(12th meeting) High-Level Political Forum 2026

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, good morning. The 12th 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. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I invite the Forum to continue its considerations of sub-item C of Agenda Item 2, Voluntary National Reviews, and hear 3 sets of panel presentations. For the first set of panel presentations, I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from Gabon, Jordan, and the Republic of Moldova. Before we begin with the presentations, I would like to appeal to the presenting countries to adhere to the agreed 10 minutes for presentations so as to allow sufficient time for all the presenters as well as engagement with other states and participants. I apologize in advance if I have to interrupt speakers, and I hope that will not come to that point. And given the number of the countries making VNR presentations at this year's HLPF, I believe that we all understand the need to be disciplined so as to allow the adequate time for presentations as well as the interactions from the floor. With this, the Forum will first hear the voluntary national reviews by Gabon, and I invite Her Excellency Louise Perita Monoba, the Minister of Planning and Foresight of Gabon, to make a presentation. Your Excellency, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. I will be speaking in French, and maybe while the presentation is being—

okay, okay, we have the slide.

Thank you.

I would say—

I would say, Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, that Gabon is presently approaching a decisive juncture in our development journey. At the prompting of the highest authorities, our country has initiated a new trajectory, a trajectory that is rooted in renewed governance, as well as more inclusive and more sustainable growth. Public action which is more geared towards attainment of results. We are to finalize our development plan and the general census of the population and housing census, as well as our national accounts. And this means that the national voluntary review, which we'll present today, dovetails with robust momentum. And this is a reflection of a desire to transparently assess the progress that has been achieved but also to share the challenges which we continue to encounter insofar as sustainable development is chiefly a collective learning exercise which requires clear-sightedness, accountability, as well as cooperation. The results that we will present today reflect progress that has been achieved, and they also show that challenges are to accelerate the implementation thereof in order to ensure that our ambitions translate into tangible results for the benefit of every Gabonese citizen. The upcoming projection reflects a strategic context within which we are working. We have a clear Gabon 2050 vision, and we have a national growth and development plan for 2026 to 2030. And this is to culminate with the achievement— the deadline for the achievement of the SDGs. And We will be preparing this report following a participatory method which is in accordance with all the concerned sectoral-based ministries, local administration bodies, the private sector, as well as civil society. As I refer to— move to the next slide having to do with the various SDGs, we will begin with SDG 1. SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation. Where do we stand in terms of progress that has been achieved? Basic access to drinking water was achieved at 74% at the national level. In terms of sanitation, we are moving in a positive direction, 57% in 2024. In 2022, that figure was 58%. When it comes to mobilization of public financing, we are also currently implementing a number of initiatives not merely to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the use of our own resources but also with the aim of having a strategy that is organized and structured on resource mobilization. Now, turning to the challenges. The main challenges are— have to do with differential— different levels of access to water at the rural and urban levels.

Yes.

levels. We also have issues with the old age of our systems and maintenance-related issues that had not been maintained at the appropriate level. And there are budgetary constraints, of course, because our country, like a number of other countries in the region, are facing debt-related issues. Turning to recommendations and other levers, we will revert back to what we are doing, and so I won't address recommendations. But we are currently improving access access because most people have to travel in order to have access to drinking water. And we are working on providing for data engineering in order to identify where water is available. Turning to the SDG on energy, and we would note that what we have done and which is of particular importance in our national development plan is the following. We have aligned our development agenda with our political agenda. We have a head of state who has just been elected on the basis of Yes. And the first pillar of his societal blueprint is universal access to water and energy. And this is precisely what justifies all of the efforts that we are currently mobilizing in Gabon as we seek to offer the entire population access to water and access to energy. We think that comprehensive access to electricity is good, 92%, Yes. There are still persistent problems, and these are faced in rural areas. And we are currently undertaking initiatives to provide for a sovereign energy mix. We are working on renewable energies, and we take gas as a transition source of energy because our country does have that asset. So reverting back to the energy divide, the same holds true. Rural areas need more attention, and they're— the old age of our infrastructure, we have not taken sufficient care when it comes to maintenance-related issues. And when it comes to levers, we have an energy mix that is more geared towards delivery of renewable energy. And when it comes to reforms of the system, also because our society— this is a society of water and of energy— and we think that when it comes to governance, this prompts us to face a number of challenges which we can surmount by separating those 2 entities. Turning to the next development— the next goal, and that is related to industry and infrastructure. And this EDCG is critically important to us, one of the areas of focus for our development program. And this has to do with the local transformation of our minerals as well as our agriculture, and because not only is this a matter of our country's sovereignty, but this also has to do with food sovereignty, which allows us to work throughout the entire value chain. So the challenges have to do with agricultural remoteness and isolation of certain areas. This is mostly in rural areas where this issue is faced, and roads are not always passable or usable. So we are facing challenges related to access to financing. for farmers as well and those working in the agricultural sector. Now turning to recommendations, we are giving thought to mobilize— resource mobilization. The next SDG has to do with partnerships and with cities. For cities, I think that we have discussed this at length. The majority of our population resides in cities. Therefore, this creates a significant volume of vulnerabilities, climate-related, health-related vulnerabilities. Urban safety and security-related vulnerabilities, turning to the last SDG, 17, which has to do with partnerships. These are important when it comes to resource mobilization. We will work on a mix of vehicles in order to finance our development. We do not wish to be faced with a choice between sustainable development on the one hand and the management of our ecosystem and improving well-being of our people on the other hand. So for the next slide, and this is by way of conclusion, the Voluntary National Review provides for us to take stock of progress made, but also to, in a clear-sighted way, address further ways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Government Development Plan. We are resolutely open, open to any exchanges, sharing of experience, any partnerships that will help us to strengthen and expedite the output of our initiatives. This is what is guiding us and this is prompting us to move expeditiously, effectively, efficiently, and more collectively. Thank you for your attention.

