(7th meeting) High-Level Political Forum 2026

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Could you please take a seat? Good morning, Excellencies, distinguished delegates. The 7th meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council at its 2026 sessions, is called to order. I invite the Forum to resume its considerations of Sub-item B of Agenda Item 2, Thematic Review. Excellencies, delegates, this morning the Forum will hold a panel discussion on strengthening alliances for SDG implementation, stakeholder engagement for the 2030 Agenda. Now let me firstly deliver my opening remarks. Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, representatives of the major groups and other stakeholders, it is my pleasure to welcome you to this session on Strengthening Alliances for the SDG Implementations: Stakeholder Engagement for the 2030 Agenda. With less than 5 years remaining until 2030, The Sustainable Development Goals have entered their most consequential phase. At a time of growing global challenges, achieving the SDGs will require the engagement, it requires the expertise and leadership of all the sectors of the society. 2030 Agenda is grounded on the recognition that Sustainable development cannot be achieved by government alone. Its transformative impact depends on strong partnerships that bring together member states, the United Nations systems, and diverse range of stakeholders to mobilize knowledge, to mobilize resources, and to mobilize actions. Major groups and other stakeholders play a role in bringing perspective from the ground into global policymaking, supporting implementations, strengthening accountability, and helping translate commitment into action. ECOSOC has long served is a key platform for stakeholder engagement with the United Nations. As President of ECOSOC, I have sought to deepen this engagement through regular monthly meetings with major groups and other stakeholders, ensuring that their perspectives help inform our work and advance the 2030 Agenda. Excellencies, colleagues, and friends, Today's discussions will focus on 2 priorities. First, we can accelerate SDG implementations in the remaining years to 2030 by strengthening partnerships, by scaling up successful initiatives, and by drawing on community-led solutions and citizen-generated data. Second, how can we strengthen multilateralism in the context of geopolitical tensions, conflicts, financing constraints, and widening development gaps? Ongoing reform efforts provide an opportunity to reflect on how stakeholder engagement can contribute to more inclusive, more participatory and more effective multilateral process. Our goal today is not only to highlight good practices but also to identify concrete ways to strengthen collaborations with different stakeholders in the years ahead. The Road to 2030 will require renewed ambitions, will require solidarity, require partnerships to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals remain within reach and that multilateralism continues to deliver meaningful results for the people and planet. I look forward to our discussions. I thank you. I'm now pleased to welcome our guest speaker, As well as our moderator, Mr. Oliver Henman, co-chair of the Coordination Mechanism for Major Groups and Other Stakeholders. I now hand over the conduct of the discussions to the moderator.

Thank you very much, Mr. President, Excellencies, colleagues and friends from civil society and across all the major groups and other stakeholders. It's a real pleasure to be here and to moderate this important session at the High-Level Political Forum. We meet here at the HLPF at a time of great challenge for multilateral cooperation, as the President has already mentioned. We see increases in violence and conflict, rising inequalities, and significant impacts of climate change. And meanwhile, civil society in many countries faces bureaucratic restrictions and persecutions. So the SDGs are entering this crucial phase at a time also of major reform at the UN. At this critical time, the role of stakeholders is more important than ever. The Major Groups and other stakeholders bring together 23 self-organized constituencies from all parts of society in every continent, and this mechanism, which is enshrined in the founding resolution of the HLPF, provides a vital entry point for a whole-of-society approach to UN engagement, ensuring diverse views and community insights can inform these key processes. We very much appreciate the strong commitment to stakeholder participation shown by successive presidents of ECOSOC, and we're grateful for all the good practices, including the handbook on good practices that was agreed at last year's High-Level Political Forum. Despite progress, SDG implementation continues to be undermined in many cases, and we see limits to equitable access to resources, participation, and decision-making. This session will highlight stakeholder leadership and contributions from a holistic, cross-constituency perspective to consider the 2 main areas of discussion. Firstly, how can we work together to accelerate SDG implementation over the next years until 2030, and we'll hear from some specific examples of alliances and ways of working. And secondly, we'll consider how we as civil society, as stakeholders, might also help to enhance the ecosystem for multilateralism. And I'm very glad now to introduce our excellent panel. First, we'll be hearing from Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, Mr. Guy Ryder, And Mr. Ryder is, of course, very familiar with stakeholder dialogue as he previously had a long career within the trade union movement, was the first General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation and also Director-General of the ILO. So we look forward to your excellent inputs. We also are very glad to have the new Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights who's just recently been appointed here at the UN Human Rights Office in New York and was previously the Permanent Representative of Chile, Ms. Claudia Fuentes Julio. It's really wonderful to have you and all of your insights from your work in human rights in so many contexts. We'll then hear from 2 of our colleagues from stakeholders. Firstly, Ms. Yugratna Srivastava from the Major Group for Children and Youth, a great colleague, and Yugratna has previously also held key leadership roles in multiple youth engagement processes with the UN, including at UNEP, UNFCCC, and also a member of the multi-stakeholder Champions Network of the UN Food Systems Summit. And then finally, I would also very much welcome our colleague, Dr. Vinayraj Visadan-Kutapan, who comes from the Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent. He's a Senior Research Coordinator at the Inclusivity Project and works to advance the rights of communities historically discriminated on work and descent, including Dalit communities and other marginalized populations. So first of all, our opening question to consider: in the face of the major challenges that we're seeing across multilateralism, what strategies could enhance the engagement of stakeholders as a critical partner in implementation, follow-up, and review of the 2030 Agenda? And I'd like to I'm going to turn first to USG Ryder. Over to you, please.

Well, Ollie, thank you very much indeed for the question. It's great to be in this room and taking part in this conversation, not least the day after I think we had a great dialogue between civil society and the Secretary-General, where many of the issues which I think will come out this morning were already discussed. Let me begin by saying what's implied in your question, Ollie, or assumed in your question The question is, how can we enhance the engagement of stakeholders? That assumes that we want to do that, that this is recognized as beneficial for the SDGs, and that's no small assumption, but it's one I think everybody here takes as a given. So the question is not, should we do it? It's, how do we do it? And we do this, as you've indicated in your introduction, and you've done as well, President, in somewhat adverse circumstances. Not only are the SDGs not doing as well as we would all like them to, but we're in a world where space for civil society engagement has been closed down in too many cases. And can I just say that I think the fundamental question is how we protect— not only protect the space which exists for civil society within the United Nations, but hopefully try to expand it and make sure— and I think this is really important— make sure it is used to good effect. It really is not simply the multiplication of space and opportunity; it is the impact and the meaningfulness of the mechanisms for engagement that we have. I wouldn't presume to say that I know how that meaningfulness can be best guaranteed or promoted. That is something we do together. That is something which civil society knows as well, if not better, than what— than we know. But I would venture a couple of indications in this regard. Firstly, the views and the attitudes of leadership in the system truly matters, and we're very grateful to successive chairs of ECOSOC for promoting this agenda of engagement. And I think anybody who was in the conversation with the Secretary-General yesterday would see that for the last 10 years we've had a Secretary-General who is absolutely convinced of the merits and the need for engagement with civil society. I say this because, as you've said in your introduction, Chair, there are 3 actors, if you want to look at this schematically, who are going to determine the answer to the question you put: civil society itself, our member states, and the system, if you can look at the 3 in that way. And I think it has sometimes been a challenge to overcome the reticence that can arise from the thought that this is a zero-sum game or there is only a certain amount of space available for policy discussion and space assumed by civil society is necessarily space taken away from member states. We have got to together construct the notion that we are not engaged in a zero-sum game. That the engagement of civil society is beneficial to overall policymaking and decision-making in the United Nations and at national level. The fact of the matter is that the record of achievement is the best demonstration of that proposition, and I think that we need to work together to make sure that that lesson from the past is translated at a moment of change in the UN system as well. Not only are we moving to consider next year what comes after the 2030 Agenda, which remains unfinished business and must be completed, but we are also looking at new leadership in the UN as well. These are things, I think, building sites on which we have to work together. Thank you.

Thank you very much and thank you for that strong endorsement and the good reminder of the excellent session yesterday with the Secretary-General. It really was appreciated, the very candid dialogue with so many parts of civil society. So if we might turn next to Ms. Claudia Fuentes Julio, please.

Thank you so much also for your kind introduction, and let me express my appreciation to all major groups and other stakeholders for bringing us together this morning. In my first public event taking up this role as SSG for Human Rights, I said that I am an optimist. So this time I will start saying that we have reasons for hope, because despite the crisis we face, communities, governments, and partners worldwide continue to advance SDG. Progress is possible and is actually happening, but as you have been discussing, progress is also fragile. Uneven, and far too slow. Too often it is undermined by growing polarization, mistrust, and shrinking civic space that prevents people from shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Let me stress that we believe that participation is not optional. It is actually an integral part of a human rights framework. Without it, sustainable development will remain out of reach for many. So how do we move forward? Let me state at least 3 issues. First, protect advocates and practitioners. Open civic space is not only a human rights imperative. Inclusive participation leads to stronger institutions, more effective policies, sustainable outcomes and reaching those farther behind. Yet civic space is under attack in many parts of the world. Laws and practices are used to intimidate, restrict, and in many cases to silence as well. Our data is alarming. In 2025, around the world, a defender, journalist, or trade unionist was killed or disappeared every 10 hours. Look around you. That would nearly fill this conference room twice over. Protection must therefore be non-negotiable. As the senior UN official designated by the Secretary-General to lead UN system-wide efforts to prevent and address intimidations and reprisals, I am committed to ensuring everyone can engage with the United Nations without fear. Second issue, move from consultation to co-creation. Meaningful stakeholder participation strengthens the voluntary national reviews, national SDG strategies, and public budgeting processes. For example, OHCHR reported regional consultations in Guinea-Bissau, which informed its BNR and led to the first-ever national report to the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. But again, progress is uneven across countries and often out of step with international human rights mechanisms and recommendations. We need to join forces in building human rights economies, leveraging participation to co-create policy and budgetary outcomes that lift all parts of society. Third issue: funding, fund participation. Meaningful participation requires resources. Community-led monitoring, accessibility, translation, and follow-up cannot remain afterthoughts. They must become a standard investment in SDG delivery. If we're serious about accelerating progress, We must protect, institutionalize, and fund participation. This is how we rebuild trust. This is how we strengthen multilateralism. And this is why in practice we leave no one behind. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you so much, ASG Fuentes Julio. Extremely welcome. I'd like to turn now to our colleagues from civil society, and we have slightly different questions for each of you, if that's okay. So, Yugratna, first, from your point of view, from the Major Group for Children and Youth, and also your work with advocacy here at the UN, what more do you feel could be done to strengthen partnership working across the UN for sustainable development, and do you have some recommendations that you might share with the key leadership that we have here.

