Speakers Urge Action, Innovation, International Solidarity to Implement 2030 Agenda, as High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Begins Annual Session

Connect ideas with action, finance with innovation and national leadership with international solidarity, the 2026 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development heard as it opened its eight-day session today.

This year, the Forum will address the theme: "Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all". The annual gathering, which is convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, will meet from 7 to 15 July and will include a three-day ministerial segment, numerous panel discussions and a series of voluntary national reviews, during which Member States will exchange experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned, during the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

On the Forum's agenda for 2026 is in-depth review of the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 6 (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all); Goal 7 (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all); Goal 9 (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation); Goal 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable); and Goal 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development).

"The Goals under review remind us that sustainable development cannot be advanced in one sector at a time," Lok Bahadur Thapa (Nepal) President of the Economic and Social Council, said in his opening remarks. Across the many discussions that the Council facilitated this year - from the Youth Forum and the Partnership Forum to the Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up - one theme is clear, he observed: "Implementation succeeds when policies are integrated, when partnerships are coherent and when institutions work together."

"Water security is not only about water," it underpins health, food systems, energy production, climate resilience and sustainable urban development. Yet, "billions remain without safe water and without basic sanitation", he added. Similarly, affordable and clean energy powers opportunity, productivity and sustainable growth. Ensuring universal access to clean energy is indispensable to dignity, development and climate justice, he said, underscoring: "It is a development issue."

Today, resilience depends not only on roads, ports and power grids - it also depends on digital public infrastructure, connectivity, research, technology transfer and innovation ecosystems. "As science, technology, data and artificial intelligence reshape our societies, ensuring that their benefits are shared equitably has become both a development imperative and a test of international cooperation," he said. He also stressed the need for integrated planning and investment so that cities and communities can simultaneously improve housing, mobility, access to services, climate resilience and economic opportunity.

As Member States implement these Goals, it is necessary to come together to assess progress and learn from one another. The High-Level Political Forum offers an opportunity for this as the UN's central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda, he said.

"The world does not need another catalogue of challenges," he said, noting the many ongoing crises and highlighting the disproportionate burdens that countries in special situations bear. "Yet, this is not a story only of setbacks," he said, noting also that around the globe, countries are expanding social protection, improving access to water, sanitation and clean energy and harnessing innovation to improve lives.

The Forum is a platform where their national experience can inform global action. It is an opportunity to exchange practical solutions, strengthen partnerships "and build confidence that progress remains possible", he said.

Secretary-General's Report Shows Real Progress, Lives Transformed

Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, presenting the report of the Secretary-General on "Progress towards the SDGs", said it offers "a clear-eyed measure of collective progress and the monumental, urgent work ahead".

The gains are real. Of the 139 SDG targets with available trend data, 36 per cent are on track or making moderate progress. "Behind that number are lives transformed," he pointed out.

Since 2015, hundreds of millions have gained access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Social protection now covers over half of the global population, and disaster-related deaths have dropped by 65 per cent compared to the previous decade. He noted improvements in a wide variety of fields from electricity reach to child mortality reduction, adding: "Our capacity to observe and document progress has itself been transformed."

And yet, "one in ten people still lives in extreme poverty" and "food insecurity affects 2.3 billion people", and maternal mortality remains nearly three times the global target, he added. These shortfalls are compounded by a convergence of crises, he said, noting that global temperatures reached 1.43 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in 2025. Violent conflict, at its highest level in decades, has forcibly displaced 118 million people, while official development assistance (ODA) collapsed by a record 23 per cent in 2025.

In the meantime, profound demographic shifts - ageing populations, large youth cohorts, rapid urbanization, and migration - are reshaping workforces and straining social protection systems.

The way forward is to "scale our proven successes and address the root causes of our setbacks", he stressed. The international community must restore fiscal space through meaningful debt relief and mobilize development finance at scale, strengthening food, energy and water systems, expanding essential services, addressing inequalities and empowering women and young people. The Secretary-General's progress report "is both a testament to what is possible and an urgent call to do far more", he said.

He also spoke on behalf of the United Nations Network on Migration, highlighting the recently adopted Progress Declaration that further strengthens the link between implementation of the Global Compact for Migration and the 2030 Agenda. Migration is integral to sustainable development, he said, noting that it helps build inclusive societies, resilient communities and stronger labour markets. "The Network stands ready to work with Member States, the United Nations system and all partners to make this a reality," he said.