Well ahead of the time, Excellency. Thank you so much, the Minister of Planning and Foresight of Gabon, for the presentations. Now, the Forum will next hear the Voluntary National Review by Jordan, and I invite Her Excellency Gina Toukan, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan, to make a presentation. Your Excellency, you have the floor now.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor to address this High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and to present Jordan's 3rd VNR on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Many have described our meeting this year as a pivotal moment as we enter the final stretch towards the 2030 milestone, and I believe that the question we should ask ourselves today is not whether or not we recognize this moment, but whether we will finally rise to meet the urgency and acceleration and determination at the next period demands, especially as our world continues to grapple with compounded crises, regional conflicts, climate shocks, economic volatility, and widening inequalities. Jordan's 3rd VNR reflects its continued commitment to the 2030 Agenda, aligned with its economic modernization vision as the guiding framework for unleashing Jordan's full economic potential and improving quality of lives for all citizens. The VNR marks a critical milestone in Jordan's reform and sustainable development journey, as it reflects on the progress made since our first VNR in 2017 and the second VNR in 2022, while acknowledging that work is continuing and that we still need to charter an accelerated path forward. Under the Economic Vision and its successive executive programs, We have strengthened alignment between the Vision and the 2030 Agenda by integrating SDGs at initiative, project, and policy levels. The integrated approach ensures that our modernization pathways continue to deliver tangible results for all citizens while advancing on the SDG 2030 Agenda. While the VNR places particular focus on an in-depth review of the 5 SDGs, it assesses cross-cutting themes of leaving no one behind, gender equality, climate action, and digital transformation, while also highlighting our nexus approach. At the sector level, our VNR highlights key tangible advancements. Under the Water and Sanitation SDG, and while we have achieved approximately 99% access to water services and more than 90% of reclaimed water, is being used for irrigation purposes. We are turning scarcity into opportunity through bold reforms, from strengthening our regulatory framework to reducing non-revenue water losses, ensuring sectors' financial sustainability, increasing wastewater reuse, scaling up energy-efficient solutions, and securing new and sustainable water resources through our upcoming flagship National Water Desalination and Conveyance Project. Not only a large-scale desalination that will provide 300 million cubic meters of desalinated water in 2030, but also as one of the largest climate adaptation projects globally. Under the Affordable and Clean Energy SDGs and the Industry Innovation and Infrastructure SDG, we are advancing with our green energy projects to meet the growing demand. Renewable energy with battery storage, hydro pump storage, green hydrogen infrastructure while positioning Jordan as an energy exporter in the region and beyond. We have further strengthened our state-of-the-art digital infrastructure, positioning Jordan as a premier regional tech and innovation hub powered by deep talent pool, local and global tech presence, advanced networks, AI-driven solutions, while also advancing high-value industries including mining and critical minerals. Under Sustainable Cities and Communities SDGs, smart cities and the cities of the future framework drive citizen-centered urban planning with expanded green spaces, sustainable mobility, affordable housing, and enhanced municipal services aligned with the quality of life pillar under the economic modernization vision. These efforts are complemented by strengthened social protection, food security system, and alignment of education with labor market and future jobs needs. Jordan firmly believes that sustainable development must be anchored in robust, credible, and nationally owned data and evidence. This VNR is grounded in nationally validated data through Jordan's SDG data platform, which consolidates indicators from official national sources, reinforcing national ownership, transparency, and policy coherence. Jordan has made substantial progress in strengthening its statistical ecosystem, with SDG indicator availability increasing to over 76% today. This reflects our continued commitment to evidence-based policymaking, improving data quality, and strengthened accountability in implementing the 2030 Agenda. While our in-depth thematic review examined the 5 critical goals that are the focus of this year's Forum, our VNR demonstrates that the 2030 Agenda is holistic, indivisible, and interconnected. Global, regional, national, and subnational efforts must connect coherently in order to deliver transformative, equitable, and more resilient and inclusive development, especially at the local level. In this respect, we are proud to underscore that Jordan is among the first Arab countries to integrate voluntary local reviews into its national VNR. The Amman and Irbid Cities VLRs embed subnational perspectives and city-level accountability within our framework, reaffirming that sustainable development must be built from the ground up, enhance ownership with all citizens as active partners in shaping and owning their future. Ladies and gentlemen, once again, I'm profoundly reminded of the deep interconnected and indivisible nature of the 2030 Agenda, Both challenges and solutions cut across goals and targets. This makes it imperative that we work together across silos, sectors, institutions, governments, and countries. It is precisely for this reason that Jordan has embraced integrated approaches, notably, for example, advancing the water-energy-food-environment nexus to improve resource efficiency, complementarity, reduce trade-offs, and enhance delivery while strengthening resilience. Despite significant external pressures, including global and regional instability, refugee influx, successive economic shocks, and climate impacts, Jordan has maintained economic resilience, sustained macroeconomic stability, and delivered tangible results. We have prioritized diversified cooperation frameworks and route redundancy in our— route redundancy in our infrastructure and partnership strategies, to build greater resilience in supply chains, energy systems, and economic pathways. These achievements showed what is possible with national ownership, integrated planning, and determination. Yet we know that accelerated action remains essential to meet the 2030 targets. We also know governments cannot act alone. Partnerships must be scaled up and continue to drive the way forward. We therefore warmly welcome the Sevilla commitments. It marks important progress through new domestic and global commitments that can channel public and private finance, including blended finance, public-private partnerships, and innovative instruments, to the areas of greatest need, especially as globally we still need urgent actions to close the Sustainable Development Goals financing gap which is currently estimated at over $4 trillion annually. As the countdown begins towards 2030 begins, Jordan remains fully committed to the 2030 Agenda and the promise of leaving no one behind. The years ahead present both challenges and opportunities. Guided by the lessons learned over the past decade, we will continue to pursue a more inclusive and prosperous a prosperous and sustainable development path. We will continue to work with our regional and international partners, as well as multilateral institutions, on financing efficiency, knowledge transfer, and development pathways designed to achieve more sustainable and tangible outcomes for all. We hope that our experience and progress made to date will continue to contribute to the global dialogue on sustainable development and reinforce our commitment to building a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future for all. Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan for her presentations. The Forum will now hear the Voluntary National Review by the Republic of Moldova, and I would like to invite His Excellency Alexei Bujju, Secretary-General of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, to make a presentation. Your Excellency, you have the floor.

Dear President, dear colleagues, delegates, friends, thank you for this opportunity. This is our 2nd PNR and indeed it's a very useful exercise to reflect and to take stock on where we are what is the progress, what are the gaps, and, you know, what is the path forward. Let me just briefly take this opportunity to thank my, my colleagues from Moldovan government who worked tirelessly over the last couple of months to put together this, uh, this report and help us understand, um, you know, where we, where we are. And of course, I thank our friends and partners from UN organizations and organizations and colleagues from civil society. I think it's important to understand the context of my country over the last couple of years, COVID, the war of aggression against Ukraine, the refugee crisis, the double-digit inflation, caused by the energy crisis. So it was— the government of Moldova had to work on emergency measures to protect the households and the most vulnerable citizens of my country. But also, of course, that's no excuse to put in place important structural reforms to reduce gaps and ensure well-being to all. You have a lot of data, you lose track of what's important. So I would draw your attention to this slide and where we compare basically the first VNR with this one, and we measure progress towards achieving the SDGs from 0 to 100, right? And this slide shows you where we are in terms of progress and where we are against the targets. And the cutoff year is 2024. So basically, in the first VNR in 2020, Moldova was at 55 out of 100 points, and now the cutoff date, 2024, we are 65. So despite all these crises that I mentioned, we made some progress, but of course there's still a long way to achieve the implementation, the full implementation of SDGs. Out of 17 SDGs, in 13 we made decent progress, and that's SDG number 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 17. So 13 out of 17. The progress reversed for 2 SDGs, that's number 3 on health and number 11. And then for 2 SDGs, number 10 on inequalities and SDG 16, we made little or no progress. So that's the overall state of play in my country, in Moldova. I think for the SDGs, where we made progress, related to poverty, education, gender equality, these are progress that I'm proud of. We made policy choices to invest and protect households, making sure that the double-digit inflation, the energy shock, will be absorbed through these support programmes. We put in place important reforms to expand access to social services. I'm very proud that in Moldova, despite all the challenges, we tripled the number of child protection officers to make sure that we deliver on our obsession that no child is left behind and we reach everyone. We invested and expanded services for survivors of gender-based violence. We increased more than 20-fold the number of case management in our social protection. Over the last couple of years, despite the limited fiscal space, we made the most significant investments in terms of education, for health, for local services in terms of water and sanitation. Of course, there's more to go. So these are actions, investments, decisions, and policies that I'm very proud of that my government and my country took on. Of course, in terms of health, despite the investments that we made and despite the hard-fought progress in terms of child mortality and maternal health, We've seen over the last years a decline in progress, and I think my government needs to take serious remedial actions in making sure that education, social protection, and health work hand in hand to make sure that we reach the most vulnerable. Also, despite the effort for us, of our government, my government, to protect households, still the cost of living in Moldova is still increasing, and I think that's why we had this decline for SDG 11. Allow me briefly just to have some, um, some conclusions and a couple of thoughts on the way forward. So again, to me, what these numbers, what this progress speaks to, is that policy choices matter. Despite all these challenges, the multiple crises that we speak about here, governments are responsible. The buck stops with us, and if we make a policy choice and we say leave no one behind and we take it seriously, Moldova shows that once a government takes this seriously, we deliver. We made investments to make sure that work and life balance in Moldova is not an abstract concept, and we made this by investing in childcare, reforming the childcare leave, encouraging fathers to take on more care responsibilities. So policy choices matter when they're backed by political leadership and resources. Second is that we have a country project, which is EU integration. That's very important, as this EU agenda is very much intertwined with SDG agenda. So a country project helps us to mobilize the government and citizens. And lastly, partners and support matters. And here I want to take this opportunity to thank all the EU member states who helped my country in need, all the UN agencies who stood by our citizens and my government to take forward this difficult but necessary reforms. I will conclude with the fact that we have a couple of more years left. We are at 65 out of 100, so we need to focus on speed. We need to speed up the progress and make sure that the progress that we have is sustainable, as we saw in health. Despite the progress, the investments, if we don't focus enough on the most vulnerable, the progress is backsliding. Let me conclude by again thanking you for this opportunity, for taking the time to reflect on our progress, and together let's work on to deliver for our people. Thank you.

I thank the Secretary-General of the Government of the Republic of Moldova Thank you very much for these presentations. Excellencies and distinguished colleagues, now we will 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 through the Group of Friends of the Voluntary National Reviews to ask questions to any of the are invited to press the microphone button on the console now. Before I give the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind the delegations to kindly limit your interventions to 2 minutes each. With this, I give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Morocco, to be followed by Italy and Romania.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I would first and foremost like to warmly congratulate Jordan, Gabon, and Moldova for the high-quality nature of their voluntary national reviews, which reflect a sustained commitment to the implementation of Agenda 2030 I wish to warmly congratulate Madam Louise in particular, Madam Louise Pierletto Ngono, Minister for Planning of Gabon, for the excellent presentation of the voluntary national review of her country. Gabon has presented a document that is rich in detail, structured, and transparent, and it sheds light on the considerable progress that has been made and the clear political will to strengthen its public policy for sustainable development. We applaud the quality of this 2nd VNR as well as the emphasis on human capital, particularly those efforts undertaken to address issues facing young people and to ensure a more inclusive and dynamic labor market. This is of critical importance in supporting equitable and sustainable growth. And in this context, Mr. President, I wish to pose the following question to the Minister. What are the new profiles for the training that is currently being established by the government to train young people who can adequately reflect the labor market needs and to support the country's development? Thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Morocco. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Italy.

Good morning.

Sorry.

Thank you, Mr. President. Italy congratulates Jordan, Gabon, and the Republic of Moldova for their VNAs and relative presentations.

Italy would like to direct a question to Jordan in particular.