Thank you very much, Ollie, and thank you to the ASGs before that, the USG and ASG before that highlighted some very key recommendations. I'm Yugratna, and I'm speaking on behalf of the Major Group for Children and Youth, which, as you know, is a stakeholder group in the context of UN and facilitates engagement of more than 20,000 youth organizations in over 50 plus UN processes. So colleagues, we meet at a time of interconnected crises, and it has been said throughout the last 3 days of the HLPF, whether that's climate change, conflicts, rising inequalities, rapid technological change, while multilateralism continues to face unprecedented pressure. Global military expenditure, and if you look at SG's report on military spending, has surpassed more than $3 trillion annually. This is the 2024 figure, whereas we are not able to mobilize fraction of that amount to fund UN's development or operational budget, which is 5 times less than the city of New York. Yet this is also a time of hope where movements have been mobilizing worldwide, whether that is college students that are protesting genocides across the world, whether those are indigenous human rights defenders fighting on the front line, and whether that's within the UN itself. We have seen this momentum reflect. Look at the General Assembly's recognition of ICJ's opinion on climate change, or the very ECOSOC Youth Forum itself that was convened in April, which I serve on the organizing team on alongside DESA and the President. That was the largest convening of youth actors in the UN system. So the conversation today is really not just about stakeholders or no stakeholders. That has already been enshrined, whether that is in 67/290, the ECOSOC review resolutions, the Addis Framework, New Urban Agenda, that have enshrined stakeholder engagement in multitude of UN processes. So I want all of you to reflect and understand that how HLPF and ECOSOC engages stakeholders and evolves its very stakeholder engagement is critical not just to the role of the stakeholders but also to the very relevance of HLPF and ECOSOC itself and to the universal nature of the HLPF. To that effect, I'd highlight the following recommendations. First, we call for meaningful engagement of major groups and other stakeholders and rights holders across the UN systems and pillars, including by utilizing existing self-organized constituencies, especially when new processes are launched. When we have new processes coming up, high-level meeting under the GA on XYZ topics, we don't need to start from scratch, or where is the civil society? They already exist under those respective processes. Second, institutionalize NGOs as a co-convener of the UN Civil Society Focal Points Network, which the SG announced yesterday, and I think the USG may have referred to. And ensure that every UN agency has a dedicated stakeholder engagement focal point. Third, finally, provide regular moments for stakeholder engagement on key processes like this one, and we call upon establishing an agenda item on strengthening civil society engagement in the High-Level Committee on Programs under the Chief Executive's Board. Second, we need to meet the stakeholders where they are. We call for establishing a financing mechanism to support community-led development and launch a local community fund on sustainable development under the auspices of ECOSOC to enable direct support for community actors. Finally, Excellencies, partnership with the stakeholders also means addressing systemic issues and barriers and not passing the buck between IFI, G20, and ECOSOC when it comes to the reform of the international financial architecture, which we believe must operate in unison with the UN Charter. As we move towards the SDG Summit, we call for launch of an intergovernmental process towards UN Convention on sovereign debt and international development cooperation, which we believe is prerequisite to fast-track the implementation of 2030 Agenda, as well as any post-30— effective post-2030 framework. I'll conclude on saying that we need to enhance synergies across implementation of 2030 Agenda and Pact for the Future. The Pact came through a point which was supposed to turbocharge the SDGs. Some processes have moved forward very fast, like the process on Beyond GDP and tax, which already have intergovernmental aspects to it. We call for similar transparency and movement on Action 47 on IFA reform, Action 50 on engagement with credit rating agencies, Action 54 on strengthening international response to complex global shocks, and Action 39 and 40 on reform to Security Council. As I conclude, I reiterate our call for immediate and permanent ceasefire in all conflicts across the world. Children, youth, and women cannot continue to be mass casualties of military-industrial complex that continues to profit from our miseries. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Yugratna. Thank you for those very powerful words and key recommendations, which we'll be sure to also share in writing with the leadership of the UN. Let me turn now to Dr. Vinaraj. Perhaps if you might consider and share with us some insights and experiences from frontline rights holders and how they might be leveraged to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs?

Thank you, Chair. Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, we are now just a few years away from 2030, yet for millions of people living at the margin, the Sustainable Development Goals are not failing because they are too ambitious, they are failing because they have not reached those who need them the most. For the most marginalized community, including the communities discriminated on work and descent and other groups, poverty, discrimination, violence, insecure livelihoods, lack of quality education, lack of access to water, unequal healthcare, and exclusion from decision-making remain everyday realities. While national report opens speak of progress, entire communities continue to live outside the reach of development. The greatest barrier to accelerating SDGs is not lack of knowledge. It is a lack of political will to recognize the knowledge, leadership, and solutions that already exist within the frontline communities. Frontline communities are not merely beneficiaries of development. They are the first to identify emerging challenges the first to respond to the crises and often the last to be heard. They know where discrimination denies access to services, why children, especially girls, continue to drop out of school, where climate shocks are destroying livelihoods, and where public resources fail to reach those most in need. Their lived experience is evidence. Their voices are data. Their leadership is indispensable. Across our network, we have seen what becomes possible when grassroots organizations led by frontline rights holders are trusted as equal partners. In Africa, sustained advocacy at the national and the regional levels contributed to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights adopting Resolution 619, a landmark commitment to protect and promote the rights of communities discriminated against. on work conditions. In South Asia, for instance, in Nepal, they let organizations work with the local governments to document structural discrimination based on caste, monitor public services, and strengthen inclusive local development planning. In Europe, Roma communities generated evidence on exclusion from essential services and advocated for more equitable access to water, education, healthcare, and housing. For many grassroots organizations, reaching international spaces such as the HLPF requires overcoming significant financial, institutional, and structural barriers. However, communities have generated their own evidence, documented human rights violations, monitored SDG implementation, engaged with governments, contributed to the voluntary national reviews, and influenced regional and international human rights mechanisms. These are not isolated success stories. They demonstrate what inclusive partnership can achieve when communities are empowered rather than spoken for. But let us also be honest. Too often, citizen-generated data is welcome in dialogue but ignored in decision-making. For communities discriminated on work and descent, the stigma of inherited status and discrimination adds another layer of exclusion. We are often invited to be visible but not to be influential, consulted but not trusted, represented but not empowered. Communities cannot be expected to deliver change without the resources, recognition, and political space to lead it. This must change. To accelerate the 2030 Agenda, we need transformative commitments. The question is whether we are prepared to shift power to those who have carried the burden of inequality for generations. If we truly want to leave no one behind, then those who have been left behind for the longest must finally be at the center of decision-making process, not as observers but as leaders, partners, and co-creators of sustainable development. Only then the promise of 2030 Agenda becomes a reality for everyone. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Dr. Vinaraj. Very much appreciated, such strong words. We are a little bit tight on time, but I would like to give the opportunity for ASG Fuentes Julio and USG Ryder to come back for a short further 2 minutes, if I may. So, firstly, to ASG Fuentes Julio, we had A follow-up question: given the context of backsliding on human rights, how can we build a more inclusive UN system and help countries to deliver on the promise to leave no one behind?

Thank you again. When I think about inclusion and the United Nations, I think it's always important to remember the opening words of the Charter, which is, we, the peoples. Those 3 words remind us that the United Nations exists to serve people, their dignity, and their human rights. At a time of conflict and inequalities and so many backslidings of rights, I would like to maybe say 3 priorities quickly. First, more coherent and coordinated UN system anchored in human rights. The answer to today's challenge is not less multilateralism, no less human rights, no less commitment to the 2030 Agenda. The contrary— more of all of that. In the Pact for the Future, Member States reaffirm the need for a stronger UN that delivers for the current and future generations. That means ensuring that decisions across development and peace and security are anchored in human rights. The UN Human Rights Group, led by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which is an outcome of the UNHCR, is an important step in that direction. Second, within inclusion that is not— and it has been mentioned before— that is not operational— that is operational, not rhetorical. While respecting the intergovernmental network of the UN processes, we need to systematically engage stakeholders in co-creating solutions. This cannot happen without investing in participant travel, hybrid participation modalities, transparent accreditation processes, access to timely and accessible information, effective protection measures, and accessible venues and meetings. Third, to leave no one behind, Anchor our economies in human rights. And this I would like to emphasize. Too often, our discussions about the economy are detached from people's daily lives. But every economic decision impacts our life and our rights. It directly affects whether we can access adequate housing, nutritious food, quality of education, or a healthy environment. This is why our Office advocates for economies that place the well-being of people and our planet at the core. We, the UN, governments, and civil society can work together to promote human rights economy as a key level to address inequalities, tackle extreme poverty, and reach those farther behind. Let me finish by inviting you to visit our online Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights knowledge hub, and tune into our Economies That Work for All podcast to learn a little bit more on this subject. Thank you.

Thank you so much, ESG Fuentes Julio. Really appreciate your, your kind words. If we might now come back to USG Rider, given what you've heard so far, USG Rider, what might be the specific steps that you could see coming forward to strengthen participation and inclusivity in the UNATN and further processes in the future?

Yes, thanks very much. Look, I mean, from my perspective, there are 2 ongoing processes where this question has particular relevance. One is the Pact for the Future and its follow-up, which has been mentioned by my fellow panellists. Let me just pause for a moment to say that I think that the preparation of the Pact for the Future, the summit, was an object lesson in how to get engagement with civil society right. I think we did pretty well. We had the conference in Nairobi, we had the action days on the eve of the summit, and I think as a consequence it is fair to say that the Pact would not have been adopted as it was had it not been for the inputs of civil society, and I think for that we owe a debt Debt of recognition and gratitude to all of the activism that went into that effort. By the same token, therefore, follow-up on the Pact, making sure that it's not simply another document adopted and then put aside, equally depends on the continued and sustained involvement of civil society. Yes, Your Grantor, it has been on an even record since September 2024. Thing. It is complementary to the Pact. Some of it is a bit inward-looking to the system, administrative processes, but there is a lot in UNAID where equally we have to work with civil society. I think of some of the structural changes which are on the table for consideration, on which civil society has weighed in very strongly in some cases. I think of all the work we have ahead on mandates, where again there is a lot that you can bring to table, and we will work on the mechanisms to make sure that the spaces are available for you to do just that. Thanks, Ollie.

Thank you, thank you so much, and thank you for all the great collaboration, as you rightly highlight, with civil society across the Pact for the Future, and we look forward to further engagement over the coming years as we go forward on implementation. We have one final speaker, if I may, Mr. President, who's a lead discussant joining us from the LGBTI stakeholder group. Denise Coufré, please.

Excellencies, so picture a lesbian woman in Argentina trying to sit in a policy consultation between 2 jobs and unpaid care work that nobody counts as work. Her calendar is never hers. By the time the invitation arrives, the day is already spoken for. And nobody excludes her on purpose. The process was simply never built around a life like hers. That is what structural inequality decides, who gets to show up. This was highlighted by the UN social expert in the last report on LBQ women. I'm speaking as a member of the LGBT stakeholder group and Conectando Derechos from Argentina, civil society organization. And our organizations are running on less. Our position paper shows that in Central and West Asia and Eastern Europe, only 8.2% of LGBT organizations are receiving funding from their governments. Add to that shrinking civic space, and participation becomes only something a few can afford. So that is the woman I mentioned at the start, multiplied across every region in this room. I would like to focus on 3 points. Number one, a side event this week raised the Aarhus Convention. And in Latin America, we have also the Escazú Agreement, which goes further. It rests on environmental matters and in the same rights, but adapts them to our region with a focus on structural inequality and explicit protection for human rights defenders and environmental defenders. Because access to information only gets you to the door. We need also standardized minimum guarantees and enough flexibility so processes include all stakeholders, LGBTI organizations and LGBTI women in particular, from the start and not only at the end. Participation takes time and takes trust. You can rely on these instruments to move forward sustainable development. Number 2, there is a business case for inclusion. The World Bank found that excluding LGBTI people from the labor market carries a measurable fiscal cost. For instance, in Brazil, the exclusion costs almost a point of their GDP. Aligning with what the colleagues said from AESG for human rights, this connects to the social pillar of sustainable development, of the ES in ESGs. Supply chains, inclusive development, human rights, and environmental due diligence set out in the UNGPs the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises, and the MNE ILO declaration. And number 3, some good news too. Mexico's updated NDC includes LGBTI participation on climate and energy planning. Canada funds LGBTIQ entrepreneurship directly. And the UNDP World Bank LGBTI Inclusion Index shows that SDG data looks like when it's built with communities and not about them. Yesterday, the Secretary-General said genuine engagement means moving from participation to partnership and from consultation to co-creation. Spaces and mechanisms for participation should not exist just to legitimize decisions that are already made. Let's institutionalize inclusion, not only multilaterally, but also nationally and locally. Let's ensure these processes are culturally sensitive and truly decentralized. So that Argentinian lesbian is included from the start and not just at the end. It might just happen that once a system responds to her needs, it will have opened along the way transparent and inclusive processes for including everyone else. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you so much for those excellent insights, and I want to again thank all of our excellent panelists. panel. It's been a very robust and useful conversation. I think it's clear that there's a real appetite and a desire to really engage more in multilateral processes, and we look forward to further discussions. Thank you again to USG Guy Ryder, ASG Claudia Fuentes Julio, to Yugrat Nastry Vastava, and to Dr. Vinay Raj Visadan-Kutuppanam. Let me pass back to you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Moderator Wali, for conducting this panel. We'll now proceed to the interactive discussion. Excellencies, delegates, delegations wishing to intervene are invited now to request for the floor by pressing the microphone button. I also take this opportunity to inform the participants that the time limit for the intervention from the floor is 1.5 minutes, and a countdown, countdown clock is visible on the screen to alert speakers when it is time to conclude your statements. In case speakers exceed their time limit, the microphone will be automatically deactivated. I apologize in advance if the speakers are cut off. This measure is being taken to ensure that all speakers can deliver their statement in the limited time available for the discussion. To ensure proper interpretations, delegations are asked to speak at a normal pace and to provide a written copy of their statement by email to e-statements@un.org. With this, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Côte d'Ivoire, to be followed by Norway. Côte d'Ivoire, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Less than 5 years from 2030, we're confronted with the fact that one state in and of itself can't achieve the SDGs. Partners are the main accelerators for work. But financing and efficiency in how we work together, as well as results and a spirit of national ownership, inclusion, transparency, and mutual responsibility are needed too. Under the leadership of His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara, Côte d'Ivoire has put that conviction in the heart of its national development plan, mobilizing the public administrations, local governments, the private sector, civil society, young people, women, universities, technical financial partners, and the system to build a prosperous system. We saw this approach on the 8th and the 9th of July during our meeting on financing for our national development plan. We mobilized 4 times our initial objective at that meeting. This shows the confidence given to the vision, governance, and the partnership of Côte d'Ivoire. Right now, we want to translate that into concrete commitments for our people. This requires more effective partnerships grounded in the priorities of our country, national systems, and more predictable and better coordinated efforts. We've also bolstered our global partnerships facilitating access to concessional financing.

