In the context of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the United Nations Friends of Vision (FoV), under the chairmanship of the Permanent Missions of Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, and Ireland to the United Nations, will convene this high-level side event to examine how governments and partners can better align policy, financing, and delivery systems to end avoidable sight loss and strengthen coordinated, cross-sector progress under the 2030 Agenda.
Progress on the SDGs remains constrained by fragmented approaches that fail to translate political commitment into coordinated delivery. The growing recognition of eye health within the global road safety agenda demonstrates how cross-sector partnerships can advance interconnected development outcomes while addressing overlooked barriers to progress. This event will explore how stronger partnerships, aligned commitments, and shared accountability, including through the Global Summit for Eye Health and the Global Compact for Eye Health, can help accelerate progress across the 2030 Agenda. Co-sponsored by the UN Friends of Vision group with Permanent Missions of Antigua and Barbuda, the People's Republic of Bangladesh and Ireland, as well as Global Summit for Eye Health - High Impact Partners, the high-level side event will take the form of a moderated panel discussion featuring global leaders, United Nations agencies, civil society representatives, and individuals with lived experience. Through high-level interventions and interactive dialogue, panelists will explore practical examples of cross-sector collaboration, identify pathways for strengthening coordination and delivery across systems, and highlight opportunities for scaling integrated approaches in the lead-up to the Global Summit for Eye Health. Affecting over 2.2 billion people globally, vision impairment undermines education, employment, productivity, and inclusion, yet remains insufficiently integrated into national development strategies. Addressing avoidable sight loss requires coordination across health, education, labour, and infrastructure systems, while strengthening outcomes across these sectors, including learning, workforce participation, and safety.