Your Excellency, thank you for your insightful presentation in the context of this year's HLFP theme. Could you elaborate on how your country is ensuring that the implementation of national development strategies is fully aligned with the SDGs, particularly with the economic modernization vision.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Italy. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Romania, to be followed by Burundi and Together 2030 stakeholder group.

Thank you very much, Mr. President, dear colleagues.

First of all, I would like to congratulate to this wonderful presentations of Gabon, Jordan, and Moldova— Republic of Moldova. And especially, we wish from the Romanian delegation all the best in implementing 2030 Agenda for Mr. Buzo and his team. It was a very substantial presentation.

My question will be regarding institutional mechanism. During the period of 2020-2024, the Republic of Moldova faced multiple simultaneous challenges.

challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy crisis, high inflation, and the effects of the war in Ukraine.

Which of these crises posed the greatest challenge for the government, and what institutional mechanisms were decisive in maintaining social cohesion? Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Romania. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burundi.

Merci.

Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the floor. I also wish to convey my gratitude to the speakers for the high-quality nature of their briefings and for the light that they have shed on progress in the presentations of voluntary national reviews. I have a question that I would like to address to the Minister for Planning of Gabon. Madam Minister, the government of Gabon recently decreed a state of emergency in Douk, an exceptional measure, and what exactly is the status of that decree at present? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Burundi. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Together 2030. 30 stakeholder group, to be followed by Spain, Panama, and Saudi Arabia.

Gabonese civil society applauds the efforts undertaken by the authorities in order to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. We recognize the political will that has been demonstrated in order to improve living conditions for the population. However, many citizens still are not gaining access to the benefits of progress, access to drinking water remains a major challenge. Despite the inauguration of the PK5 Center, major households continue to face water scarcity. In some areas, water is only available at late hours, compelling women and young girls to expose themselves to risks of violence in order to gain access to water. In other areas, families continue to depend on unsafe drinking water sources with significant consequences for the health of children. Access to reliable electricity also remains a concern. There are frequent disruptions in deliveries which disrupt the lives of homes, healthcare centers, small and medium-sized businesses, and schools. Turning to SDG 9, insufficiencies in terms of infrastructure, particularly digital and road infrastructure, constrain economic opportunities, innovation, and access to services for many communities. For SDG 11, rapid growth of cities, this continues to create challenges related to housing, sanitation, waste management, which regularly affect many areas. We call upon the government to make fully operational infrastructure which is designed to improve access to drinking water, to accelerate investments in order to provide stable electricity deliveries, to strengthen transport and digital connectivity infrastructure, to improve urban planning, sanitation, waste management, and to bring in civil society more when it comes to follow-up and assessment of public policies. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Together 2030 stakeholder group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished President of Spain.

President, first of all, I would like to thank the distinguished representatives of Gabon, Jordan, and the Republic of Moldova for their excellent presentations, and we would like to pose a question to Jordan. The national water plan represents a historic investment in the area of water security. Can you explain how you hope that this flagship initiative will step up achievement of many of the SDGs and support implementation of the vision for economic modernization, especially in the context of growing climate and water challenges? Thank you.

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

Thank you very much, President. Panama thanks Gabon, Jordan, and the Republic of Moldova for presenting their voluntary national reviews, and we commend their commitment to advancing achievement of Agenda 2030. We wish to direct our question to the Republic of Moldova, and the question is the follows. How did the government guarantee the meaningful participation of civil society organizations and youth organizations in preparing the voluntary national review? We'd also like to know whether there are mechanisms to ensure their continuous participation in implementation and follow-up of the SDGs. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Panama. Now I give the floor to the distinguished The next question goes to the representative of Saudi Arabia.

At the outset, allow me to congratulate the 3 countries for presenting their VNRs. We commend efforts made to achieve sustainable development. Our question is to the Secretary-General of Amman. Amman presented the first VNR in the Arab region. It was launched with the VNR of Jordan. It was an important mechanism to link VNRs, national and local, on sustainable development. This partnership continued and was scaled up since then when Amman launched this year its second VNR. This is in parallel with the national third VNR of Jordan. Your Excellency, from the perspective of Amman, what are the most important achievements that were realized through this VNR and how this alignment between what is local and what is national was developed so that local evidence and information and the city's priorities were harvested in order to serve sustainable development as opposed to them being only an addition to the national report.

I thank the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Major Group for Children and Youth, to be followed by State of Palestine, Burkina Faso, Switzerland, Côte d'Ivoire.

We welcome the statement of Jordan's 3rd VNR as an important milestone in assessing progress made in implementing the 2030 Agenda. As discussions on the post-2030 development agenda begin, we ask, what steps will the government take to build on existing best practices to institutionalize sustainable mechanisms for participation and accountability that ensure a pivotal role for civil society, youth, women, and local communities?

I thank the distinguished representative of the Major Group for Children and Youth. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the State of Palestine.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. At the outset, we express our congratulations to Gabon, Jordan, and the Republic of Moldova. We commend their achievements to achieve sustainable development in their countries. Our question is to Jordan. Our region has witnessed climate challenges which has affected the water situation in a region that suffers from water scarcity. How does Jordan— how will Jordan use technology and partnership to deal with water challenges and accelerate the implementation of the related goal? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of State of Palestine. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso.

Thank you, Mr. President. I wish to applaud today's briefers— Gabon, Jordan, and Moldova— and I wish to congratulate them on the high quality of their briefings, which sheds light on the magnitude of the work that has been achieved in each of their I wish to particularly turn to and focus on the minister— the presentation from the Ministry for Planning— Minister for Planning of Gabon. And this is informed by my feeling of profound respect vis-à-vis Gabon, the population, and the authorities. And I had the great honor of serving as an ambassador in that beautiful country. Madam Minister, after your presentation, I have taken I have seen the commitment of the authorities of the country and their legitimate recommendations in order to improve the environment and improve the living standards of the people of Gabon. And it is well known that Libreville, or the capital of Gabon, is a workshop. And could you kindly tell us more about how the government of Gabon is is reconciling the need to provide people with housing, decent housing, and addressing land needs, and the need to reduce risks related to precarious housing in unsafe and unsecured areas. Once again, congratulations on your very well-done presentation.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso for his questions. And now I give the floor to the distinguished representative Thank you.

Congratulations to Gabon, Jordan, and Moldova for their national reviews and also the presentations.

It was really good.

I especially also congratulate the teams behind this huge effort of producing a VNR.

Great work you did.

And I feel you because Switzerland also just presented our VNR on Monday.

And I really hope that now you can enjoy the last days of the HLPF in New York with a little bit of less pressure.

Let's see.

Our question is directed at the Republic of Moldova. Given the close linkage between Moldova's reform agenda and the EU accession process, how does the Government of Moldova balance and align the priorities of EU integration with the commitments of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ensuring that progress towards all SDGs is maintained? And follow-up question, in particular, how does the Government ensure that the SDG priorities that may exceed Extend beyond the EU integration process are fully integrated into national planning and implementation, adequately addressed and resourced.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Switzerland. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Côte d'Ivoire, to be followed by Women's Measure Group and Namibia.

Merci, Monsieur.

Thank you, Mr. President. Our delegation congratulates. warmly Gabon, Moldova, and Jordan for the high-quality nature of the presentation of the voluntary national reviews, as well as the progress that has been achieved in the implementation of Agenda 2030. We have noted in particular for Gabon the importance attributed to preservation of natural capital, transition towards a green economy, as well as the efforts that have been initiated to improve incorporation of the SDGs into national public policy. Like a number of other African nations, Côte d'Ivoire is in has a national plan for 2026 to 2030 to accelerate achievement of the SDGs in a context of growing budgetary constraints and significant financing needs. And so my question is as follows. Gabon is recognized, has been recognized for its commitment to preservation of forests and natural capacity maintenance. Could you, Minister, share lessons learned from your experience related to how environmental assets can be harnessed in order to attract financing for sustainable development while at the same time supporting economic growth and job creation. Thank you.

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

Thank you.

Civil society organization from Republic of Moldova welcomes Moldova's VNR and the opportunity contribute to SDGs implementation. While Moldova has made progress, important gaps remain. Reliable disaggregated data by sex, age, disability, residence, income, and ethnicity are needed to identify the inequalities and ensure that no one is left behind. Access to safe water and sanitation remains unequal, particularly for rural communities, women, older persons, and persons with disabilities. We also call for menstrual health and hygienics to be recognized as a matter of public health gender equality and human dignity. The cost for menstrual hygienic products disproportionately affect women and girls from low incomes and vulnerable household holders. We urge the government to review the taxation of menstrual hygienic products and improve their affordability and accessibility. Achieving the SDGs requires strong participation of civil society. Women-led, Roma-led grassroots and local service organizations are on the front lines of supporting vulnerable communities, yet they are still not meaningfully involved in policy design, implementation, and monitoring and financing. Access to green energy, inclusive infrastructure, safe public spaces and transportation, and essential services also remain unequal for many marginalized groups. We therefore ask the Government of Moldova, how will Moldova strengthen the collection and use of disaggregated data while ensuring safeguarding trust and community participation? And what concrete measure will ensure equitable access to safe water and sanitation, affordable menstrual hygiene products, green energy, inclusive infrastructure for vulnerable groups? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Women's Major Group. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Namibia, to be followed by Central African Republic.