I thank the distinguished representative of Côte d'Ivoire. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Norway, to be followed by India.

Mr. President, although primary responsibility for implementation of the SDGs rests with national governments, no government succeeds alone. Inclusive partnerships are key, clearly demonstrated by our national VNR process this year. Independent contributions from all UN major groups were included for the first time, coordinated by civil society. Over 100 Norwegian organizations assessed progress across all 17 SDGs. This strengthens the quality and legitimacy of our review. We also believe that we must strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through fair and inclusive international tax cooperation, and deliver on commitments under the Compromiso de Sevilla. Together, we must ensure that UN reform reinforces the norms, mandates, and capacities to deliver on the 2030 Agenda. And as donors, we should reduce earmarking, while the UN should reduce incentives to seek earmarking so that we together safeguard quality and predictability of funding. Lastly, we believe that only through genuine partnerships will we deliver on the promise to leave no one behind. Trust and cooperation across regions are essential, and we need to continue to make the UN an open arena for all major groups. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Norway. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of India, to be followed by Ireland.

Thank you, Mr. President. The final years of the 2030 Agenda call for stronger partnerships that translate commitments into implementation. While governments remain at the center of SDG implementation, meaningful engagement with stakeholders can strengthen national efforts in accordance with national priorities. India's experience demonstrates the value of broad-based participation through initiatives such as Swachh Bharat, Jal Jeevan Mission, Mission Life, digital public infrastructure, and our innovation ecosystem. Collaboration among government, scientific institutions, entrepreneurs, and communities has strengthened implementation while preserving national ownership, as today's panelists also highlighted. Internationally, India's development partnerships emphasize knowledge sharing, capacity building, and peer learning. South-South cooperation offers valuable opportunities while complementing and not substituting for North-South cooperation. As the United Nations continues its reform efforts, stakeholder engagement should reinforce implementation rather than create new institutional mandates. Let us therefore build practical partnerships that are inclusive, nationally driven, grounded in science and evidence, and capable of delivering measurable development outcomes. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of India. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland, to be followed by Finland.

Excellencies, colleagues, with 2030 fast approaching, this HLPF and this event is a key moment to showcase examples of positive practices and actions by all stakeholders that contribute to the advancement of the SDGs. Ireland, along with Kenya, co-facilitated the process that created the SDGs in 2015 and the negotiations which led to the adoption of the 2023 SDG Summit Political Declaration with Qatar. Those processes benefited greatly from the bringing together of a diverse range of actors behind a common purpose. In all our work, Ireland is actively working to promote a more effective multilateral development system and revitalise progress on the SDGs, including through multi-stakeholder engagement and work of the recently established Group of Friends on International Development Cooperation Effectiveness. In this context, I would like now to hand over to one of our multi-stakeholder representatives, Ireland's Youth Delegate, Carla FitzCarty-Wallace.

Chair, today's session is an important reminder that ongoing meaningful engagement with all stakeholders, including younger generations, is essential to ensure that momentum is maintained towards 2030 and beyond. In July 2023, Ireland presented our 2nd voluntary national review on SDG progress to the HLPF. It features the first standalone youth chapter in a VNR from any member state. For young people, the SDGs represent hope, a commitment to progress, and a belief that true partnership—

Thank you. I thank the distinguished representatives of Ireland. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Finland, to be followed by Brazil.

Mr. Chair, Excellencies, a whole-of-society approach to sustainability work is at the heart of Finland's SDG implementation. We see this concretely in the work of Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development, which convinces civil society, national and local government, research, and private sector to work together for the SDGs. The private sector is an important partner in this effort. This is backed by up by the fact that the business value of sustainability work is more recognized than before and can be seen as a value-increasing factor for companies. The most progressive businesses use the SDGs as a compass for their businesses— business strategies. At best, companies can be seen as partners in the multi-stakeholder ecosystem acting for sustainability. This means building active partnership between the private and public sector as well as civil society. Partnerships where all actors, including young people, have the opportunity for meaningful engagement in our joint effort to build a sustainable future. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Finland. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Brazil, to be followed by Indigenous Peoples' Major Group.

Mr. President, the success of the 2030 Agenda will not be determined by the eloquence of our interventions nor by the number of resolutions we adopt, but by our willingness to implement what we have already agreed. More than a decade after its adoption, the implementation gap remains our greatest challenge. Implementation is a shared responsibility. Governments cannot deliver the agenda alone. It requires genuine partnerships among states, international organizations, development banks, local authorities, academia, the private sector, indigenous peoples, and civil society. Partnership is not a slogan; it's a commitment to action. Brazil is doing its part. Our 2022 census and the SDG Brazil platform provide the evidence needed for effective public policies across 5,570 municipalities. Through innovation and stronger public institutions, we are working to ensure that no one is left behind. But national efforts alone will not be enough. Countries cannot be expected to deliver more while receiving less. Partnerships cannot flourish without financing while financing remains insufficient. Debt burdens grow, technology remains out of reach, and global governance still reflects yesterday's world. If we are serious about implementing the 2030 Agenda, multilateral development banks must become bigger, better, and bolder, and international financing institutions must better reflect—

I thank the distinguished Distinguished representative of Brazil. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indigenous Peoples Major Group, to be followed by Zimbabwe.

Thank you, Mr. President. I speak on behalf of the Indigenous Peoples Major Group in the Asia-Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism, or APRISM. The IPMG and APRISM speak today with clarity and conviction. Accelerating the 2030 Agenda requires a fundamental shift in how multilateral systems value knowledge, share power, and uphold rights. Indigenous peoples bring generations of ecological stewardship, collective leadership, and evidence of what works in the context of climate and biodiversity crisis, colonial legacies, and conflicts. APRSM brings its organizing power, evidence of lived realities, and grassroots perspectives that governance routinely overlooks. Together, we offer solutions that are practical, scalable, and transformative. We call on member states in the UN system to act with urgency and courage, shift from consultation to shared power, from tokenism to structural inclusion, from promises to implementation grounded in rights and justice. SDGs implementation demands measurable accountability, not just the rhetoric of inclusion and leaving no one behind. It is high time that we prioritize development justice as a guiding lens to realize the ambition of the Charter in We the Peoples. Thank you so much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Indigenous Peoples' Major Group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe, to be followed by European Union, Spain, and Azerbaijan.

Thank you, Chair. The interconnectedness nature of the SDGs calls for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach anchored on partnerships. Zimbabwe recognizes the valuable contribution of major groups and other stakeholders in advancing sustainable development. Through the National SDG Steering Committee and various thematic and technical working groups, government works closely with the development partners, civil society, academia, the private sector, labor organizations, women, youth, persons with disabilities, and local authorities in the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the SDGs. The country's VNRRs and VORRs have benefited from broad stakeholder consultations, ensuring that diverse perspectives are reflected in the national development priorities and reporting processes. Similarly, the localization of the SDGs through innovations such as the SDGs MSDS Data Collection Tool, which facilitates the collection, monitoring, and reporting of the development data at the local level, have been enabled by the participation of various actors. The participation of all in the implementation, follow-up, and review of the 2030 Agenda can be enhanced through creating conducive policy environments for stakeholder participation, strengthening institutionalized dialogue mechanisms, increased access to information and data, promoting digital and participation platforms, investing in stakeholders and capacity building, and supporting locally developed initiatives. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of European Union.

I want to take you on a time travel to the year 2100 through the eyes of my grandson. Today, my grandparents came to visit, and they gave me a small jar of something I did not recognize. They told me it was called honey. When I asked how it was made, my grandpa said, this is not made anymore. This was made. Bees made this, my grandma added. Animals as small as your fingertips. I couldn't believe a small animal could make something so magical, but my grandpa said that something as small doesn't mean it can't cannot create the greatest things. If only people had realized this earlier. If only they had moved on with inviting the smallest persons to the biggest tables. When I was young, we were already so far. We spoke in meetings with all countries in the world. But did they not listen to you? I asked. No, they did. But what they didn't do was look beyond the safe rooms they were in, to the real world. They had to understand that their plans were meaningless without young people championing them. to not see youth as beneficiaries of their work, but as drivers of it. But above all, to understand that they were building your life, here, in 2100. You know what? My grandma said, most of them weren't even here anymore when the bees became extinct, let alone to see how the world looks today. I wish we could go back in time to prevent it all. I asked her to what year we would have to go, and without a doubt, she said 2026. 2026 was the year we should have realized We are building the future today, together. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of European Union. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Spain.

Distinguished audience. That accelerate the SDG implementation in the final years to 2030 is needed, and we need to reveal the whole-of-world approach. It was always needed, this strengthening alliance approach and the stakeholder engagement, but now in 2026, and there is an ongoing question of international norms world-based on the UN system, is in the base of the shrinking civil society space. For that reason, it's much more important than ever. The Spanish government is strengthening the participation as a key aspect of implementation of 2030 Agenda by launching our second national strategy to impulse international 2030 Agenda with implementation of the international agenda and 75% of new goals rooted in our local appropriation. In that process, it was essential the creation and evaluation of the whole society approach with the participation of civil society, universities, and companies. With more than 100 representatives of the whole country approach. There was a participatory process in the drafting of the report that was followed by consultation with the national government and with the regions, with the municipality, and finally there was a publication of a report with the progress and challenges of the strategy. We need more ambition. Furthermore, the government has promoted the first national review of the SDGs to be considered at this very high-level political forum with the whole society approach. In addition, the compromission adopted in the conference in Seville was increasing the international SDG funding and the expansion of the localization. All these actions reaffirm our commitment.

I thank the distinguished representative of Spain. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan, to be followed by Czechia, Mexico, United Kingdom, and NGO Major Group.

Thank you, Mr. President. As already stated, we approach 2030, and it's increasingly clear that SDGs can only be achieved through strong, inclusive, and structured cooperation with all stakeholders. In this regard, Azerbaijan has established a strong and institutionalized platform for multi-stakeholder engagement through SDG Dialogue Series. The very first SDG Dialogue, launched in 2022, marked the beginning of the process focusing on green transformation in Azerbaijan and setting the foundation for continuous and structured engagement with key stakeholders. Since then, the dialogue series has expanded into a regular platform covering key areas of sustainable development, including social inclusion, education, climate action, and innovative financing. The dialogues have become an important mechanism for translating policy discussions into practical cooperation and strengthening partnerships across sectors. Stakeholder engagement is also deeply embedded in the national SDG governance process. During the preparation of all international reviews, Azerbaijan ensures continuous consultation with all relevant actors, including private sector, civil society organizations, academia, and development partners. Importantly, the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan has also played an active and engaged role in these discussions. discussions, reflecting strong national ownership and practical commitment to SDG agenda. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Czechia.

Thank you. Chair, distinguished delegates, meaningful engagement of stakeholders from across all relevant sectors is prerequisite for successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda and efficient follow-up process. We are pleased to be accompanied by a representative of the business sector this year. Businesses contribute significantly to the achievement of the SDGs through their innovation potential, operation efficiency, the ability to create jobs, as well as long-term economic value. I would like to invite Mr. David Vaisada, CEO of the Metropolnet Company.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, my message is simple. A city cannot become sustainable on its own. What works is synergy— every partner doing what it does best and doing it together. We work hand in hand with our national ministries and we build on European and national funds. With that support, we have delivered a series of projects that are moving us towards a city that makes decisions based on data, not guesswork. This is Goal 17 in practice— partnership turning strategy into results. Our method is centralization of digital tools. We pool IT for the city, its schools, and its institutions. And our plan is to connect isolated technology islands into a single secure system that serves people by 2030, into integrated solutions for smart energy, water, and traffic management safeguarded by advanced cybersecurity. From our point of view, this is a pattern we see in every successful city in Czech Republic. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Czechia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mexico.

