The annual High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development is coming up fast, and with it comes Canada’s first Voluntary National Review on the country’s progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Not sure what this means? We’ve outlined some basic information about this important event below.
What is the HLPF?
The HLPF is the main United Nations platform on sustainable development and it has a central role in the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level.
The theme for this year’s forum is “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”. While progress on all SDGs will be reviewed, particular focus will be spent on Goal 6, Goal 7, Goal 11, Goal 12, Goal 15, and Goal 17.
When is it?
The high-level political forum on sustainable development will meet from Monday, July 9 to Wednesday, July 18. The ministerial meeting of the forum will be from Monday, July 16 to July 18.
What will Canada report on?
As Canada’s first review, the report will take stock of national actions, achievements and challenges, and identify next steps in implementing the 2030 Agenda. According to the synopsis of the report, Canada’s Voluntary National Review underscores the Government of Canada’s commitment to implement all 17 SDGs and the principles that underpin the 2030 Agenda, including “leaving no one behind.”
Canada is scheduled to present its VNR on Tuesday, July 17 between 3:30 and 6:30 PM.
How can I tune in?
A number of Alliance 2030 members will be attending the HLPF, including the Canadian Council for International Cooperation as well as provincial and regional councils, Community Foundations of Canada, International Institute for Sustainable Development, and Climate Action Network Canada. Be sure to follow us on Twitter as we’ll be posting and sharing regular updates from New York, including any available livestreams.
The formal meetings of the HLPF, including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum, will be available on live UN TV.
What should we expect?
The results of Canada’s VNR aren’t available yet, but the synopsis acknowledges that Canada’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda is a work in progress. Back in March, the Brookings Institute released its report A Canadian North Star: Crafting an advanced economy approach to the Sustainable Development Goals and found that Canada not only needs acceleration in order to meet most goals, but that it is actually moving backwards on many goals, including some of those being reviewed at this year’s HLPF.
In April, the Auditor General of Canada released a report on Canada’s preparedness to implement the SDGs. The audit concluded that the Canadian federal government was not adequately prepared to implement the SDGs because, at the end of the audit, no governance structure, implementation plan or system to measure, monitor and report progress were in place.
Since then, however, the Government of Canada has stated its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, put out a call for Canadians to contribute to the VNR, and launched the SDG Data Hub.
The results of Canada’s first Voluntary National Review are sure to serve as a call to action for all sectors to come together and work to achieve the Goals, ensuring that no one is left behind in the process. Read BCCIC’s newly released report to learn more about where Canada currently stands on sustainable development.
Follow Alliance 2030 on Twitter for updates throughout the HLPF, and stay tuned for more updates on Canada’s activity around the SDGs.