Convened by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the 2020 High-level Political Forum will take place on 7 – 16 July 2020 in the UN Headquarters in New York City under the theme “Accelerated action and transformative pathways: realizing the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development “.

In the 2020 HLPF, participants will debate where we stand on the SDGs in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They will reflect on how the international community can respond to the pandemic in a way that puts us back on track to achieve the SDGs and accelerate progress during the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development.

In 2020, 47 countries (26 first time presenters, 20 second time presenters and 1 third time presenter) will present their national voluntary reviews to the HLPF. The VNR presentations are planned to begin on Friday, 10 July 2020 (the last of the first five days of HLPF) and proceed for the three days of the ministerial segment of HLPF (14 – 16 July 2020).

The HLPF will adopt a Ministerial Declaration as the outcome of its session. The President of ECOSOC will also prepare a summary to capture the key messages of the discussions.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and expected limitations on in-person meetings and international travel, the ECOSOC Bureau is making adjustments to the format and programme of HLPF 2020. Available technological solutions for virtual sessions and interaction are being explored – including for presentations of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). Any potential physical participation will have to be limited to New York based delegates only. All side-events will be virtual.

Click here to consult the full programme.