Thank you, Chair. Less than 5 years away from 2030, the challenge is not only to accelerate the implementation of the agenda, it's also to strengthen partnerships that can transform multilateral commitments into concrete results. We currently have 130 conflicts around the world. And despite sharing the same space, we have our differences. We need to build bridges in order to respond to common challenges. The National Council for the 2030 Agendas ensures cooperation between the government, civil society, youth, women, indigenous people, and Afro-descendant people, as well as academia and the private sector, recognizing that they are essential for translating multilateral commitments into outcomes centered on people, ensuring gender equality and social justice. Thus, we're also strengthening collaboration with local governments and preparing voluntary local reports. This is a practice that should be brought to the international level. Our national development plan through 2030 was built through a process that involved all sectors of society. We call for partnerships that focus on water, cities, innovation, and other important SDGs. We have, as the SG has said, repeatedly seen the impact of civil society around the world. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Mexico. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of United Kingdom.

Thank you, Mr. President. No government, organization, or sector can deliver the 2030 Agenda alone. Essential to this are alliances. We've seen the closure of space for civil society in too many places around the world and attempts to silence marginalized voices. Civil society brings evidence, reach, and accountability to turn global commitments into practical progress, identifying barriers to implementation, and together we must ensure marginalized voices are heard. The conviction that I state is underpinned in the Global Partnerships Conference, which we co-hosted by the UK in May, brought together government, civil society, and wider partners. The UK announced a new program partnering with civil society, which invests almost £40 million to strengthen local civil society and support locally-led development around the world. The principle is clear: civil society is not simply a stakeholder to be consulted, but a vital partner in implementation, innovation, advocacy, and accountability. Strong partnerships are also required by a reformed multilateral and financial system that supports countries' priorities and mobilizes investment and partnerships. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of NGO Major Group, to be followed by Poland, Switzerland, Philippines, and Timor-Leste.

Thank you, Chair. I speak for the NGO Major Group, and I want to speak plainly because the people we serve don't speak in acronyms. Strip away the jargon of this week— UNAT, work packages, mandate reviews— and the question on the table is simple: When the money is short, who gets cut first? Development assistance just saw its steepest fall on record. Half of the women-led organizations in crisis settings say they may close within 6 months. Stakeholder engagement is being named amongst the first functions to be squeezed. We cannot call it a whole-of-society approach while defunding most of the society. So what does participation actually look like when it works? In Odisha, India, we took the most impenetrable government document, the state budget, and mapped it line by line to the goals, co-created with civil society, published for anyone to read. The result? An ordinary citizen could ask, where did the money for my daughter's school go? Did it arrive? That is the whole difference. Being consulted is being asked your opinion. Participation is being able to check. So our asks are simple. Keep civil society funded and in this room as this institution grows. Test every reform against one question: does it make it easier or harder for the people to check on the promises made to them? This agenda was written in the name of we the peoples. 4 years out, the peoples are still here, still delivering, still counting, still checking. Fund us like you mean it. Thank you.

I, I thank the distinguished representative of NGO Major Group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Poland.

Dear Excellencies, distinguished delegates, the SDG implementation depends on strong alliances. One of the most important is the partnership between business and data. The private sector plays a decisive role in sustainable development. Its impact spans economic, social, and environmental dimensions. And exceeds what any single actor can achieve alone. In recent years, cooperation with business partners has been strengthened in Poland through the establishment of the Working Party for Supporting Sustainable Business Development. It promotes multi-stakeholder cooperation, responsible business conduct, and engagement in the SDG implementation, including through corporate due diligence and circular economy solutions. In Poland, this is also supported by the Impact Barometer, a tool that helps companies measure their individual contribution to the SDGs. Therefore, official statistics are a second pillar of this alliance. Statistical institutions provide data needed to monitor SDGs. As we approach 2030, their role is also to draw lessons from the SDGs. Statistics Poland actively contributes to this work at both European and global level. And our central SDG lesson is clear: data drives the success of global agendas. It is the foundation of partnership, accountability, and—

I, I thank the distinguished representative of Poland. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland.

Excellencies, friends from civil society, as Director of the Domestic Programmes of Caritas Switzerland, I have the honour to give the official statement for my country. As an organisation committed to combating poverty, promoting social justice, and providing humanitarian assistance, Caritas demonstrates the importance of collaboration through a practical example: redistributing surplus food together with a supermarket chain that is still fit for consumption to people on low incomes, thereby combining social support, environmental sustainability, and the reduction of food waste. Such partnerships between the private sector and civil society enable transformative collaboration and integrate solutions that address multiple sustainability challenges at the same time. This multi-stakeholder approach is also reflected in Switzerland's 2026 UNRWA, within the National Advisory Board, civil society, private sector, and academia are equally represented and engaged in an institutionalized dialogue. As civil society, we emphasize that we can fully play our role as a critical partner only if reliable funding is ensured. The effective implementation of the Agenda 2030 requires close cooperation among all stakeholders and strong independent civil society that is fully able to fulfill its role as a critical partner. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Switzerland. Colleagues, we have received a high number of inscriptions. I would appreciate if you can shorten your statement voluntarily. With this, I would like to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Philippines.

The Philippine government recognizes and actively encourages and engages the private sector in policy planning, making, and implementation of the country's development priorities as laid down in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028. The Philippines has institutionalized and strengthened multi-stakeholder engagements through the Stakeholders Chambers on the SDGs. The chamber provides a nexus for multi-stakeholder engagement which includes the private sector, civil society groups, academia, and vulnerable groups. The national government brought the stakeholders' chamber to the regional level to work with the local government units, allowing more collaboration with the private sector as partner in the localization of SDGs. To meet the financing gap for SDG implementation, there's a need for an improvement— improved innovative financing architecture that grants developing countries access to a pool of concessional financing. The Sevilla Commitment facilitates deeper cooperation with the private sector, IFIs, and other stakeholders to mobilize support and resources for sustainable development. Official development assistance continues to play a critical role in advancing the SDGs. As a middle-income country, the Philippines champions enabling transition pathways for middle-income countries through tailored support cooperation guided by a strategic plan of action. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Philippines. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Timor-Leste, to be followed by voluntary stakeholders group, South Africa, Indonesia, Women's Major Group, Qatar, Germany, and France.

Mr. President, distinguished delegates, Timor-Leste recognizes that achieving the SDGs requires strong partnership uniting government, civil society, the private sector, development partners, academy, youth, human, and local communities. As a young nation, we place inclusive participation at the center of our development. Through our Strategic Development Plan 2011 to 2030, we continue to strengthen multi-stakeholder engagement so that national priorities reflect the needs of our people. Major groups and other stakeholders contribute vital local knowledge, promote accountability, and identify vulnerable communities. Engagement is most effective when abandoned throughout the entire policy cycle, from planning to review, fostering deeper national ownership. Timor-Leste deeply values the support of the United Nations, development partners, and regional organizations. in building institutional capacity, enhancing data collection, and mobilizing resources. Capacity building is essential for meaningful stakeholder participation. For further strengthening this engagement, we highlight 3 priorities. First, stakeholder participation must be institutionalized through regular formal consultation mechanisms at both national and local levels. Second, greater investment is needed to build the capacity of

I thank the distinguished representative of Timor-Leste. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Volunteers Stakeholder Group.

Distinguished delegates, the world is not failing to achieve the SDGs because communities lack solutions. We are failing because too many of the political and economic systems that produce poverty, inequality, displacement, and environmental destruction remain intact. Colonial legacies continue to shape global economic relations. Wars and armed conflict are reversing decades of development gains. Occupation and genocide continue to erase entire populations. Climate change is already determining who can stay, who must move, and who survives. Against this backdrop, partnerships are not a technical exercise. They're a political choice. As we commemorate the International Volunteer Year, We cannot call for stronger partnerships while shrinking the civic space in which we operate, criminalizing and excluding communities from decisions that shape their futures. Communities are expected to do more while budgets shrink, aid is cut, and international solidarity is increasingly treated as expendable. At a time when even the United Nations faces funding crises, communities are being asked to shoulder responsibilities that states themselves are retreating from. The final years of the SDGs require more than renewed commitments. They require redistribution of power, locally led action, and genuine co-governance. The question before us is not whether communities are ready to lead. It is whether governments are able to act accordingly and in partnership with us. Thank you.

I, I thank the distinguished representative of Voluntas stakeholder group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of South Africa.

Mr. President, I speak on behalf of South Africa's youth delegation to the 2026 HLPF. We wish to thank the panel for the insightful discussion. The youth is impacted by uneven progress in the implementation of the SDGs, including the SDGs under review this year. While there are many challenges that young people are facing, Youth unemployment is arguably the main challenge in South Africa as well as many other developing countries. While our governments are committed to policy interventions aimed at addressing the root causes of the challenges faced by youth, these challenges require a whole-of-society as well as a multi-stakeholder approach. Such approaches should include the active participation of youth in developing and implementing solutions. Mr. President, While the deadline for achieving the SDGs is fast approaching, we as the youth recognize that sustainable development is not bound by a deadline. It extends beyond generations, and its lasting success will depend not only on the promises we make here, but on the partnerships we sustain, the institutions we strengthen, and the opportunities we create. One such example is a recently held 2026 Global Sustainable Business Challenge organized by the universities from regions across the globe in collaboration with the UN SDG Action Campaign. which saw students formulate sustainable business ideas. Such initiatives instill a sense of collective responsibility and creativity in young people and inspire them to formulate new ideas with the prospect of accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. South Africa's experience—

I thank the distinguished representative of South Africa. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indonesia.

Chair, as we enter the final years toward 2030, only around 35% of global SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress. At the same time, geopolitical fragmentation, climate change impacts, and widening financing gaps continue to make implementation more difficult, especially for developing countries. These realities reinforce simple message: SDGs cannot be achieved by governments alone. They require stronger partnership, broader participation, and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Allow me to share 3 reflections. First, whole-of-society approach is key. Government, businesses, philanthropy, academia, civil society, media, local communities, and young people must work together to deliver SDG outcomes. Second, stakeholder engagement must be supported by an enabling ecosystem. Participation is most meaningful when stakeholders have access to data, financing, capacity, and institutional space. Third, stronger alliances are essential to revitalize multilateralism. This includes regional cooperation, South-South and triangular cooperation, and practical knowledge sharing among developing countries. For Indonesia, stakeholders' perspectives are vital to making multilateral processes more inclusive, responsive, and representative. As we approach 2030, we must move—

I thank the distinguished representative of Indonesia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Women's Major Group.

It's not on. All right, thank you. I'm speaking on behalf of the Women Major Group. We would like to share 3 strategies to enhance the engagement for the acceleration of the agenda. However, it is challenging to discuss the strategies without first acknowledging the challenging context we are operating in. At this point, realistically, member states are far from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Since 2015, each year systemic and structural barriers are discussed, but transformative and adaptive solutions are not implemented. Instead, premeditated geopolitical strategies to centralize power in only a few states who already have special seats and powers at these very institutions have been used more intensively. Empire-building, occupation, genocides, provoked conflicts, militarization, neocolonization, extractivist development models, and fiscal injustices remain some of the biggest barriers that weaken civic space, multilateralism, and suffocate spaces and processes for inclusive and sustainable development, and make the ambitious global agenda that had been envisioned in 2015 2015 challenging to achieve. The current global financial architecture continues to reinforce power centralization, so unsustainable debts keep piling up in the global majority and ODA commitments are no longer taken seriously.

I thank the distinguished representative of Women's Major Group. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Qatar.

Thank you. Thank you. I'm pleased to speak on behalf of Education Above All Foundation established in the State of Qatar. In our work in Education Above All Foundation, one lesson is emerging from our experience with our partnerships. The strongest partnerships are not built on consultation. They are built on co-ownership. We embrace failure and we celebrate success. Across our work, we have learned that stakeholders' engagement creates the greatest impact when governments, communities, young people, and development partners are involved from the very beginning, helping in the design, thinking about the solutions, implementing the programs, and evaluating their results. Together. This approach has been very central in EEA's work. Looking ahead, we believe that there are lots of opportunities to strengthen stakeholders' engagement and partnership. First, creating structuring mechanisms that engage all stakeholders and placing young people in the center. Second, recognizing that they are young people, they are are not only beneficiaries but they are changemakers. Third, strengthening partnerships that combine the comparative advantage of governments, multilateral organizations, philanthropy.

I thank the distinguished representative of Qatar. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Germany.

Thank you, Chair. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I speak as a youth representative and member of the German delegation. Germany aligns itself with the EU statement. When resources get scarce and tensions are high, it is civic spaces that will shrink first. I'm speaking from a youth perspective, but on behalf of the broader principle. The 2030 Agenda is meant to be implemented by, with, and for all of society. As a young person, I firmly believe that genuine leadership is not measured by the power one holds, but by one's willingness to share it. One example of what this could look like in practice is the preparatory German national HAPF. We've brought together over 88 civil society representatives this year. 88 different lived realities and experiences, 88 unique areas of expertise and implementation capacity, but most importantly, 88 voices willing to challenge, to hold our decision-makers accountable, and to witness whether words turn into action. The ability to not only receive but invite criticism is the highest standard of responsible engagement. When freedom of speech is practiced inclusively, it builds on something that is increasingly indispensable: resilience, not simply given but cultivated through the building of partnerships and alliances that remain firm under pressure. Participation works. This is the standard to which we call on all member states to aspire. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of France, to be followed by Guatemala, Mali, China, Russian Federation.