Thank you, Mr. President. Namibia congratulates Gabon, Jordan, and Moldova on the excellent presentation of their respective VNR reports and further congratulates them on the progress made in attaining their development goals and aspirations. We have one question for all the 3 delegations. Delegation of Namibia kindly invites all the respective countries to share their thoughts on how they are implementing the Pact for the Future, the most wide-ranging multilateral agreement adopted by UN member states in September 2024. Wide-ranging in terms of several years. This pact was meant to turbocharge the SDGs. How are they planning to or have implemented the Pact in line with their national priorities? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Namibia. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Central African Republic. Central African Republic, you have the floor.

South Africa.

So now I would like to invite the presenters to briefly respond to the questions raised and comments made from the floor, and the time limit to respond will be 5 minutes. With this, I would like to invite Her Excellency, the Minister of Planning and Foresight of Gabon. Excellency.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I would like to thank everybody for the interest— for your interest in the development agenda for Gabon. I would like to state that, as I presented in the context, we are indeed at a juncture in Gabon where we are accelerating our development with a clear focus on the results that we seek to achieve. So the training profile— to turn to the question posed by the delegate from Morocco— which we are seeking is inextricably linked to the national development plan with 3 main focuses: local transformation of processing of minerals, manganese, and iron, essentially because this processing and transformation can usher in growth and job generation; food sovereignty— and in this area, we are working proactively in order to significantly reduce the imports of goods that are often used, such as chicken breast. We are working throughout the food chain and we are leveraging our natural capital. And so this is how we are strengthening our training. And we are preparing for a national workshop on education in order to ensure that the vocational training sector is aligned with addressing these issues. Turning to the question of water, I agree with civil society. It is clear that the Gabonese population are not feeling as quickly as they would like to benefits from water and energy deliveries in Gabon, but the efforts are underway and we wish to present them in the context— there have been significant delays. In the management of our infrastructure, and therefore modernizing and improving the infrastructure will help Gabonese to have access to energy. And this requires a number of initiatives. And this brings me back to the question of the water emergency, which we mentioned. And this is about having clear short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term efforts. Over the long term, we are currently working to accelerate To accelerate the building of bridges or dams? Dams. Hydropower dams, which will allow us to have water. And in the short term, we are currently setting up a strategy to deliver water, water to homes for people to have access to drinking water. Decent housing is a national effort, and the Gabonese people are very cognizant of this. What we experienced on the 30th of August, 2023 allowed all Gabonese people to reach agreement on development priorities. And this is It is never easy to be rehoused. This is an entire history that is left behind, but this is work that the government is undertaking by taking the time to explain to the population what needs to be done, turning to natural assets and natural capital. What we are doing now is to ensure that everything related to finance, climate financing, that this be aligned with our agenda for development. We are currently establishing systems to allow us to have transparency and clear statistics related to our natural capital in order to boost confidence of investors. We know that trust funds, particularly in the area of climate alone, are insufficient. We need to leverage resources, carbon credits, as well as climate financing, green bonds, and to bring in and establish partnerships with multilateral banks, and I think that when it comes to the Pact for the Future, it is fully woven into our national growth and development plan. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the Minister of Planning and Foresight of Gabon. Now, I would like to invite Her Excellency, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan, to respond to the questions raised. and comments made from the floor.

Thank you, Mr. President. We received a number of questions. I'll try to be quick. But there were a couple of questions, and I would address them in a comprehensive manner. On the SDGs, we deliberately did not have a parallel agenda for SDGs, but we've embedded that in our economic modernization vision, as well as our political modernization roadmap and administrative modernization roadmap. The modernization tracks are the overguiding principles. The SDGs were embedded at an initiative project and policy level with clear KPIs and impact indicators to be able to measure progress. Working also with our development partners, this has been also embedded as part of our programs with the different partners, which we built also programs in a programmatic approach to help us deliver on the modernization track. The vision, the economic modernization vision, was basically developed in a very thorough consultative process, engaging over 500 people of subject matter experts, youth, women, civil society, development partners, officials, academia, to be able to come up with where do we want to see Jordan 10 years down the road. This came under a workshop that was held back in 2022, and implementation started in 2023. Over 380 initiatives were identified across 35 sectors and subsectors, but prioritization has been made, of course, as His Excellency from Moldova, based on reforms and policy choices, but also based on available resources and in a sequenced approach. Building a baseline that helped us. Now, we're currently in the second phase of implementation through an executive program that covers the year 2026 to 2029 to help us in this in this respect. On accountability, and the lady representative representing the youth, children and youth, on accountability, youth, women, and also persons with disabilities, if I want to add. In terms of engagement, yes, they were engaged. In terms of priorities, whether reflections were progress made under the current VNR, but what were we going to continue to work under the SDGs, the SDG agenda, which is again embedded in our modernization track. It's fully embedded. When we did the economic modernization vision, we also issued an engendered strategy of the economic modernization vision. We ensure that the different aspects related to gender equality and women economic participation are already reflected. On accountability, there is a public dashboard. A Prime Minister delivery unit has been institutionalized that has been now operational for over 4 years with a public dashboard. Implementation is being published on a month-by-month basis where the public can see progress against the different sets of priorities and projects where there are any progressing according to schedule, there are delays, some projects are still behind, but all in all, the implementation rate has been way improved over the past period. This is a public dashboard that's there available for the public to basically access and see where progress is. But when we developed also on the vision, when we developed the second executive program, which takes the vision second phase into implementation, it was also done through a consultative process. So the public or citizens are part and parcel of this development agenda at different levels. Water, Jordan is a climate change hotspot, and mainly it's manifested in water scarcity. We're looking at different solutions, and here I would like to answer the 2 questions from Palestine and Spain. We have a long-term water strategy, 2023-2040, but we have also sub-strategies, but also ensuring complementarities when it comes to the energy strategy and the climate-related strategies. So hitting different— also ensuring that the nexus is there and the delivery on multiple SDGs are there. The water project that we're currently advancing, it's a flagship project. It's a 300 million cubic meter desalination project and one of the largest projects globally when it comes to water adaptation. It checks many important boxes in terms of water security, economic development, helping us to address putting in place a climate-resilient infrastructure, help us to address also water in terms of refugee influx. But it's an existential project for Jordan, and it has It has been— it's a BOT, but also the financing, and speaking about the Pact of the Future, but also the civil commitment. In terms of financing, we were able to mobilize from grants, concessional borrowing, debt swaps for development, guarantees, incorporating different de-risking tools and private sector sector financing, in addition to private sector coming from DFIs, but in addition from local Jordanian banks to advance this important project. It's a water solution. It doesn't solve the problem, but it contributes to ensuring that there is a new and sustainable water solution on the ground, which hopefully will become operational towards the end of 2030. If I may, to give— if I may, I need to give the floor to my colleague, His Excellency, to also address the question on the voluntary local review.

Thank you, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. 4 years ago, Amman was the number one city in the Arab world to launch its voluntary national review of the Kingdom of Morocco. You were the first country to present 2 local and national reports to the United Nations. We are convinced that the future of sustainable development begins in towns and cities where policy translates into programs and services, and this leads to results and outcomes that impact the daily lives of citizens. Having launched our 2nd and 3rd VNRs, we We are convinced that there are challenges but there are full institutions for sustainable development and sustainable management of development in Oman. And one example of our greatest— Okay.

Okay.

So there are a number of reports that we've issued exploring sustainable development planning, accountability, and decision-making in our country. We have moved from measuring the reality into projecting and forecasting the future, including sustainable development, strengthening all of the factors required for quality of life, and sustainable development planning, improving digitization, and strengthening infrastructure are key aspects of this. In our experience in Amman specifically, we know that cities are not just areas where we implement national policies. The cities are partners for finding solutions and for building resilience. This goes beyond the specific jurisdiction that is granted to cities, of course. Thank you.

Thank you so much. And the Excellency, Her Excellency the Minister, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jordan and the team. And now I would like to invite His Excellency, Secretary General of the Government of the Republic of Moldova, to respond to the questions raised from the floor.

