15 July 2026 - concluded this week with the adoption of a ministerial declaration, signaling a renewed commitment by countries to deliver on the

"With less than five years remaining until 2030, the challenge before us is not simply to move faster. It is to work differently. It is to work collectively. It is to work with resolve,” said H.E. Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa, President of the “Implementation can no longer be approached with one Goal, one sector, or one institution at a time. It requires policies that are integrated. It requires partnerships that are stronger. And it requires international cooperation that is more effective.”

Held from 7 to 15 July under the auspices of ECOSOC, the Forum brought together more than 4,000 daily participants, including governments, business leaders, civil society organizations, youth, scientists, United Nations entities and other stakeholders, to showcase innovative solutions, exchange experiences and strengthen partnerships to accelerate SDG progress.

The Forum conducted in-depth reviews of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), highlighting integrated approaches to advancing these Goals while accelerating progress across the entire 2030 Agenda.

“Even in these times of division, multilateralism continues to deliver results,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. “From the Pact for the Future to the Sevilla Commitment, the Doha Political Declaration, the High Seas Treaty, and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Developing States, countries have demonstrated that cooperation is possible.”  

“Moreover, the steady progress we are making in data and measurement is providing a much stronger evidence base to help countries better target their development efforts,” Mr. Guterres said. “The Sustainable Development Goals Summit, to be held next year, will provide a critical opportunity to build on this momentum and mobilize the leadership, financing and solidarity needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” he stressed.
 

The SDGs deliver: Now the world must urgently scale up what works

Currently, only 36 per cent of assessable SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress, according to launched on 7 July 2026. While progress toward the Goals continues to face significant headwinds, including escalating conflict, economic uncertainty and the intensifying climate crisis, the report also highlights encouraging gains.

Key achievements since 2015 include:

  • Nearly 1 billion people gained access to safely managed drinking water.
  • The global unemployment rate declined to a record low of 4.9 per cent in 2025.
  • 92 per cent of the world's population gained access to electricity, with one-third supplied by renewable energy sources.
  • Global internet access increased from 40 per cent to 74 per cent of the population.
  • A significant decline in AIDS-related deaths, with fatalities falling by 35 per cent.

The report emphasizes that the SDGs remain the world’s shared blueprint for peace, prosperity, and sustainability and must be urgently returned to the centre of global decision-making. It identifies the priority actions needed to accelerate progress, including increased investment, stronger international cooperation, expanded access to technology and data, a faster energy transition, greater gender equality, and renewed commitments to peace. 
 

Voluntary National Reviews

Thirty-six countries presented their (VNRs) at the Forum, highlighting actions they have taken to achieve the SDGs. This brings to 437 the number of reviews conducted since 2016 by 190 countries and the European.

A snapshot of countries’ reporting on progress this year:

  • Algeria: Developed a comprehensive “education-to-employment ecosystem” to align vocational training and higher education directly with modern labour market needs.
  • Burundi: Established dedicated banks for young people and women specifically to finance their own economic empowerment and entrepreneurial projects.
  • Cameroon: Strengthened the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem by expanding Internet access and supporting local start-ups as part of its structural economic transformation.
  • Egypt: Launched the first voluntary carbon market in Africa in 2024 to advance climate finance and green investment.
  • Gabon: Professionalized local maintenance and expanded solar-powered wells to ensure universal water access despite paradoxical shortages in some regions.
  • Guinea-Bissau: Integrated climate resilience and multi-year spending targets into a programme-based budget for the first time in the country’s history.
  • Italy: Conducted the first-ever “youth voluntary review,” directly incorporating the views and assessments of children and young people into the national reporting process.
  • Jordan: Initiated a massive national water conveyance project designed to desalinate and transport 300 million cubic metres of water annually to combat extreme scarcity.
  • Liberia: Conducted a rigorous audit of domestic debt that freed up development resources by rejecting over $704 million in unsupported financial claims.
  • Malawi: Institutionalized a government-wide monitoring and evaluation management information system to ensure evidence-based policymaking.
  • Marshall Islands: Made history by launching “Enra,” a nationwide universal basic income programme providing quarterly cash transfers to all resident citizens.
  • Mozambique: Leveraged its decentralization process to carry out voluntary local reviews (VLRs) in six different territories to ensure the SDGs are rooted in local communities.
  • Norway: Established a national citizens’ panel to directly engage the public and strengthen participation in mainstream policy development.
  • Republic of Moldova: Implemented an energy vulnerability reduction fund and used a multidimensional poverty index to protect citizens during overlapping global crises.
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis: Implemented the LIFT (Livelihood Improvement for Family Transformation) Programme, which shifted social support from a welfare-based model to an empowerment model combining financial aid with skills training.
  • Saudi Arabia: Achieved a historic 50 per cent reduction in non-renewable groundwater use for agriculture while simultaneously increasing agricultural production by 88 per cent.
  • Senegal: Directed its 2050 Vision toward utilizing the start of domestic oil and gas production as a catalyst for a projected 6.7% economic growth rate.
  • Switzerland: Developed the SDGital2030 platform, allowing hundreds of experts and external organizations to collaboratively assess the state of SDG implementation.
  • Tonga: Expanded its renewable energy portfolio beyond solar to include innovative wind, biogas, and mineral-based energy sources.
  • United Republic of Tanzania: Adopted a “whole-of-nation PLUS” approach that integrates the voices of parliament, civil society, and international partners into its long-term development pathway.
  • Uruguay: Consolidated a structural energy transformation where renewable sources now account for nearly 99 per cent of the total electricity mix.
     

Events Held in Connection with HLPF

Thirteen high-level special events, 9 VNR labs, 206 side events and 6 exhibitions took place at the Forum.

Key outcomes include, among others:

  • Launch of UN Water’s and the fifth iteration of  (Uzbekistan, China, and S?o Tomé and Príncipe);
  • Launch of by SDG 7 Indicator Custodian Agencies (IEA, IRENA, UN DESA, World Bank and WHO); the by the SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group, and the UN Energy’s Work Programme for 2026-2030 outlining six priority areas for collective;
  • Launch of the “”, a thought leadership brief on practical opportunities for stronger business-UN collaboration prepared by the Action 55(c) Task Team coordinated by the UN Global Compact;
  • Launch of by 2030 by the Local2030 Coalition as well as Policy Brief on “”


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