their approach to sustainable consumption and production
Indonesia's VNR highlights its progress in achieving SDG 8 - decent work and economic growth
Febrian Alphyanto Ruddyard, Vice Minister of National Development Planning, Indonesia
Laura Elisabeth Bertha Agathine, Principal Secretary, National Planning Department, Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade, Seychelles
The Seychelles' VNR highlights their efforts to tackle climate change
Suriname's VNR highlights the challenge of protecting natural forests while also exploring oil and gas opportunities
Elizabeth Bradley, Director for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Suriname
General Debate
The General Debate continued throughout the afternoon
Kyaw Moe Tun, Permanent Representative of Myanmar to the UN
Ali Naseer Mohamed, Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the UN
Delegates listen to the interventions
UN Secretary-General's Moment of Opportunity
Participants gather for a special session focused on the 'moment of opportunity' for a just transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy
UN Secretary-General António Guterres
André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, UNFCCC COP 30 President-designate
Selwin Hart, Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary General for Climate Change
Around the Venue
Youth delegates from South Africa
Delegates speak informally at the start of the day
Delegates consult