Excellencies, delegates, colleagues, every day across continents and communities, volunteers play an important bridging role between governments, civil society, society and citizens. Through their commitment, they transform partnerships into strong links and cooperation on the ground that advances the 2030 Agenda. International volunteers is not only an act of solidarity, it's a concrete cooperation mechanism. Volunteers contribute to solutions that are adapted to local realities, and that is the very sense of SDG 17, uh, on partnerships. We work in Cameroon, for example, and I can see how volunteer efforts have transformed things there. We promote through our foreign ministry an approach that places volunteering at the heart of our action. Our programs in preserving forests through La Francophonie also shows how volunteers can build links across many countries and create long-term partnerships. This creates more balanced relationships among countries. Volunteers participate concretely to responding to global challenges and transform commitments into local actions. As we discuss the 2030 Agenda, we call on governments and partners to recognize the value of partnerships in policies and incorporate volunteers into VNRs and create favorable environments for volunteer programs. Thank you.

Thank the distinguished representative of France. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Guatemala.

Chair, Excellencies, representatives of civil society, acceleration of the 2030 Agenda requires not only greater resources but also more high-quality partnerships and evidence-based approaches. We must involve academia, civil society, and the productive sector. Otherwise, no policy can be successful over the long term. Guatemala is making progress across 3 fronts. First, we are building comparable data in order to set up our national system for follow-up and implementation and ensure that it is results-oriented. Second, we are updating our national development Plan through 2052, which will be a link between global commitments and implementation on our territory. Third, with intelligent financing, we are reshaping our national financing system with digital tools and cooperation with the private sector under rigorous criteria. We call for multilateralism to be turned into a platform for cooperation so that the voices of stakeholders can be heard. They're not just complementary, they're structural. We reaffirm our intent to continue planning based on data. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Guatemala. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mali. Now, I give the floor to the Additional Representative of China.

President, progress on implementing the SDGs is now lagging, with only 36% of the goals on track, mainly due to the lack of momentum in international development cooperation. We must deepen partnerships and pool all efforts to inject new momentum into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. First, we need to build inclusive, balanced, and mutually beneficial partnerships for development, support the UN's central coordinating role, and tap into the UN's potential of convening stakeholders and mobilizing resources. This membership-driven process is about building partnership networks in line with the realities and development priorities of each country and about creating synergies. Second, we need to be action-oriented in pursuing pragmatic cooperation and use real results to motivate everyone's participation in cooperation. We can leverage the mobilizing power of global networks like the UN Resident Coordinators Development System and regional commissions to engage businesses, research institutions, universities, and civil society from different countries when providing development assistance and implementing country programs, thus delivering tangible results. Third, development should be people-centered, people-owned, and serve the people. When formulating development strategies and programs, We should listen to the views of all peoples, respond to their urgent needs, and draw on their practical experience and wisdom so as to ensure that the SDGs are grounded in local realities. Thank you, President.

I thank the distinguished representative of China. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Russian Federation.

Thank you, Chair. We believe that engagement of the civil society in the implementation of the SDGs is of great importance. In many instances, for example, in the course of the civil commitment preparation, the civil society participation was very instrumental and even sobering. For example, our deliberations wouldn't be the same without the straightforward contribution of NGOs like AfroDAD, to mention but one. At the same time, we believe that much remains to be done in terms of safeguarding the intergovernmental nature of the UN. The exact modalities of optimal allocation of functions here is yet to be determined. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation. Now I give the floor to the United Republic of Tanzania, to be followed by Italy and Belgium.

Thank you, Chair. Accelerating SDG implementation requires a whole of nation and whole-of-society approaches, bringing together central and local government, parliaments, development partners, CSOs, and private sector. We operationalized this model in our 2026 VNRR process. Key challenges remain in data quality, system fragmentation, and coordination capacity, all requiring continued investment in statistical data system and digital infrastructure. Going forward, Tanzania prioritizes core implementation with stakeholders, structured partnership aligned to national plans, and stronger local accountability systems. We strongly support UN reforms that strengthen inclusive multilateralism while reinforcing country ownership. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Tanzania. Now I give the floor to The distinguished representative of Italy.

Mr. Chair, Excellencies, since 2019, the implementation, monitoring, and revision cycle of the National Sustainable Development Strategy in Italy has been accompanied by the incremental design, institutionalization, and facilitation of the National Forum for Sustainable Development. Such a long time has been needed in order to shape a space where civil society, business actors, and research entities can share positions and promote joint projects on common issues. 362 organizations are now part of the forum. Key messages from the forum are integral part of the BNR 2026, and participation for sustainable development is one of the 3 enabling factors of the Italian National Sustainable Development Strategy. While establishing a youth group within the Forum for Sustainable Development, we have also been focusing focusing on youth empowerment and active engagement. The Youth Voluntary Review is just the first milestone in this journey aimed at bringing a generation not to be a recipient of change, but its key players and co-creators. The integration of intergenerational perspective into sustainability assessment of public policy is one of the main challenges in Italy in addressing closely working with young experts and research. Its achievement is a key driver in building the new paradigm we are all committed to. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Italy. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belgium.

Chair, thank you, Chair. Belgium aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and wishes to highlight the following. First, achieving the SDGs requires stronger policy coherence for sustainable development. The challenges we face are interconnected and demand a whole-of-government approach. Belgium is committed to ensuring that policies across sectors reinforce, rather than undermine, Sustainable Development Objectives, both domestically and internationally. Second, we firmly believe that progress can only be achieved through a whole-of-society approach and inclusive cooperation with all stakeholders. Governments alone cannot deliver the 2030 Agenda. We need all kinds of stakeholders with meaningful participation. Third, at a time of growing geopolitical tensions and multiple crises, Belgium remains convinced that a strong multilateral system and effective partnerships are indispensable. We must safeguard international cooperation and strengthen partnerships at global, regional, and local levels. Finally, the SDGs will not be achieved without a significant scaling up of resources. Belgium advocates for a balanced financing approach, combining public resources, private investment, and innovative financing mechanisms. Official development assistance remains crucial, particularly for the most vulnerable countries, but it must be complemented by efforts to mobilize domestic resources, unlock sustainable private investments, and—

I thank the distinguished representative of Belgium. Our colleagues We have already overrun the time, so I would like to call 3 major groups with 1 minute each. With this, I would like to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Business and Industry Major Group first.

Thank you. I'm speaking on behalf of Business and I would have to say that The private sector has been mentioned today, but in every stage of the implementation of the SDGs, we hear private sector is critical. But honestly, are we really engaging carefully with the private sector? We've taken some of this into our own hands. An example: IOE has— the organisation I work with— has regular dialogues with the resident coordinators at the local level to bring private sector to the table, not only for cooperative frameworks but BNRs but also partnerships. We've issued 2 playbooks on how to work with the private sector and how we can assist on skills development and an enabling business environment. But what do we want? Fewer meetings, more focused, quality rather than quantity, and why don't we have an open dialogue directly between member states and the private sector? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Business and Industry Major Group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Latin America and Caribbean Civil Society Engagement Mechanism.

Gracias. Thank you. I'm speaking on behalf of the Mechanism for Civil Society of Latin America and the Caribbean. The least equal— the most unequal continent in the world. Let's be frank, at the current pace, we will not succeed in implementing the 2030 Agenda. To speed up progress, it is vital to show political will. Thank you. To unlock adequate financing, and above all, to bring on board civil society organizations in a secure and significant way. It is vital to acknowledge what's done at the regional level and to strengthen that regional action, in particular in the context of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. Resources must be marshaled for civil society to participate. Finally, SDG 5 bears on the implementation of— microphone has been cut off—

Engagement mechanisms. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of People of African Descent Stakeholder Group.

Thank you, Chair. I speak on behalf of the People of African Descent Stakeholder Group, the newest constituency within the major groups and other stakeholders' mechanisms. As the 2030 Agenda enters the final years, allow me to reflect: we will not accelerate implementation without transforming who takes part in it. It's the same question. Our stakeholder group shows that multilateralism can still evolve. Recognition opens the door, but decisions must also be made. If leaving no one behind means anything, anti-racism, must be central on sustainable development with better data, meaningful participation, protected human rights mechanisms, and reforms that uphold racial justice. Multilateralism cannot be renewed by the same hands that designate the exclusions or without including African descendants. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of people of African descent stakeholder group. And Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, we have just heard from the last speaker on the list. Once again, I thank the moderator, Mr. Ole Henman, for expertly guiding this discussion. I also thank our excellent panelists for their insightful presentations. I also thank our distinguished speakers and participants for your valuable contributions. The meeting will continue momentarily with voluntary national reviews. We will take a short pause to allow the podium to be rearranged. Please remain seated. Thank you.

Yes, please come in, please come in. Also, this my book in UN Hall. Yeah, going. Thank you. Who is doing the police? I need to get the Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated.

Dear colleagues. Dear colleagues, I am Ammar Benjama. I am the Permanent Representative of Algeria. Thank you. Thank you. And as Vice President of ECOSOC, I invite the Forum to begin its consideration of sub-item C, Voluntary National Reviews, of agenda item 2, to hear the first Voluntary National Review presentations, and I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Jamaica. Before we begin with the presentations, I would like to appeal to the present— to the presenting countries to adhere to the agreed 10 minutes per presentation to allow sufficient time for all presenters as well as engagement with other states and participants. I hate the software who interrupt speakers, and I hope it will not happen with your cooperation. But given the number of countries making VNR presentation at this year's HLPF, I believe that we all understand the need to be disciplined, to allow adequate time for presentation as well as interaction from the floor. Ladies and gentlemen, the Forum will now hear the voluntary national review by Burkina Faso, and I invite His Excellency Aboubacar Nakanabo, Minister of Economy and Finance, to make a presentation. You have the floor, sir.

