High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2026)

With less than four years until the 2030 deadline and one year before formal negotiations begin on the post-2030 framework, the 2026 High-level Political Forum (HLPF 2026) convenes under the theme “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all.”

The in-depth review of selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is informed by expert group meetings that assessed progress and identified priorities for future work.

• On SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), key considerations include innovation for water-use efficiency, restoring and conserving freshwater ecosystems, strengthening water finance and inclusive governance, decentralizing water management, affirming access to water and sanitation as human rights obligations, and embedding gender in implementation.
• Key messages from the expert group on SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) emphasize the need to scale equitable energy transitions as an SDG accelerator by addressing uneven access to energy and disparities in finance and investment, while accelerating action on clean cooking, energy efficiency, grid infrastructure, and decentralized renewable energy.
• Key considerations on SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure) stress that progress remains uneven across targets and regions, underscoring the need for mission-oriented industrial policy, resilient and green value chains, and digital transformation.
• The expert group on SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) focused on how cities can get back on track on housing, services, and inclusion through integrated, people-centered urban planning, stronger local governance, better data systems, and scalable approaches to sustainable transport, housing, and the circular economy. HLPF 2026 will also provide an opportunity to align SDG 11 recommendations with the midterm review of UN-Habitat’s 20-year New Urban Agenda, to be conducted by the UN General Assembly on 16 and 17 July 2026.
• A session on SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals), which is reviewed every year, will provide an opportunity to discuss how stronger stakeholder engagement can build more effective alliances for the 2030 Agenda.

Thirty-six countries will present Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) at HLPF 2026. These include Togo and Uruguay, presenting their fifth VNR; Egypt and Switzerland, presenting their fourth; twenty countries presenting for the third time; and twelve for the second time. An analysis of the Secretary-General’s compilation of VNR main messages shows that many countries framed their reports around the “final stretch to 2030” and the need to prioritize and scale reforms and investments for accelerated action. 

Member States are likely to use the annual ministerial segment to signal their SDG priorities and reaffirm support for multilateralism amid deepening global crises.

The 2026 session of the HLPF will convene from 7–15 July 2026 at UN Headquarters in New York. The HLPF is the UN’s main platform on sustainable development. It plays a leading role in the follow-up and review of implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) writers for this meeting are Stefan Jungcurt, Ph.D.; Deborah Davenport, Ph.D.; and Lynn Wagner, Ph.D. The Photographer is Kiara Worth, Ph.D. The Editors are Jessica Templeton, Ph.D.; and Pamela Chasek, Ph.D.