Thank you, President, and I want to thank Romania for the questions. And, you know, there are multiple crises. I think the most severe one was on energy because in Moldova, very suddenly, the price of energy, electricity increased by 400%. The price of gas increased from— by 8 to 7-fold suddenly, right? We had a single source for our gas and electricity. So in a way, Moldova was exposed very suddenly and we really understood how vulnerable we are in terms of energy independence, energy efficiency, the cost of living. So over the last 4 or 5 years, my government, we worked tirelessly on multiple fronts. So first was to protect the households, compensate these dramatic price increases. We made sure that we diversify access to energy, so we made a lot of investments to make sure that we will not be blackmailed by energy source and, of course, to make sure that our energy use is more and more efficient, so we invested more into our public infrastructure— hospitals, schools, public buildings— so their energy use is more effective; housing, businesses— we laid out schemes to support the efficient energy use and, of course, to diversify the energy mix. So over the last 5 years, we increased 12 times the installations of the solar and renewable energy, and I think that's quite encouraging progress and much to be done. The question for Switzerland about EU agenda and SDG agenda. From our perspective, these two reinforce each other. Since 2025, Moldova is implementing a growth plan. It's a program to support economic development investments into Moldova supported by EU. Because of this package of reforms in financing. For the first time in Moldova, I'm proud to say we have universal lunches in schools, meaning that we reach the most vulnerable children in rural areas, urban areas. So when they come to school, they have a lunch, and that's additional incentives for them to come, to see the schools as a safe place for them. Investments into childcare With the growth plan, we have the most ambitious investment to expand childcare services in Moldova. The growth plan enables us to implement ambitious reforms in terms of environmental governance, digital. We made investments into rural areas to make sure that we bring water and sanitation closer to those And the last question is from a distinguished representative from civil society. I agree with the point we need to do more to understand inequalities that we have in our countries. What you don't count doesn't count, so if you don't put a number, you don't measure, you don't tirelessly measure your progress, then I think it's very easy to to get distracted. I want to say that the Moldovan government will soon approve a new law on public participation. It will enable communities, groups, civil society to have more say and to make governmental— central government and local government more accountable to stakeholder participation, citizens' participation groups, and I think that, that will enable us to make progress. And I think on menstrual hygiene, it's a very important point, and I know that, for instance, the Ministry of Education has worked with UNFPA to have this national programme to make sure that girls in schools have access to such services and products. And as I mentioned in my main presentation, over the last 5 years, we made progress to close the gap, not fast enough in terms of access to water and sanitation. We have this significant gap between rural and urban, but every year we put more resources to make sure that we bring these decent basic services to all citizens and all communities in my country. Again, thank you and I appreciate the questions.

I thank His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Government of the Republic of Moldova for his response. With this, I thank all the distinguished presenters and Your Excellency the Minister and Secretary-General for your response. I also deeply congratulate all the PNR countries— Gabon, Jordan, and Moldova— on the presentations of PNR. Actually, these presentations also reinforce the importance of the BNR process. I also thank and appreciate all the delegations for your valuable contributions to these sessions. Before concluding, I would like to recall that the General Assembly Resolution 75/290B provides that countries conducting voluntary national reviews may provide written answers after the HLPF if you wish to do so, in case time was too short for you to provide detailed answers during the forum. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I now briefly pause the meeting to allow the podium to be rearranged and invite the next PNR presenters, Bahrain and Malawi, to approach the podium to Please take their seats. Thank you.

Thank you.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and for the second set of the panel presentations, I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from Bahrain and Malawi. Before we begin with the presentations, I would like to appeal again to the presenting countries to adhere to the agreed 10 minutes per presentation, which will be monitored with a timing device so as to allow sufficient time for all the presenters as well as engagement with other states and participants. I apologize in advance if I have to interrupt speakers, and I hope that will not come to that with your cooperation. Given the number of the countries making VNR presentations at this year's SLPF, I believe that we all understand the need to be disciplined so as to allow adequate time for the presentations as well as interactions from the floor. With this, the Forum will first hear the voluntary national review of Bahrain, and I invite Her Excellency Noorbint Ali Al Khalife, Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of Bahrain Economic Development Board, to make a presentation. Your Excellency, you have the floor now.

Thank you. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. Mr. President, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I'm honored to present Bahrain's 3rd Voluntary National Review on progress made in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Our progress is guided by the leadership and vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and by the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. This VNR reflects our achievements to date, our future ambitions, the challenges we face, and our strategies and plans to address them. 3 years ago, at the halfway point of this agenda, we spoke proudly of momentum and acceleration. Today, we stand proud with our commitment to sustainable development and the principles of leaving no one behind on full display in one of the most testing times for our nation and the wider region. Through the continuous monitoring of priority projects, regular data analysis, close collaboration with the stakeholders, and a full calendar of workshops, consultations, and technical engagements help to review progress, validate findings, and build institutional capacities. The Kingdom has not only strengthened its evidence-based approach to sustainable development, it has also ensured that we can still take stock of our achievements and progress even in times of disruption. Our 2026 VNR reflects how Bahrain is localizing the Global Goals. Translating them into tangible actions tailored to our specific needs, resources, and ambitions. Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030 is built on the principles of sustainability, competitiveness, and fairness. It links economic development to investing in human capital, to innovation, and to modern technology. It drives social advancements to provide equal opportunities for all citizens, focuses on productivity and making the country attractive for investment, with high-quality public service and cutting-edge infrastructure, and ensures the preservation of the environment and our cultural heritage. Therefore, Bahrain's review is organized around 4 interconnected themes that together define our development approach. It's empowering our people, celebrating our identity, securing our future, and ensuring economic sustainability. On empowering people, the strength of our nation rests on the health of its people, While many of the health-related SDG targets have long been met, Bahrain continues to do more. We are mandating health insurance for citizens and expatriates by the end of 2026, guaranteeing free basic care, introducing unified digital health records, and creating a modernized and competitive healthcare system. In addition to securing healthcare to the masses, the Kingdom is also bringing home international medical breakthroughs. Last year, Bahrain became the first country outside of the United States to publicly announce the successful treatment of a sickle cell disease patient using CRISPR-based gene editing therapy. The Bahrain National Genome Program is a pioneering initiative that aims to harness whole genome sequencing to enable early disease detection, advanced personalized treatment, and inform health policies tailored to the genetic profile of our population. To date, 75 percent of target samples have already been collected. Similarly, Bahrain recognizes that preparing our human capital for the future requires going beyond traditional learning. We are preparing to introduce the International Baccalaureate into the public school system, widening access to advanced learning previously only available through private schools. There is a strong emphasis on incorporating technology, innovation, and critical thinking into the curriculum. On that, Bahrain achieved first place globally in the 2025 Microsoft Showcase Schools program, with 130 schools recognized for excellence in digital transformation. This represented 13% of the total participating schools globally. We also believe that unlocking human capital and addressing labor market needs is a lifelong endeavor. Our labor fund, Temkeen, provides grants to support the upskilling and skilling of Bahrainis to equip them with the in-demand skills, ensuring that they remain the employees of choice. Temkin has set an ambitious target to train 50,000 Bahrainis in AI by 2030, a commitment already well underway. The kingdom is also extending its youth empowerment agenda internationally through the HOPE Network, a global initiative spearheaded by Bahrain and backed by the UN. The network brings together governments, institutions, and youth organizations to exchange best practices aligned with global sustainability goals, enhance international cooperation on youth affairs, foster youth-focused policies worldwide, and advance young people's participation in development. Our commitment to the advancement of women sets a global example of empowerment and effective participation in national development. According to the latest statistics, Bahraini women accounted for over 40% of STEM enrollments in higher education, up to 50% for graduates, and 40% of the ICT workforce, demonstrating their growing contribution to the— to innovation and building a knowledge-based economy. Bahraini women owned 49% of all active individual registered companies and 58% of active virtual companies. Bahrain leads the region in women's access to formal financial services, with 83% of women holding bank or payment accounts compared to 82% of men, resulting in a gender gap of of 1%. On our second theme, celebrating heritage, culture, and national identity, in line with the directives of His Majesty the King, Bahrain is advancing a model of sustainable development that places identity, heritage, belonging, and interfaith coexistence at the core of national plans. We're reviving the historic neighborhoods of Muharrag around the UNESCO World Heritage listed pearling path and the historic Manama Souq area, preserving their character sector, upgrading infrastructure, and ensuring that our most historically significant cities and communities remain vibrant, livable, and connected to their past and their future. Of all the traditions that define Bahrain's cultural identity, none runs deeper than the pearl trade, which for centuries formed the backbone of our economy, our social fabric, and our maritime culture. We have adopted a forward-looking approach to revitalizing this traditional sector, establishing the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones, Dhanat, which places a strong emphasis on research on environmental protection and long-term resource sustainability, conducting assessments of pearl oyster beds and examining the impact of climate change. Centuries of maritime trade and cultural exchange have forged Bahrain's unique national identity as the country with the highest density of places of worship for different religions. Bahrain is deeply committed to the values of tolerance and coexistence, promoting them globally through the King Hamad Award for coexistence and tolerance. On securing the future, building on the foundations of Vision 2030, the Kingdom is also looking ahead towards shaping its Vision 2050 ambitions. Our long-term visions reflect our stability and determination. Blueprint Bahrain is our roadmap for achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 through mitigation, adaptation, and investment, with clear initiatives and targets across energy, water, and biodiversity. Since the announcement of our carbon neutrality targets, we've accelerated our efforts, as evidenced by the Bahrain Mangrove Initiative, which so far achieved 139% of its 2035 mangrove seedlings planting target. But of course, when we speak of the future, we must speak of adopting advanced technologies and digital connectivity. Bahrain's government has transformed its digital landscape by streamlining services, investing in AI, enhancing cybersecurity, security and building a strong regulatory framework. This has directly increased accessibility to government services by making them faster, more inclusive, and available anytime, anywhere. Space technologies are also increasingly being integrated into the Kingdom's broader innovation and sustainability agenda. Bahrain marked a historic milestone in 2025 with the successful launch of Al-Mundar, its first domestically designed and developed satellite. On our last theme, economic sustainability, Bahrain strongly believes economic sustainability is a fundamental engine driving social progress, human development, job creation, and stability. Today, non-oil sectors account for over 85% of GDP, with financial services, manufacturing, logistics, ICT, and tourism playing significant roles in our economic growth trajectory. Zooming in just on financial services, Bahrain has built a dynamic and future-ready financial ecosystem and positioned itself as one of the region's leading fintech hubs. Bahrain is a leader in financial inclusion, reflecting the widespread availability of banking services, of digital payment platforms, and inclusive regulatory policies. This enabled Bahrain to launch the wage protection system, which mandates that all employee salaries be paid into bank accounts, thereby integrating the workforce with the banking system, ensuring secure, transparent wage deposits, and reinforcing the Kingdom's commitment to human rights and worker protection. Protection. In 2023, Bahrain mandated ESG reporting for listed companies, for banks, insurance firms, and financing providers, requiring them to disclose their environmental impact, their social practices, and government structures in line with international best practices, promoting transparency and accountability. As global challenges become increasingly interconnected, national progress must be complemented by international cooperation. region. Bahrain is committed to multilateralism and strengthening partnerships that advance peace, stability, and sustainable development. Looking ahead to the final 4 years of the 2030 Agenda, Bahrain remains focused on accelerating delivery, on closing implementation gaps, and ensuring that no one is left behind. Thank you.