Merci beaucoup. Thank you very much, President of the Economic and Social Council, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Allow me to begin by extending my sincere gratitude and that of the Government of Burkina Faso to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations for convening this significant session of the High-Level Political Forum. This forum is an essential space for dialogue, mutual learning, and collective evaluation of our progress toward the 2030 Agenda. Burkina Faso is honored to be presenting its 3rd National Voluntary Report, which covers the period 2016-2025 and is, in this regard, the first 10-year stocktake of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in our country. 10 years, 10 years of progress and of challenges too. 10 years in which Burkina Faso had to pursue its development in a context of adversity, transforming crises into challenges. Presentation will revolve around 4 points. First, the national context and the main progress achieved by Burkina Faso. Next, the situation with regard to the implementation of the 5 SDGs under review this year. Third, the 4 essential messages Burkina Faso wishes to share with the international community. And finally, our call for for renewed international cooperation and strengthen international cooperation to achieve the SDGs. Distinguished participants, over the last decade, Burkina Faso has faced a welter of crises of staggering proportions. We've seen terrorist attacks, the fallout from climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, disturbances in supply chains, geopolitical tensions, and a drop in external financing. Very few countries have seen such challenges, but we have remained upright. Burkina Faso has even continued to move forward. We made a basic choice not to suffer our destiny, but to take it into our own hands. Our country is therefore continuing its progress toward sustainable development grounded in several principles: national sovereignty, local development, and the mobilization of our own resources as a priority. We've achieved results, and that shows our capacity for resistance. Between 2016 and 2025, In 2015, our own resources reached 3.309 billion francs CFA. That's $6.02 billion. And we've almost doubled our efforts. For Burkina Faso, the mobilization of domestic resources is also of great importance, and it has to do with our sovereignty. The gradual improvement of our security situation Relance for 2026 to 2030. That's our national development framework. That plan, Relance, is now the main national framework for the delivery of the SDGs and the Agenda 2063 for the African Union, and of course the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations. It is also the strategic reference framework for all of the interventions of our development partners on our national territory. Our message is clear: partners are welcome, but they now need to fit into the context defined by Burkina Faso itself. Distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, the 5 SDGs under review this year show the path we've traveled and how much progress we have yet to achieve. Turning now to SDG 6 on drinking water and sanitation. Our drinking water access has gone from 72.4% in 2016 to 78.9% in 2025, thanks to investments in well drilling, simplified drinking water supply systems, and integrated water management. In terms of sanitation, we've made strides thanks to the community approach to total sanitation. Even so, we need to continue working because access to drinking water is not a privilege. This is a matter of human dignity. Turning now to SDG 7 on energy, Burkina Faso is staunchly continuing its energy transition. Since 2016, the share of renewables in our national energy mix nearly doubled, in particular thanks to investments in solar plants. We have a clear ambition. It is to ensure that every Burkinabé citizen has access to sufficient, reliable, secure, and sustainable energy, because you can't have industrialization without energy. You can't have economic transformation without energy, and you can't have economic sovereignty in a country without energy sovereignty. Next, SDG 9, promoting the contribution of industrialization primary commodities and creating more value on our own territory. SDG 11, building cities that meet the needs of populations. Burkina Faso has continued its work in building more inclusive, resilient, and better planned cities. We have a presidential program called Burkina Faso Dinkaso that calls for building 550,000 housing units. Shareholding program. We're consolidating international partnerships as well as mobilizing the contributions of the diaspora. Our approach is simple. We want to first marshal our own forces to better consolidate partnerships with others, because genuine partnerships cannot be built on dependence or submission. They are built based on responsibility, trust, and mutual respect. At this forum, We have 4 key messages that Burkina Faso wants to share with the world. Beyond indicators and figures, Burkina Faso wants to share its strong conviction, which has been— our first message is courage. We're faced with crises, but we did not give in to discouragement. Thanks to difficulties, we continued. Courage for us is not the lack of difficulties. It is the resolve to continue despite these difficulties. Our second message is that of sovereignty. Burkina Faso is taking its destiny into its own hands. We want to undertake our development in line with our national priorities, our realities, and our aspirations. Sovereignty doesn't mean isolation. It means the capacity to choose, the capacity to side, the capacity to marshal your own resources and cooperate freely with others. Our third message is resilience. We are going to transfer all difficulties into opportunities for reform and every trial into one more reason to bolster our national capacity. Resilience for us is a method of governing. It is a source of collective force. Our 4th and final message is one of hope. We're facing crises, uncertainty, and divides in the world. Despite that, Burkina Faso continues to believe in sustainable development. We believe in the capacity of people to transform their destinies. We believe in the strength of solidarity. We believe in international cooperation grounded in mutual respect. And above all, we believe that when people have faith in themselves, there's no challenge that can't be overcome. President, ladies and gentlemen, we need to look at the stark reality. The world is not on track to reach the SDGs by 2030. There's a dearth of financing that's continued to deepen. There are persistent inequalities. Climate change is intensifying and conflicts are proliferating. We're less than 4 years from 2030, and we need to accelerate our progress. We need to move faster. We need to move stronger. And above all, we need to act differently. Burkina Faso has— calls for a root-and-branch reform of financing for development mechanisms. We call for better access to technology, for strengthening national capacities, and partnerships grounded not on dependency but on mutual respect, trust, and shared responsibility. Our country remains convinced that the challenges of our age will not be overcome by isolation nor by dependency, but only through renewed international solidarity that respects the sovereignty of states and is capable of accompanying the priorities defined by peoples themselves. I thank you for your

I thank the Minister of the Economy and Finance of Burkina Faso for that presentation. May I add that here we all know the challenges that the people The proud people of Burkina Faso face due to terrorism, which must be condemned. And these people— this people has the right to our support. Here, the voluntary National Review by Jamaica. And I invite Her Excellency Kamina Johnson-Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, to make a presentation. You have the floor, Minister.

Thank you, Mr. President, Excellencies. Today we share in the celebrations of over 80 years of cooperation recognizing that the 2030 Agenda has positively impacted our collective efforts to achieve sustainable development, although admittedly not to the extent hoped. Jamaica's commitment to achieving the SDGs nonetheless is reflected in our 98% alignment with Vision 2030, Jamaica's national development plan, embedding the SDG targets and indicators in our national monitoring and evaluation evaluation frameworks, and strengthening of our results-based management and budgeting systems to support implementation. These efforts have also provided a foundation for more effective and supportive development partnerships. Notwithstanding, shifts in global dynamics and challenges to multilateralism demand that SIDS pursue context-relevant solutions that leverage our unique strengths of strategic geography, vast ocean resources, institutional learning, and systems built through decades of experience and cooperation. This wider effort therefore continues. The presentation of our 3rd Voluntary National Review today is at a reflective moment for Jamaica. We have worked hard at making progress, but are today confronted with the reality that one half of the country has been destroyed by the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in Jamaica. We are, however, a resilient people, so that even as we work on recovery and reconstruction with our partners and stakeholders, we have evaluated progress on the SDGs and continue to embark on a transformative pathway to accelerating sustainable development progress once more. Mr. President, global efforts to eradicate poverty, combat climate change, and spur development across countries have yielded uneven results. We recognize the reduction in poverty globally, although the pace of that reduction has slowed and inequality is on the rise. The commitment to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees is faltering, and Small Island States continue to bear the additional social and economic cost of recovering and rebuilding while striving to achieve resilient and sustainable development. The middle-income trap now facing many developing countries is visible in stagnating SDG performance and less than desired outcomes, especially in human development indicators. Jamaica has embarked on a program of economic resilience, funding more of the domestic budget from tax revenue as development assistance declines and global interest rates rise. We reiterate the need for financial instruments calibrated more to vulnerability rather than income classification alone to help middle-income countries exit the trap and achieve resilient, sustained growth. International trade, although still considered a driver of growth, is increasingly also a source of vulnerability. We remain exposed to exogenous shocks beyond our control. The multilateral system is indeed in need of reform. Systems and processes must recognize the special circumstances of SIDS to ensure real and measurable change in their development outcomes. Within this context, Jamaica calls for the use of complementary measures of progress that go beyond GDP, including multidimensional vulnerabilities, in order to secure equitable access to affordable and concessional finance. As we navigate an increasingly unpredictable global climate, While maintaining our commitment to inclusive sustainable development, Jamaica has advanced innovative policy and financing measures that have driven— delivered strong results. We recognize our people at the center of development strategy, improving lives and livelihoods. The implementation of economic expansion as well as poverty reduction programs have spurred a decline in the prevalence of poverty from 21.4% in 2015 to 7.8% in 2024, the lowest rate since Jamaica commenced measuring poverty in 1989. Further declines have been achieved in the level of unemployment, measured at 3.3% in 2025, down from double digits in 2013. On health targets, we note that in 2024, Jamaica joined the 20 countries validated by the WHO for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis. These represent key milestones in the pursuit of the 95-95-95 target, now extended to 2030. Our sustained fiscal reforms have reduced the public debt-to-GDP ratio from 135.6% at the end of Financial Year 2012-13 to 62.4% at the end of Financial Year 2024-25. Improved treasury management has increased our reserves to record highs, helping to stabilize our exchange rate, while revenue growth from improved tax compliance and increased economic activity has created the fiscal space to finance development projects, capitalize the contingency fund, and support disaster risk financing. This enhanced economic stability has resulted in improved sovereign creditworthiness, which in turn has built investor confidence. Jamaica continues to solidify its commitment to environmental management and climate change mitigation through our 3rd revised NDC under the Paris Agreement, targeting energy, land use change, forestry, and industry sectors. We're proud that we have achieved 26% terrestrial and 15% marine protected areas and are therefore on track for 2030. More broadly, we are also working to achieve 50% of renewables in electricity generation, to increase forest coverage through forest management plans, and to advance our 2050 long-term emissions reduction strategy. I now hand the floor to the Director-General of our Planning Institute of Jamaica to continue.

Thank you, Minister. Mr. President, the threats and constraints to development for SIDS are ever-present. Implementation of our robust long-term development agenda has yielded favourable results, yet we cannot discuss the country's progress without addressing the most recent events that tested our resilience. In July 2024, Category 4 Hurricane Beryl claimed lives, caused injuries, and resulted in damage estimated at US$362 million, the equivalent of 1.9% of the previous year's GDP. While still recovering from this event and the intervening infrastructure damage caused by Tropical Storm Raphael, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa devastated the western region of the country in October 2025. The associated damage and loss is estimated at US$12.3 billion, or 56.7% of 2024 GDP. We are facing a worrying increase in storm activity. In the 59-year period 1960 to 2019, there were only 39 named storms passing within 200 kilometers of the island, in contrast to 11 in the 5-year period 2020 to 2025, a 238% increase. This year, we may only be spared from a devastating hazard due to the overwhelming heat pressure of the El Niño system, which brings its own associated challenges, including drought. Notwithstanding, Jamaica's decade of SDG implementation has been rooted in building resilience. As a small open economy, fiscal buffers have continuously been built to cushion shocks. A mix of innovative financing instruments, multilateral support, and debt management now support a robust disaster risk financing framework. Immediately following Hurricane Melissa, development partners mobilized a US$6.7 billion package available over a 3-year period, covering direct government support, technical assistance, and private investment. This represents an expression of confidence in domestic governance and financing frameworks, but its insufficiency still underscores the need for special financing instruments which address climate and disaster vulnerabilities at the scale and scope needed. Mr. President, 2030 is approaching and the world is not on track to achieve the goals of its ambitious Agenda. We note the Global Sustainable Development Report, which applies a scientific approach to acceleration. In Jamaica, we have used successive analyses grounded in productive capacities, systems thinking, and other approaches to identify key points of intervention related to human capital, energy, and infrastructure, among others. We have accordingly identified the following: SDGs 3, 4, 9, and 11 are potential accelerators due to their multiplier effects across lagging and regressing goals. Policy coherence and prioritization are foundational to successful plan implementation. Building and maintaining strong institutions will act as a cross-cutting accelerator, supporting macroeconomic stability, climate resilience, and human capital development, and investing in priority policy drivers can unlock progress within the timelines. Our development journey undoubtedly will go beyond 2030, Mr. President, and robust international partnerships will remain critical to its success. The post-2030 development agenda must, however, take lessons learned from this period and adopt clear means of implementation, manageable statistical frameworks, and early inclusion into national planning systems. In this context, we look forward to working within a reformed, relevant, and supportive multilateral system to deliver on an accelerated post-2030 agenda in the interests of present and future generations. I thank you.

In my vision, Jamaica was standing tall on the world stage, leading by example. Our island was clean and green, rivers flow freely, beaches were protected, and trees were planted everywhere. What a prosperous Sustainable and beautiful Jamaica I see. Jamaica has become the place of choice to live, work, raise families, and do business indeed.

I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica for the presentation. The Forum will next hear the Voluntary National Review by Guinea, and I invite His Excellency Mohamed Dabou, Permanent Representative of Guinea to make a presentation. You have the floor, sir.

