The High Level Political Forum (HLPF) is the central United Nations platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level. It is the apex of the architecture for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda established by the 2030 Agenda (2030 Agenda and General Assembly resolution 70/299).

The General Assembly decided that the Forum meets annually under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council for eight days, including a three-day ministerial segment and every four years at the level of Heads of State and Government under the auspices of the General Assembly for two days.

The meeting of the HLPF in 2022 is held from Tuesday, 5 July, to Thursday, 7 July, and from Monday, 11 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022 , under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. This includes the three-day ministerial segment of the Forum from Wednesday, 13 July, to Friday, 15 July 2022. 

As the world is struggling to recover from COVID-19 amidst continuing crises, the HLPF will reflect on how recovery policies can reverse the negative impacts of the pandemic on the SDGs and move countries on to a path to realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda.

The HLPF also reviews in-depth Sustainable Development Goals 4 on quality education, 5 on gender equality, 14 on life below water, 15 on life on land, and 17 on partnerships for the Goals. It will take into account the different impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across all Sustainable Development Goals and the integrated, indivisible and interlinked nature of the Goals.

Access to quality education and lifelong learning is a means for escaping poverty and an enabler of progress across the 2030 Agenda. Empowered learners can lead the way in achieving the SDGs and in tackling the critical challenges of our time including the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution; social unravelling due to mistrust, hate and violence; and pressures against multilateralism and global citizenship. When SDG 4 was reviewed in 2019, the world was off track to meet the education commitments by 2030. It was facing a learning crisis due to shortcomings in education quality, equity and inclusiveness particularly for girls, the poor and conflict-affected populations. Then COVID-19 further disrupted learning and exacerbated educational inequalities across the world. Temporary closure of schools impacted more than 91 per cent of students worldwide with 1.6 billion children out of school including nearly 369 million children who rely on school meals for daily nutrition.

The high-level segment of the Council will conclude with a final day on Monday, 18 July and the Ministerial Declaration will be adopted. Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations and H.E. Mr. Collen Vixen Kelapile, President of the Economic and Social Council will deliver the closing remarks. 

Text and photo sources: un.org