I thank the Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board for her presentations. The Forum will next hear the Voluntary National Review by Malawi, and I would like to invite His Excellency Cliff Chunda, Treasury Secretary of Malawi, to make the presentations. Your Excellency, you have the floor now.

Thank you, Thank you very much, Mr. President and Your Excellencies. I'll be presenting the 2026 VNR for Malawi. The country has a population of approximately 22 million people, 50% of which are youth aged between 10 and 35. The country's economy is anchored to agriculture, which contributes 34% of the GDP. The current voluntary national review is the third, having conducted others in 2020 and 2022. All Sustainable Development Goals have been domesticated in the National Development Plan, the Malawi 2063, and are being implemented through the Malawi First 10-Year Implementation Plan for the period 2021 to 2030. In terms of our voluntary national review process itself, First, the Voluntary National Review was prepared by updating the country's SDG indicator framework using survey and administrative data. In addition, extensive consultation workshops were conducted at all levels, including focus group discussions at community levels, to gather evidence of transformative impacts of various development initiatives. In line with the principle of leaving no one behind and to ensure that the report was fully evidence-based, the following groups were also consulted to solicit lived experiences on the SDGs implementation and their impact: people like the people living with disabilities, women, youth, and the rural people. In terms of overall SDG progress, still faces, you know, the challenge of data limitation. Progress for SDG 7 has regressed. This is due to climate-related disasters that Malawi has been experiencing since 2022, including cyclones like Freddy and Gombe in 2023. The nationwide consultations revealed that on SDG 6, significant progress was registered emanating from gravity-fed and solar The rise of rural farmer cooperatives engaged in agro-processing and value addition across the country is also driving progress. For example, Malawi is implementing a number of projects, including the Fundi Rice Corporation in Sarima, supported by FAO, to provide access to formal markets for the farmers, and is being replicated in almost 12 districts in the country and raising almost $77,000 annually. On the SDG 11, climate resilience, adaptation, and environmental restoration is being widely championed considering the country's high vulnerability to climate-related disasters. This includes deployment of risk mapping across the country. In terms of targeted action, For every Malawian. In the spirit of leaving no one behind, Malawi is also implementing national programs, including the Social Cash Transfer Program, which encompassed almost 291,000 vulnerable households in 2023, out of which 55.4% of the beneficiaries are women. Also, we have a disability-inclusive pilot project supported by SAS Savers. Which has increased enrollment from 80 to over 500 students. In terms of mobilizing resources for impact, Your Excellencies, in order to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs, 4 areas are critical for mobilizing resources. Domestic revenue, for instance, and it is widening in terms— we are widening it in terms of the tax base and also enhancing efficient efficiencies through systems such as Msonko Online and the electronic invoicing system. We are also looking at foreign investment, focusing mostly on economic sectors like mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. In terms of local government financing, the reformed Constituency Development Fund, which government has— is implementing, aims at taking development to local authorities and communities to enhance ownership and accountability. In terms of innovation and data availability, Malawi is driving interventions across the different sectors in order to address unique and existing challenges. The national statistics system is also strengthening survey administrative data, while harmonized national management information system is providing real-time data for evidence-based programming and decision-making. The country has improved national internet penetration is measured at 20.9% as of 2024. In terms of commitments to accelerate SDGs, reaching this far, Malawi would like to make the following commitments to accelerate the SDG agenda: continue strengthening the national statistical system by closing data gaps through capacity building for administrative data, improving data quality and management, scale up climate resilience and adaptation by expanding irrigation, strengthening the early warning system, and also disaster risk reduction, and also accelerate economic diversification by unlocking tourism, mining, and manufacturing sectors to create decent jobs for the youth. As we know, Malawi has a very young population, so we need to create jobs for the youth. Also, reinvigorating human capital by scaling up vocational training and improving fundamental learning, and also to fully operationalize the integrated national financing framework that we have developed. And in conclusion, Mr. President, we would like to invite the international community to partner with Malawi on predictable and concessional crime and finance statistical capacity partnerships and also development cooperation. I now hand over to our delegates who will share a brief perspective of the youth in Malawi. I thank you, Mr. President.

Mr. President, Excellencies, and distinguished delegates, my name is Happy Manichanya, Principal Economist, Department of Economic Planning and Development. It is an honor to take the floor and share a brief reflection on one of our core priorities, the inclusion of young people in not only the SDG agenda but all our national programs. Malawi's VNR clearly proves that young people are at the heart of the country's development story. With 50% of the population aged between 10 and 35, our voices shaped this review from the start through district dialogues, national consultations, community-level focus groups. Our lived experiences guided the country's priorities on climate resilience, innovation, jobs, and social inclusion. The Medium-Term Development Framework, MIP1, reflects this same focus. It is youth-centric by design. It expands vocational training, supports youth entrepreneurship, and opens opportunities in fast-growing areas such as digital services, clean energy, agro-processing, and value addition. The rise of youth-led clean energy enterprises, the growth of cooperatives linking young farmers to formal markets, and the rapid increase in digital penetration from 5.6% to 20.9% all show how young Malawians are driving change. But we also recognize the challenges that we, the young people, continue to face. Many struggle to access affordable training, reliable digital connectivity, and startup capital. Youth unemployment remains high, especially for those leaving school without practical skills. In rural areas, young people face limited markets, weak infrastructure, and climate shocks that threaten their livelihoods. These gaps slow down the youth's ability to fully participate in national development. To help address some of these challenges, the newly reformed Constituency Development Fund provides loans to the youth For small-scale businesses, this is an important step toward youth empowerment. As we move towards 2030, Malawi's message is simple: youth inclusion is not a slogan. It is central to achieving the SDGs and to realizing our long-term plan, the Malawi 2063. We acknowledge the challenges that remain and therefore request that Malawi government and the international community continue to invest in skills, innovation, and platforms that give young people a real stake in national transformation. I thank you.

I thank the Treasury Secretary of Malawi and his team for these presentations. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, I will now hear comments and questions from the states and other participants. Delegations who wish to intervene in the interactive discussion including those who previously expressed their interest through the Group of Friends of the Voluntary National Reviews, to ask questions to any of the BNR presentations just heard are invited to press the microphone button on the console now. Before I give the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind delegations to kindly limit your intervention to 2 minutes each. With this, I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Trinidad and Tobago, to be followed by Iceland, Cyprus, and Germany.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Trinidad and Tobago would like to thank all presenters for their insightful VNR presentations.

We wish to further congratulate the Kingdom of Bahrain on the successful presentation of its review.

In that regard, Mr.

President, my delegation would like to pose the following question to the distinguished delegation of Bahrain.

Could Bahrain share how it is promoting long-term economic sustainability through economic diversification, innovation, and the development of a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem that supports sustainable and inclusive growth.

I thank you, Chair.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Iceland.