Thank you very much, President. President, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to present on behalf of the Guinean delegation the content of the Voluntary National Review on the Status of SDG Implementation in the Republic of Guinea. At the outset, I would like, on behalf of His Excellency Mamadi Doumbouya, President of the Republic of Guinea, and the government of Guinea's sincere gratitude for choosing the Republic of Guinea as one of the countries presenting their VNR this year. President, ladies and gentlemen, with the 2030 Agenda deadline 5 years away, the the Republic of Guinea has embarked on an initiative to assess the status of SDG implementation, and this is reflected in our presentation today of our 3rd Voluntary National Report following those produced in 2018 and 2024. Going beyond the 5 priority SDGs that are the subject of this review, Guinea is conducting a comprehensive review of all 17 Agenda Goals in order to ensure monitoring of progress towards 2030 and ensuring the sustainability of achievements. In order to ensure an inclusive approach to the report's preparation, a technical committee comprising all stakeholders was established at the national level. It was placed under the technical coordination of the Ministry of Planning, International Cooperation and Development. That body includes representatives from sectoral ministries, national institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, as well as technical and financial partners. Furthermore, a methodological approach guided the process that included the carrying out of preliminary activities such as data and information collection, a document review of policy strategies, reforms, and study and survey results, as well as consultations with stakeholders at both the regional and sectoral levels. These activities culminated in the drafting of the report, which underwent validation at the national level— at 2 levels, technical and political. President, ladies and gentlemen, The progress recorded in the implementation of the 5 SDGs under review is as follows. With regard to SDG 6, ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, basic water supply service rose from 61.9% in 2017 to 73.4% in 2025, of which 80.9% use an improved source of water. This improvement reflects investment in urban and rural water infrastructure. With regard to SDG 7, ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all, our results show that we have an estimated hydro— electric potential of over 6,000 megawatts, of which 18% is currently being used. Installed hydroelectric capacity currently stands at 665 megawatts, with the construction currently underway of the Amaria Dam, which will have a capacity of 300 megawatts, and the construction of the Kumagali Solar Power Plant. The country aims to achieve this target through the objectives set out in its Simandou 2040 Sustainable and Responsible Development Program. Under SDG 9, build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation, our review has shown that industry, including construction, accounted for 25.29% of GDP in 2024, and the share of manufacturing value added was estimated at 9%. In addition, the country has undertaken reforms for the construction of alumina refineries, the objective being to have 5 or 6 operational refineries by 2030, as set out in the Simandou Program. With regard to SDG 11, make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, Sustainable, the most recent General Population and Housing Census estimated that the urban population stood at 6,776,769 inhabitants in 2025, compared with just 3,660,000 in 2015. To achieve this target, our authorities We have initiated the construction of 716 social housing units, as well as the establishment and registration of 425 land reserves and the issuance of 3,205 land titles. Together, these interventions led by the government constitute our response to the challenges of urbanization. Finally, with regard to SDG 17, titled Strengthen the Means of Implementation and Revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. The report shows that tax revenue as a share of GDP stood at 9.1% in 2024. However, it must be acknowledged that the Republic of Guinea remains 6 points below the minimum threshold and 11 points below its potential. In order to accelerate the achievement of targets by 2030, a number of major reforms are currently underway, including the revision of sectoral tax, expanding the tax base, and the progressive formalization of our economy. Ladies and gentlemen, presidents, the distinctive feature of the 2026 VNR and the status of SDG implementation in the Republic of Guinea reflects a trajectory of maturing natural reporting, which is characterized by a systematic target-by-target analysis for each of the SDGs with quantified estimates of progress and identification of conditions needed for further progress, as well as the use of data from various surveys, including the 4th General Population and Housing Census, the 6th Demographic and Health Survey, which is disaggregated by quintile, and the 2nd Harmonized Survey on Household Living Conditions. The 3rd distinctive feature of our VNR is a cross-cutting analysis of synergies, bottlenecks, and contradictions among the SDGs. And finally, there is also the formulation of realistic intermediate targets for 2030 and 3 levers with simultaneous impacts on the greatest possible number of SDGs. Thank you, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen, as part of full national leadership, the Republic of Guinea has carried out this process in a participatory and inclusive format with a view to leaving no one behind and in strict adherence to the 2026 VNR preparation guidelines. I would like to conclude by reiterating our profound gratitude to our technical and financial partners. specifically the United Nations systems, whose ongoing support has significantly contributed to the preparation of this report. Thank you very much.

I thank the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Guinea for that presentation. We will now hear comments and questions from states and other participants. Delegations who wish to intervene in the interactive discussion, including those who previously expressed their interest to ask questions to the VNR presentations through The group of friends of the VNR are invited to press the microphone button on the console. Before I give the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind delegation to kindly limit their intervention to 2 minutes each. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Morocco— of Philippines. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Philippines commends the 3 presentations on the VNRs by Guinea-Burkina Faso, Jamaica, They have shown evidence-based, policy-oriented, and forward-looking presentations. I have a question for our colleague from Guinea. First is, what reforms has the government undertaken to improve access to water, electricity, and sanitation? And how did you take into account the views of local communities at the decentralized level. Thank you.

Thank you, Philippines. Now the representative of Mali, you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, President. I would like to commend the brilliant VNR presentations of Burkina Faso, Jamaica, and Guinea. These presentations raise questions on our part. In particular, I have a question for the Minister of Economy and Finance of Burkina Faso. Minister, the Sahel region is for more than a decade now facing security challenges that are impacting the economic situation of the member states of the Confederation of the Sahel. Despite this difficult situation, in addition to geopolitical tensions, Burkina Faso has managed to significantly increase the mobilization of domestic resources. What are the main factors that allowed you to achieve this? To the Republic of Guinea, we extend our warm congratulations on the progress made and our encouragement to continue in the same manner. And I conclude by expressing our wishes of stability and ongoing prosperity to our neighborly and friendly countries of Burkina Faso and Republic of Guinea. Thank you, President.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Mali, and I now give the floor to the Representative of Morocco.

Thank you, President. I would like first to warmly congratulate Jamaica, Burkina Faso, and Guinea for the presentation of their voluntary national reviews. Thank you for sharing your experiences, best practices, and the lessons learned in your journey of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. I would now like to ask the following question to the delegation of Burkina Faso. Minister, Burkina Faso is lauded for its comprehensive approach based on internal development and national leadership. How does this approach constitute a lever for accelerating SDG implementation at the national level? Thank you.

Thank you, Morocco. Now, stakeholder number 1, together 2030. You have the floor.

Thank you. At the outset, we would like to commend and salute the government of Burkina Faso for the initiatives and efforts made in a context of war in order to carefully prepare this VNR 2026 report. Indeed, since 2016, Burkina Faso is facing asymmetrical war whose objectives remain vague and whose consequences are very difficult to bear. For its part, in light of the security situation, civil society does not have significant means to ensure independent follow-up and oversight of SDG implementation. Should we therefore not, in order to ensure coherent analysis, support civil society in the context of implementation and follow-up on the SDGs. Combating poverty is at once a fundamental challenge and a national challenge because a slave is one who is unable to feed themselves and therefore loses their dignity. In order to overcome poverty, should we not address literacy rates among young people in line with national legislation of Burkina Faso. Electrification in rural areas is still unable to cover all households, although the will is there. The weakness of internet coverage is also something that is weakening the economy. The Faso-Mabo project for rural areas is— Thank you. creating favorable conditions for agriculture. This is also allowing to ensure provision of ongoing water for cattle, limiting their displacement.

I lost her. Thank you. Now, The floor is for Togo. You have the floor, sir.

Mr. President, I warmly congratulate the 3 countries that just presented their VNRs. My question goes in particular to Burkina Faso. Mr. Minister, given these strong results that the report on the SDGs shows, what lessons lessons does Burkina Faso wish to share with other developing countries with a view to achieving the SDGs by 2030? I take this opportunity to extend to the kindred people of Burkina Faso our solidarity in the crises they're facing. Thank you, President.

Thank you, Togo. The floor is for Norway now.

Mr. President, Norway would like to warmly thank the representatives of all 3 presenting countries for their VNRs and continued efforts to advance the 2030 Agenda. Our question is to Jamaica, whose report offers a comprehensive overview of progress achieved, including reductions in poverty and unemployment, strengthened macroeconomic stability, and advances in environmental protection and access to justice. It also provides an honest assessment of the persisting challenges, particularly the vulnerability of small island developing states to increasingly severe climate shocks. Experience shows that strong institutions enable sustainable development outcomes, improving efficiency in delivery of services and achievement of results. How has institutional governance supported Jamaica's sustainable development results. Thank you.

Thank you, Norway. I give the floor to Rwanda. Rwanda.

Thank you very much, Mr. President, for giving me the floor. I'll join to thank all the member countries that presented their VNRRs. Very much appreciated. Great achievement. But my My question today goes to Jamaica and we have followed very attentively, Madam Honourable Minister, your presentation, which underscores the importance of building resilience and ensuring development gains are protected against the external shocks. Based on that, Madam Honourable Minister, our question is climate change vulnerability has been identified near in all VNRs as a structural issue constraining the achievement of sustainable development outcomes. What measures has the Government of Jamaica undertaken to strengthen resilience, enhance preparedness, and improve recovery from climate-related disasters, particularly in safeguarding the progress made towards the Sustainable Development Goal Thank you very much again, all of you, for presenting VNR.

Thank you. Thank you, Rwanda. Now the representative of NGO major groups, you have

the floor. Thank you, Chair. Excellencies, on behalf of the civil societies in Jamaica, we thank the Jamaican government for reaffirming its commitment to the 2030 Agenda. We commend the inclusive consultation process progress made in reducing poverty, strengthening adaptive social protection, expanding disaster risk financing, and integrating climate resilience into national development planning. Building on the VNR findings, we respectfully offer some recommendations. The VNR identifies land tenure insecurity as a major constraint to sustainable agricultural productivity. Accelerating secure land rights of small farmers, women, and youth alongside implementation of national seed policy and action plan and the youth in agriculture policy would strengthen food security, increase domestic production, and expand youth participation in agribusiness. Addressing the mentioned challenges in solid waste management requires strengthening the governance, financing, and operational capacity of the National Solid Waste Management Authority alongside improved waste collection services, targeted public education, and stronger enforcement to reduce improper disposal. While unemployment has declined, labor market mismatches can be addressed by expanding technical employment opportunities and better aligning skills training with emerging industries. We encourage continued efforts to strengthen disability-inclusive and age-friendly social protection while expanding affordable housing opportunities for reproductive citizens aged 36 to 45 as they fall out of targeted schemes like the NHT Young Adult Policy. Finally, Hurricane Melissa highlighted the need for strengthened NGO and civil society partnerships

Thank you, NGO major group. Now I give the floor to the representative of People of African Descent Stakeholder Group. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, civil society congratulates the governments for the presentation of these 3 VNRs, and we hail the progress made toward delivery of the SDGs, among which the improvement of access to electricity to around 50% of the population, as well as the reforms in order to strengthen regional energy. These results are encouraging, but they need to be consolidated. This is so that the benefits of development can reach everyone in the population with no discrimination, in accordance with the basic principles of the SDGs to leave no one behind. In this regard, the Ghanaian civil society calls for accelerating work to guarantee equal access to reliable, affordable, and secure and sustainable energy, especially in rural areas, bolster water sanitation infrastructure in school facilities with access by vulnerable people so as to promote high-quality education for everyone, in particular for girls. We also need to harness the potential of rivers as levers for sustainable development. We need to invest in infrastructures conducive to the development of agriculture, the local processing of mining materials, and we need to create decent jobs. Finally, we have a question for the government. What concrete measures has the government planned to ensure effective participation, ongoing participation of civil society in implementing the recommendations of its VNR, including persons with disabilities and their representative organizations. Thank you.

Representative of people of African descent. And now I give the floor to the last speaker in this interactive discussion. Representative of Liberia, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank all member states that presented at VNRR. We have a question to the Republic of Guinea. Could our distinguished delegate from Guinea elaborate on a distinctive feature of Guinea VNRR report, particularly those that differentiate it from previous reports or documents that demonstrate innovation approach to implementation and monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals? I thank the representative Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President of Liberia. No more requests for the floor? Let's go to the presentator. I now give the floor to the distinguished minister.

Thank you very much. For all the questions? Yeah. Okay, great. Thank you. Thank you very much. First off, I want to thank everyone who showed interest in our presentation through the comments that were made and the relevant questions We've implemented remote declarations, remote payments, and we're addressing the informal sector too, addressing the contribution of the informal sector through mobile payments. All of this has allowed us to ensure that everyone who wants to pay their taxes have easy ways to do so. What's more, we've ensured domestic mobilization to harness our tax receipts. An example was shown by the President of Burkina Faso himself, Ibrahim Traoré. He paid his taxes in these new— in this new way, and that showed everyone the way and improved our tax receipts. We've also stepped up our Efforts to combat fraud, which is undermining the economy. We're combating illicit financial flows too. This has all improved our revenue. We are also addressing land management through digitalization. All of this work has improved our revenue, allowing us to make substantial strides. Already allows us to meet our own needs before appealing to partners. And the mobilization of resources in this regard is important, but it's also about processing our own natural resources. We have major natural resources, but hitherto they were exploited by foreign multinationals. This means that the revenue wasn't sufficient for our country, and we've gone to a great deal of effort in order to increase the state— the share of the state in the mining sector, establishing local refineries, ensuring that the value chain for natural resources is taken into account. We're also working to ensure that we can have local expertise, which is well developed in terms of natural resource management. And this is going to allow us to manage our natural resources and to promote local development. We've also worked a great deal on popular mobilization. We've established a program to promote entrepreneurship, and we have 2 or 3 factories we've already made through that effort, through the mobilization of the resources of the people. So we have what's known as the local the Citizen Shareholding Scheme too. This is all part of our local development framework, which is promoted by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, our president. Some questions were also raised by civil society, in particular the need to enhance the literacy rate. The president of Burkina Faso has also set up a presidential educational initiative, allowing today for the establishment of well-adapted infrastructure, above all working to improve the quality of education. Next fall, Burkina Faso is going to have a technology institute which is going to train high-level engineers to accompany the policy of industrialization in our country. Also, there's a need to spotlight rural electrification because for us that is essential. Because if people have electricity in rural areas, then this will transform qualitatively their lives, be it agriculture, be it informal economic activities, or be it health or education. In all these areas, energy plays a key role. That's why we've put in place an agency to accompany rural electrification, and we've made reforms in order to accelerate accelerate electrification to assist populations and make them more resilient. You also pointed out the need to ensure that Burkina Faso, uh, has the requisite resources in rural areas. I want to spotlight what we're doing here. We have an agency, and we need to give the agency the tools it needs to Make roads for the population. And the 17 regions of Burkina Faso have the materials they need, but we need to develop these rural regions. Today, this is a trend that's taken seriously at all levels, and we agree with the need that you underscored to ensure that this is something available to everyone, and we're working on this. Let me close Changes that will transform qualitatively the lives of the population. In this regard, it's important for us to ensure that every dollar invested has an impact on the population, whether it's resources coming from the state budget or from partners. And in our dialogue with partners, we state clearly that we don't want to have resources for which ultimately the end desired will not be achieved. We want to have impactful financing. We invested billions, but we want to have an impact for the population. How do we qualitatively improve the lives of the population? That's what's important for us. And I think in accelerating the SDGs, That's what we need to do. We're not on track at the global level due to the many obstacles there are, but at the level of every country, you need to have strong leadership and a clear vision. If we have that, I think we can qualitatively improve the situation of the people, be it access to water, energy, jobs, or other essential questions where at the national level you really need to have strong leadership. So by way of conclusion, I extend my gratitude to all the countries who have expressed their solidarity with their— with Burkina Faso and continue to do so. Given the challenges we face, we remain upright, we remain dignified. We're going to continue to fight for our freedom, our sovereignty, and we can only thank all of the countries that are supporting us with our challenges And, President, I would like to conclude by saying that all the countries that support us should know that their support is very important for us. And this will give us the energy we need to fight in accordance with the vision of our President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré. Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Economy and Finance of Burkina Faso. Johnson Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica. You have the floor, madam.

