The High-Level Forum on Sustainable Development concluded this week with a call for countries to accelerate action to implement sustainable development.
Held under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Forum took place from 8 to 17 July. This year’s theme was Strengthening the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: Effective implementation of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions.
Main votes
The High Level Segment was marked by an intense debate among Member States on the drafting of a final declaration. The discussions culminated in two votes on amendments.
One of the proposals referred to the inclusion of a paragraph “strongly urging” States to refrain from promulgating and applying unilateral economic, financial or trade measures that are not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations and which impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.
The inclusion, proposed by Belarus, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Syria, among others, was agreed upon with a recorded vote of 105 nations in favour, eleven against and 46 abstentions.
The other amendment, proposed by Israel, called for the deletion of a paragraph that “recognized” that Sustainable development cannot be achieved without peace and securityand that peace and security will be at risk without sustainable development.
Furthermore, that paragraph called for “further effective measures and actions” to be taken, in accordance with international law, to remove obstacles to the full realization of the right to self-determination of peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation, which continue to negatively affect their economic and social development, as well as the environment.
In a recorded vote, the Forum decided to retain this paragraph, with 122 Member States voting in favour and two in favour of its deletion (Israel and the United States). Thirty-nine States abstained.
The ministerial declaration, as amended, was adopted without a vote.
Renewed and inclusive commitment
Addressing the Forum after the adoption, ECOSOC President Paula Narváez stressed that the official declaration “reinforces once again” the urgency of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“This High-Level Political Forum has highlighted that it is not too late to make sustainable development a reality,” he said.
Narváez also recognized the efforts of the ambassador of the Dominican Republic, José Blanco, and the ambassador of Norway, Merete Fjeld Brattested, for their leadership as facilitators of “complex negotiations that were carried out in an exceptional, transparent and inclusive manner“.
He also stressed that the delegations negotiated for more than 70 hours, with 20 informal sessions and three informal ones, “doing everything possible to unite the different conflicting positions and present an ambitious and balanced document.”
The ECOSOC President concluded by emphasizing the organization’s collective determination to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to undertake the transformations necessary to achieve sustainable development worldwide.
“We will continue to renew multilateral efforts to fulfil the promise of the 2030 Agenda and leave no one behind,” he stressed.
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