Thank you, Mr. President. Iceland warmly congratulates Bahrain and Malawi on the presentation of their VNRs. My question is to the distinguished representative of Malawi. Iceland commends Malawi's continued commitment to the 2030 Agenda, and we wish you every success in implementing the commitments outlined in your VNR report. Iceland has had the privilege of working with Malawi at the district level for many years and has seen the importance of strong leadership in strong district leadership in realizing tangible development results on the ground. This brings me to my first question. Decentralization remains central to Malawi's Vision 2063 and to effective SDG implementation. From Malawi's perspective, what are the main bottlenecks preventing national policies and plans from being fully translated into improved, improved service delivery at district and community level? And how can development partners best support efforts to address these? My second question relates to SDG 6. Iceland welcomes Malawi's progress in expanding access to improved drinking water. What measures is the government putting in place to strengthen the long-term maintenance, financing, and climate resilience of rural water infrastructure so the communities can continue to rely on safe and uninterrupted water services. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Iceland, and now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cyprus.

Thank you, Mr. President. Cyprus warmly congratulates Bahrain and Malawi for their excellent presentations. Please allow me to direct my question to Bahrain. How is Bahrain advancing women's economic empowerment through increased participation in the ICT financial sectors, and what measures are in place to ensure that women benefit equally from opportunities arising from digital transformation and innovation?

Thank you.

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

Well, thank you very much, and my congratulations to Bahrain and Malawi for their impressive presentations. I want to congratulate also Malawi for its achievement in working towards the SDGs. Your review shows clearly how much importance your government gives to the principles of leaving no one behind. I also want to congratulate you on endorsing the Amman-Berlin Declaration. The inclusion of persons with disability is vital to the principle of leaving no one behind. I'm impressed by your progress on maternal and child health, for instance, the reduction of child mortality by about 24% since 2016, the improvement of household-level water supply, and progress on gender equality, even if we know that many things still need improvement, for instance, regarding widespread gender-based violence. But we also heard from yourself Malawi still faces challenges in the economic, social and environmental sphere. Poverty rates continue to be high and there's a lack of economic impetus. So the question would be, could you please elaborate on how you are tackling those challenges?

Thank you.

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

While Bahrain continues to submit VNRs, concerns remain regarding the inclusivity and the quality of reporting. Unlike previous cycles, the current VNR refers only to the consultations with the UN and international actors. The report also lacks the clear framework linked to SDGs targets and indicators submitted several key indicators related to inequality, decent work, sustainable cities, marine resources, and access to information. This limits transparency and accountability. Progress in health sector is welcome, but important challenges persist. Shortages of essential medicines, continued reliance on foreign doctors despite unemployment among Bahraini medical graduates, and inadequate health and education services in newly developed communities such Salman City highlight persistent inequalities in access to public services. Bahrain also made important advances in women's education, employment, healthcare, and leadership. However, further legal reforms are needed, particularly to enable Bahraini women to pass their nationality to their children in line with the principles of gender inequality. We ask, while the report highlights increased non-oil revenues, how does the delegation reconcile with the rising inflation, increasing public debt, widering fiscal deficits and impact on citizens' living standards? What measures are being taken to ensure sustainable and inclusive economic growth? Does the government plan to complement the food security strategy with the measures that promote food sovereignty, supporting small-scale producers and food system resilience to external shocks? How does Bahrain's advanced legislative framework fulfill the equitable land administration criteria of the 2030 Agenda? Thank you.

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

Yes, we want to say congratulations to Malawi and Bahrain for the beautiful presentation made. But Liberia is interested and would like to know from Bahrain what measures is Bahrain taking to ensure that urban development meets growing housing needs while preserving the character of historic areas and supporting sustainable development for future generations.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Liberia. Now I give the floor to the The next is the representative of Uruguay.

Mr.

Chair, initially we would like to congratulate Bahrain and Malawi on the presentation of their VNRs, particularly on Malawi's presentation. We congratulate this delegation for its comprehensive voluntary national review and commend its effort to align the Malawi Vision 2063 and its national planning framework with the Sustainable Development Goals. Given the significant challenges posed by climate shocks, fiscal contractions, and financing gaps, could the distinguished delegation elaborate on the strategies Malawi is pursuing to build resilient institutions to ensure effective implementation of the SDGs at the local level? This is our question. Thank you so much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uruguay. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tajikistan.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would like to thank the distinguished delegates of Bahrain and Malawi for presenting their VNRs. I have one question for the delegation of Bahrain. What measures is Bahrain taking to future-proof its education and training system to ensure that students and workers are equipped with the digital, technological, and skills needed for the evolving labor market? Thank you.

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

Mr.

Chair, we congratulate both delegations for their VNRs. We would like to congratulate the Kingdom of Bahrain for presenting their VNRs through the HLPF for 2026. We commend the achievements in terms of implementing 2030 Sustainable Development Plan despite the challenges that the region and the world are facing. The VNR presented today showed the importance of adopting comprehensive development policies regarding building strong institutions, enhancing investment in human capital, and working on innovation and technology, and expanding partnerships in line with not leaving anyone behind. In this context, we emphasize that achieving comprehensive sustainable development requires enhancing international cooperation, knowledge transfer, and transfer of knowledge and transfer in a more effective way. We congratulate the Kingdom of Bahrain on their progress.

I do have a question to Malawi delegates. We appreciate Malawi's comprehensive VNR presentation and the progress highlighted across the SDGs.

Your VNR shows strong progress in youth-led clean energy enterprises, rural cooperatives, and climate-resilient urban infrastructure.

Could you explain how Malawi is advancing these areas under SDG 9 and SDG 11, and what results you are seeing so far?

Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Qatar. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of LGBTI stakeholder group through the prerecorded video, to be followed by

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mr. President. We acknowledge the policy programs and reforms undertaken since 2015. However, progress must be measured by improvement in people's lives. Many rural communities, women, youth, persons with disability, informal workers, and LGBTQ persons continue to face poverty, limited access to quality service, and increasing economic and climate-related shocks. Development must leave no one behind. Malawi's greatest opportunity is its youth population. The government should invest more in youth-led enterprises, innovation, and digital infrastructure while transforming education system to equip learners with entrepreneurial, technical, and innovation skills that enables them to create jobs rather than depend on scale form of employment. Development must be driven from grassroots through stronger decentralization, predictable local financing, effective local planning, and meaningful participation of women and other marginalized groups. The government must also strengthen protection against gender-based violence and discrimination to protect the dignity and rights of all. Finally, Malawi's growing debt burden is reducing resource for essential social services. The government should pursue debt restructuring and relief where feasible. Strengthening public financial management enhances domestic resource mobilization and ensures that future borrowing finances only high-impact investments that support sustainable and inclusive growth.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of LGBTI stakeholder group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative

Thank you, Mr.

President. We would also like to thank the presenters of the VNRs, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of Malawi. This highlights the efforts made to maintain sustainable development. We would like to thank the Minister of Sustainable Development of the Kingdom of Bahrain for this report, which really highlights the efforts of the Kingdom in achieving SDGs in a number of fields. The question is that you have talked about plans to develop human capabilities and expanding work opportunities and empowering youth and women. What are the main mechanisms that you use to main— to secure the maintenance and sustainment of these after 2030? And how does this affect the employment rate and the quality of employment in the future. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Namibia.

Thank you so much, Mr. President. Namibia congratulates Bahrain and Malawi on their excellent presentation of their VNR reports. Reports and also congratulate them on the achievement of their development goals and aspirations. Our question is one, as previously stated in the past PNR, on how the countries, the respective countries, are implementing the Pact for the Future in line with their respective national priorities and goals. The Pact for the Future, of course, was adopted in 2024 for in September as the most wide-ranging multilateral agreement in years, which is meant to turbocharge the SDGs. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Namibia. I now invite the presenter to briefly respond to the questions raised and also the comments made from the floor, and then The time limit will strictly be 5 minutes. With this, I would like to request Her Excellency, the Minister of Sustainable Development of Bahrain, to respond to the questions. Thank you, Her Excellency.