Thank you, Mr. President. D'abord, je tiens à féliciter mes coprésentateurs, les excellents. I would like to commend my co-presenters, their excellencies, the ministers from Burkina Faso and Guinea, for their excellent presentations. The challenges are indeed immense, but the progress achieved is something to be commended, absolutely. On the matter of Jamaica's— the steps that Jamaica has taken in respect of disaster risk management and resilience, in answer to His Excellency representing the Republic of Rwanda, I want to share that We have taken a multi-pronged approach which not only addresses a comprehensive framework intended to provide comprehensive planning from the years 2020 to 2040, but we've taken a multi-layered financing mechanism as well as a new approach to reconstruction. If I say a bit more, our comprehensive disaster risk management framework is intended to not only incorporate international best practice with local community resilience, but it addresses preparedness, response, resilience, as well as risk management. So the full spectrum of what is needed. The multi-layered financing mechanism not only introduces comprehensive risk management from a perspective of insurance, contingency funding, as well as catastrophe bond mechanisms and multilateral support, but it ensures that we not only are able to finance the preparedness aspect at the local government level, but that at every level we are able to response. So we now have a new national natural disaster risk management framework. We amended our Disaster Risk Management Act in 2021 to ensure that where a disaster or an exogenous factor that affects the economy by more than 1.5%, that there's a mechanism that is triggered, which is now funded for contingency at the local and national level. But that's at the catastrophe bond level, of course, where we've now secured, post-Melissa, another level of financing insurance for our— in the event of catastrophe. From a reconstruction perspective, we are— we have established and just passed legislation earlier this year to create a National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority. And this authority is ensuring that we are able to harness reconstruction at scale, focused on ensuring that our updated building code and our resilience mechanisms can be implemented even as we manage government. The fact is, with half of your country destroyed practically, you must be able to continue to grow your economy and service all of the gains, which you thankfully identified in respect of retaining unemployment and poverty levels at as low a level as possible, ensuring that your economy functions while addressing the very real needs of reconstruction, which includes relocation and of course land titling and those matters. So there's a broad, multi-pronged approach, and it bears stating that notwithstanding Notwithstanding all of this, notwithstanding a 5-layer multidimensional financing framework, when you are hit by a Category 5 hurricane that is the strongest tied for one of the strongest to ever emerge from the Atlantic Basin, there is nothing which compensates for the dislocation, the disruption, the damage to family life, the lost lives. That is a result of your vulnerability. And it's why we are calling for ensuring that economic analysis, whether by the OECD or other international policymakers, whether by the IFIs and the MDBs, this vulnerability must be considered when structuring financial instruments, when structuring ODA, when looking at resilient investment and PPPs. All of this has to be factored in. And I could just mention in wrapping on that point, but it's so fundamental, so I thank you for asking the question, that Jamaica has also developed in conjunction with our University of the West Indies and the FCDO and the University of Oxford in the UK a strategic resilient infrastructure assessment tool, which will help to mobilize investment, but with a clear understanding of resilience/vulnerability to better price investment and to better ground PPPs in a way that we think is modular and scalable for the rest of the world. This is something which should make its better entrance into the world stage this later this year, and it is, I think, part of how Jamaica is looking at every aspect of vulnerability. How do we prepare, prevent— we can't prevent, so how do we prepare? How do we— but more importantly, how do we recover and how do we finance at all stages? Thank you.

If I can, through you— thank you, Minister— and through you, Mr. Chair, I want to acknowledge the question from the representative from Norway on institutions. A key feature of SDG implementation in Jamaica has been the role of institutions and public— strong public management. And from the level of data collection and monitoring, the statistical system in Jamaica has been strengthened to increase availability and coverage of data. Existing structures have been improved with GIS technology influencing poverty mapping hazard mapping, and environmental protection. We have had legislative amendments to increase accountability, and that's evidenced by the turnaround in our fiscal sustainability through the use of fiscal rules in our Financial Administration and Audit Act and our Public Bodies Management and Accountability Act. Additionally, we have recent gains in improved citizen security that have been underpinned, buttressed by significant reform to crime mitigation legislation and community development. We've had an ongoing public sector modernization program that's yielded results through policy coherence and adoption of long-term planning and strategic development. Strong institutions have built public trust and have caused greater buy-in for what we are doing. Certainly, I want to recognize the recommendations from the representatives from the NGOs and the civil society groups. Certainly, secure land tenure is a priority, continues to be a priority of the government. We have had ministerial oversight and pushing through, and using the opportunity of reconstruction recovery from Hurricane Melissa, we were able to accelerate those in those most affected parishes, the issues of secure land tenure. Unemployment levels have been very low, as you have indicated, and yes, labour market mismatch is a challenge and is something we continue to treat with through our National Training Agency. We are accelerating the development of our AI policy, a national AI policy, which we think is going to be very useful in helping to treat with some further issues in labour market efficiency. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much. I also wanted to address the point points made by the civil society groups. And Mr. President, thank you for allowing me to take the floor once more, but to indicate how very important the matter of land tenure is to us. And I wanted to thank you for the recommendations which identified not only small farmers but ensuring our young people and our young women are better supported in entering agriculture and in homeownership at every level, including those which age out of the youth group, as you have identified. Thank you. And just to assure you that we not only have a new Agri-Park program which allows for subsidized land tenure and subsidized equipment provision, including an equipment lease, rotational lease program that allows for the capital investment that small farmers are unable to make in order to exponentially increase their productivity. We'll have shared equipment for them, as well as the 50% reduced land lease rates for the first 2 years of their participation for young people and women and small farmers at a particular level, with registered farmers and fishers getting additional support, additional reforms taking place at our research center, which will allow them to have better access to appropriate seeds strains of plants in order to become more productive. We actually have strong cooperation with Morocco on soil research and soil restoration, which will also help our small farmers, and cold storage. And we have a massive land tenure or land titling program which is set to title 500,000 unregistered plots over the next 5 years. So no, it's not 500,000. It's— I need to confirm the figure, but we have an ambitious program and it is likely to be achieved because we have a new digital program in conjunction with the Republic of Korea, in partnership with them, that is training new surveyors and allowing for digital land titling as well as an accelerated program to map with the GIS land assessments that our DG spoke of. So thank you, Mr. Chairman, just to assure you that the work is at hand and we are absolutely taking care to make sure that land ownership is addressed. Disabilities are being addressed. My Director General is, is reminding me, not only by subsidized loans and incentivized interest rates within our national housing sector. But we are enforcing the disaster— sorry, our Disabilities Act, which was passed in 2014. My speaking time is up. We are enforcing both in schools and at all public infrastructure and hope to do better in the short term. Thank you. Short term. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Minister. You owe me 5 minutes. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mohamed Dabo, Permanent Representative of Guinea. You have the floor, sir.

Thank you very much, President. I would also like to echo those who spoke before me to thank all delegations for their contributions, their remarks and observations, which are very relevant and which show the interest in the presentations delivered by us. So to provide some responses that will then be completed by my colleague, the National Director for Planning, I would like to share that the National Development Development Program, Siemondou, integrates access to water, electricity, sanitation. This is one of the vital pittles. Many investments are being made into the water sector in order to increase not only production capacity but also ensure better access to quality drinking water. Also in the area of water and sanitation, Investments are also being made to improve sanitation infrastructure, make it more lasting, and also to reduce waterborne diseases that are generally due to issues relating to access to water. Many investments are also being made into improving access to water in schools. and health centers, as well as preserving water resources and waterbeds. In the electricity sector, as I said, energy capacity has increased from the previous number. 2 major projects are underway also to increase our capacity by 300 megawatts. We have the Amaria Dam that's being built and a new solar power plant being built. And these investments seek not only to improve national coverage when it comes to power, but also meet the needs relating to new policies in the areas of local processing of resources and industrialization. I also I wish to reassure our colleague from civil society. Civil society was involved in the whole process. It was, uh, part of an administrative act that was at the origin of the entire process. The technical committee that was tasked with preparing and following up on the conclusions and recommendations of the VNR for Guinea also includes civil society, and this will continue further. And before I turn the floor over to the National Director for Planning, I would also like to congratulate the Minister of Burkina Faso and the Minister of Jamaica for their quality presentations and wish them every success in the implementation of their national development agendas respectively. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ambassador. I think that you have already said— responded to most of the questions that we had from our brotherly countries that asked questions. Before I proceed, I would like to convey the greetings of the Minister for Planning, International Cooperation, and Development Development, who due to a busy schedule was unable to be present here with us today. In order to further build on the responses provided by the Permanent Representative on the issues of water, it should be noted that in addition to making this a key priority in our 2 development programs that we are implementing since September 2021, namely the Interim Program and the National Development Program, the Simandou 2040 Program. Thank you. Guinea has enjoyed support, the support of Japan in 2023 and 2024, amounting, uh, the, the, that assistance helped us build over 8,000 water access points across the country, including the smallest villages. And we have also built a further 3,700 water access points with a China that will also be located across the entire territory so as not to leave anyone behind. As for involving civil society in the process, as the Permanent Representative has said, there were 2 fundamental acts that were adopted centrally. There was a technical committee that was set up by the Minister for Planning, International Cooperation, and Development, and that committee includes all sectors of our society. As you know, we are a planning department, and one of the fundamental elements of planning is inclusive— inclusiveness, in addition to participation. So we are working with everyone so that everyone is involved in these efforts. And civil society is an essential part of the process at the central level, but also at the local level. There are also regional committees that were established that also involve civil society bodies. So the people might change, but the structure is, is such that with this act, that structure will always be there and someone will always be there throughout the years. And my last point point will be on access to energy. In addition to the potential that— and capacities that the Permanent Representative mentioned, we should also mention interconnectivity. The— our neighbor countries know this, that we have been working for many years on ensuring interconnectivity between our states when it comes to delivery of electricity. There are different seasonal changes across country, and sometimes when one country has elevated production capacity, it can export that excessive energy— excess energy capacity to neighboring countries who have a need for that electricity. In Guinea, for example, we have 2 seasons, 6 months of the dry season and 6 months of the rainy season. And the dams that we have, of course, produce more electricity in the— during the rainy season, which means that our production during that period exceeds our consumption. And therefore, during that period, we export the excess electricity to neighboring countries— Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, et cetera. And on the contrary, when the situation is reversed, we have the opposite. We also have ambitious dam construction projects, which the permanent representative and the Amaria Dam, which the permanent representative has mentioned. Thank you.

En votant à tous, I would like to thank, says the president, sincerely. His Excellency Aboubacar Kanabo, Minister of Economy and Finance of Burkina Faso; His Excellency— Her Excellency, rather, Kamina Johnson-Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica; and His Excellency Mohamed Dabo, Permanent Representative of Guinea. I would like to Congratulate them on their high-quality presentations of their reports. We have completed our program of work for this meeting. The Forum will reconvene this afternoon at 3:00 PM sharp in this conference room to hear further voluntary national presentation, another— with another chairman. Thank you all for your patience. The meeting is adjourned.