The 2026 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) opened in New York on July 7. As a non-governmental organization in special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the International Mayors Communication Centre (IMCC) once again sent a representative to the forum and submitted a written statement.

The forum is convened annually under the auspices of ECOSOC and serves as the main UN platform tracking progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s forum will run until July 15, addressing the theme: “Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs for a sustainable future for all.”

A scene from the first day of the High-Level Political Forum. Photo: IMCC/Cai Bin

In his opening remarks at the forum, ECOSOC President Lok Bahadur Thapa (Nepal) urged countries to adopt different approaches to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. “The 2030 Agenda remains our shared promise – to people, to the planet and to future generations,” he said. “The years ahead will not ask whether our challenges were difficult. They will ask whether we were equal to them.”

ECOSOC President Lok Bahadur Thapa attends the opening of the High-Level Political Forum. Photo: Thapa’s social media account)

Dr. Cai Bin, chief representative of the New York office of the IMCC, participated in the first day of the forum, where he and government ministers, top UN officials, civil society representatives and other stakeholders gathered to exchange knowledge and ideas on sustainable development.

Dr. Cai Bin attends the first day of the High-Level Political Forum.

A key event of the High-Level Political Forum is the Ministerial Segment, to be held from July 13 to 15, which is also part of the High-level Segment of ECOSOC, from July 13 to 16. In April, the IMCC submitted a written statement to the High-level Segment of ECOSOC, reviewing the IMCC’s development achievements over the past year and calling on global stakeholders to respond to the IMCC’s 2026 theme: Transforming cities, making green and low-carbon living a belief for every city, community, and citizen of the earth in protecting our blue planet, and advocating for global unity to build a community with a shared future for the earth.

A scene from the first day of the High-Level Political Forum. Photo: IMCC/Cai Bin

The 2026 SDG Progress Report, released by the UN on Tuesday, says that sustained investment and international cooperation have improved billions of lives, but warns that governments must urgently accelerate action if the goals are to be met by their 2030 deadline.

Of the 139 SDG targets with trend data, only 36% are on track or making moderate progress. Meanwhile, 49% of them are advancing too slowly and 15% have regressed below 2015 baselines. Escalating conflicts, climate change, slowing economic growth, rising debt and a record decline in official development assistance have slowed progress toward the SDGs and disproportionately affected the world’s most vulnerable people, according to the report.

Several UN officials recognized the difficulty of reaching the SDGs by 2030, but they reiterated the goals’ significance for uniting the world around a shared vision for the future.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua said that decisive action on debt relief, development finance, food and water systems, essential services, and inequality could still keep the SDGs within reach. “The focus must shift from commitments to implementation,” he said.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told reporters, “The day after 2015 there was 2030,” Ms. Mohammed said. “The day after 2030, for sure, there will be another date that Member States will promise, because the world hasn’t finished its job yet.”

Based on the past lessons and current global challenges summarized in the UN’s 2026 SDG Progress Report, the IMCC will apply its global intellectual power to provide advice and recommendations on urban governance in China and Hong Kong’s first five-year plan for economic and social development.

On July 9, Ms. Jin Lan, founder of the IMCC, and Mr. Dong, senior business advisor of the IMCC, visited Our Hong Kong Foundation (OHKF) at the invitation of Dr. Jane Lee, president of the OHKF, which was founded by Mr. Tung Chee-hwa, the first chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. They discussed how to implement the UN’s SDG 17, “Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development,” in Hong Kong’s future urban development, leveraging Hong Kong’s exemplary role in the integration of Chinese and Western cultures to demonstrate Hong Kong’s unique value in urban diplomacy, amplify Hong Kong’s voice, and tell China’s story.

Dr. Jane Lee (center), president of Our Hong Kong Foundation, Mr. Joel Poon (first from right), vice president of Our Hong Kong Foundation, and Mr. Ryan Ip (first from left), vice president of Our Hong Kong Foundation, pose for a photo with Ms. Jin Lan (second from right), founder of the International Mayors Communication Centre, and Mr. Dong (second from left), senior business advisor of the International Mayors Communication Centre. Photo courtesy of Our Hong Kong Foundation

(Some of the text is from the official website of the United Nations.)