Thank you, Mr. President. I want to thank all of the friends for their comments and questions. I'll try— I think it's always a challenge to do it in 5 minutes, but we'll do our best. I want to start by thanking our friends in Trinidad and Tobago for your question. On economic sustainability and economic diversification. For us, we've always been a forward-looking nation, and it was decades ago that we realized as a small country that was very much reliant on oil that we had to diversify our economic base and build a more resilient society, because we did recognize also the link between sustainability and social well-being. So this transformation that we speak of is something that's been tried and tested and the results that we're seeing today. So it's well advanced and and well ahead of, of maybe what we're seeing around the world. And we did reach this key milestone last year, I want to say, where non-oil sectors now contribute more than 85% to GDP. We're speaking about 20, 25 years ago, oil represented more than 30% of GDP. So this really underscores the depth of the economic diversification efforts of the country. And what's interesting also is if you look at the the contribution of sectors, no single sector contributes more than 20% to the economy. And that was done through championing and being really, really clear always and articulating what our strategic sectors are. And these are financial services, manufacturing, logistics, tourism, and ICT, as well as oil and gas. But for all of those sectors, what we do is have a really clear strategy backed up by KPIs, have a plan, a to how do we develop the infrastructure required, what is the regulation required, what is the human capital required, and actually making the investors part of that economic development, whether they were local or international. So the push for being a business-friendly environment is something that is fundamental for our, for our plans. But also there are a couple of things that we need to focus on and we are focusing on, which is increasing productivity and increasing innovation. So on the productivity, that's what we see through the adoption of technology, and we're doing quite a lot. And we're also enabling sandboxes and regulatory sandboxes to be operating in the country to allow more, more innovation. But also, another thing that is very fundamental is allowing SMEs to increase their contribution. So that's overall in terms of economic diversification. I want to thank our friends in Cyprus. The question was around women economic empowerment and their participation in ICT and financial services. I mean, as a Bahraini woman, I'm very, very proud of our achievements on this front, not just historically, but also the efforts that we put in in the country to ensure that we continue to adapt to a forever-changing world and realities. But definitely credit goes to the leadership and the Supreme Council for Women, which is chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabiha bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of His Majesty the King. The Supreme Council leads on the national plan for the advancement of Bahraini women, and we make sure that it always incorporates elements of economic participation, leadership, and ensuring equal access to opportunities across all sectors. And because things keep changing, the Supreme Council has created committees for financial technology, which has now expanded its mandate to ICT and modern sciences. And it looks at cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, modern sciences, and it's It promotes women's digital skills, their availability of professional certificates, their entrepreneurship, and participation in those sectors. But also, Temkin, that we mentioned earlier, plays a big part. One of their schemes is the business finance scheme, Riyadhat, where women entrepreneurs receive not just financial support but advice and business development support to help them establish, grow, or scale up their businesses. And it has a focus on high-growth and tech-driven sectors. But really, I think for a lot of those things, you can't do it as a government alone. Partnership plays a big part. So for us, there's a lot of programs that are driven through the partnership between government, industry, academia, and civil society. I'll just give a couple of examples. We have the Women in FinTech Network, the Standard Chartered Bank Women in Tech Program, hackathons done by universities, digital literacy programs by banks targeted at women and many others. So all of that is contributing significantly to the efforts. Third question was from our friends in Liberia. Thank you very much. Was on urban development. This is quite interesting. I mean, as a small country in terms of size and population, it's still very much integral and important to have that approach to urban development where you're balancing a very young growing population, but also that big push that we're seeing for preservation of historic areas. The National Plan— Planning Development Strategy 2050 provides that long-term framework for integrated and sustainable urban development, ensuring that the future growth is resilient, well-planned, and people-centered. On the people side, to meet the growing housing demands, the Kingdom is advancing the Royal Directive to provide over 50,000 additional housing services that builds on an earlier target of 40,000 housing units, which was achieved a few years back. We're developing new cities, but what is interesting is that it's not just residential communities that we're building. We're making sure that any new city incorporates elements of sustainability, whether it is greening or environmental matters, allowing people to walk around. So a lot work is done on balancing the two. Maybe just very briefly on Tajikistan, and I'll try and cover also the question from our friends in Saudi. Thank you very much, and thanks to our friends in Tajikistan on education and training. This is fundamental. Our people are our biggest asset as a small country, and we continue to make sure that we have the right systems in place, not just to modernize the current education and training systems, which we believe need to be a life long, available for people throughout their lives. But it is about exactly the monitoring. How do you make sure that the programs that you're doing actually deliver the targets that you set? And for us, it's multiple levels. First, you set a strategy, and that strategy continues to be refreshed in order to incorporate all of the changes. And then you go into the different programs, and for each of those, there is a clear delivery person and a clear target. And then you incorporate elements of monitoring. So for example, for our programs where— which are about employment, we go 6 months after to make sure that the people are still there. If they're not, that is monitored. We go after a year, we go after 2 years. So it's all about being very much data-centered and evidence-based and monitoring and reflecting that in the programs that we do. How much time do I have? I want to thank everyone. And actually, just one final Thank you.

I just want to offer the condolences to Qatar on the death of the Emir father, and we thank you for your support.

I thank Her Excellency, the Minister of Sustainable Development of Bahrain, and now I would like to invite His Excellency, the Treasurer Secretary of Malawi to respond to the questions raised.

Thank you, Mr. President. On behalf of the Malawi delegation, allow me also to begin by expressing our profound gratitude to the distinguished delegates from Ireland, Iceland, Uruguay, Qatar, and Germany for the keen interest, encouragement, and also solidarity you have shown through your questions raised to Malawi. On the question from the delegation from Iceland, the question was on decentralization, and basically I think let me point out that here as Malawi at the moment, we are focusing our development efforts through decentralization under the Malawi 2063 Agenda, and also within the achievement of sustainable development goals at local level. That is, however, I think for effective implementation of this noble agenda, we you know there are constraints, there are challenges you know for the country to implement you know decentralization, which we call. constituency development funding, but still we believe that through these bottlenecks, Malawi is still trying to strengthen physical decentralization through the CDF reform itself by enhancing the capacity of district councils and also expanding community participation. This reform strengthens the community ownership. and also advances women and youth empowerment as well at that local level. We believe, I think it's an initiative, it's a flagship initiative that will bring about the necessary development to our rural areas. We call for our partners to play a very pivotal role by providing predictable financing, investing in the institutional and also human capacity development and also strengthening the digital and monitoring systems and also supporting locally led climate resilient development initiatives at that particular level. The other side of the question as well did touch on rural water infrastructure. On this, government is doing quite a lot and the government also recognizes that access alone is not enough. But we must also remain resolute in terms of our efforts and making sure that there's reliable and also climate-resilient long-term programs to support rural water investment. Mr. President, you may acknowledge here that water sector is not a very easy area to seek support, so to speak, but through our own initiative, like the Presidential WASH Compact, which is Water and Sanitation and Hygiene Project, we have advanced this noble goal of bringing water to the rural areas. However, in terms of financing, government, of course, through its own resources, has brought in resources to invest in this sector, but again, I think it is also an area whereby collaborative partnership is required to ensure that we make a difference in terms of bringing rural— bringing portable water to the rural areas as expected. However, I think we need as well also to acknowledge and thank other partners like the World Bank who have come in strongly to support Malawi government in bringing water to rural areas. In terms of the second question, I think it came from the delegation from Germany, let me acknowledge the comments raised. We have taken note of your remarks. And we are encouraged by your interest, and I think also the endorsement of the Malawi-Berlin Declaration is also very key, and we've taken note of that as well. There was also a question, I think, from Uruguay, and basically I think the question was focusing at efforts by Malawi government in terms of how we can bring resilience to our institutions. Let me point out that I think the government of Malawi remains committed to strengthening climate resilience through integrated early warning system, and quite a lot I think is being done as well in this context to make sure that we invest in weather observations networks, as well as risk, weather risk initiatives as well. We are working very hard with various key players to make sure that insurance aspects, for instance, can come key in various initiatives that we are doing, especially in the rural areas. Finally, I think there was also a question from Qatar, again, I think on clean energy. Let me also point out that a lot of efforts are being done. Malawi is driving industrialization process, and I think through special economic zones, you know, we are inviting various investments into the country so that we create various, you know, economic activities that can support development of the country. I think let me stop here, possibly, and thank all the delegations for raising the various comments. I think it's a question of developing even more of these partnerships to make sure that we can work together in advancing the SDGs in Malawi and making sure that these impacts on the ground. I thank you, Mr. President. Thank you.

I thank His Excellency the Treasury Secretary of Malawi. I congratulate both Bahrain and Malawi, and for this, the Minister and the Treasury Secretary, for your presentations of PNR. It is very insightful, very comprehensive, I believe. And I also would like to thank all the delegations who contributed for these engagements with the Minister and the Treasury Secretary. With this, I now briefly pause the meetings to allow the podium to be rearranged and invite the BNR presenters, Algeria and Brazil, to approach the podium and to take their seats. Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates. For the 3rd set of panel presentations, I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from Algeria and Brazil. Before we begin with the presentations, I would like to appeal to the presenting countries to adhere to the agreed 10 minutes for presentations, which will be monitored with a timing device so as to allow the sufficient time for all the presenters as well engagement with other states and participants. I apologize again in advance if I have to interrupt speaker, and then I hope that will not come to that with your cooperation. Given the number of the countries making VNR presentations at this year's HLPF, I believe that we all understand the need to be disciplined so as to allow adequate time for the presentations as well as the interactions from the floor. With this, the Forum will first hear the voluntary national review by Algeria, and I wish to invite His Excellency Nounès Lounès Margamane, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad, and African Affairs. Affairs of Algeria to make a presentation. Your Excellency, you have the floor now.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. President, Your Excellencies, ministers, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor to present on behalf of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the 2nd VNR on the implementation of the SDGs. This is halfway to 2030 and following the 1st VNR presented by Algeria in 2019, and at a defining moment requiring collective effort to honor the commitments of member states made in September 2015. This report is not just a media operation. This is the result of progress achieved and constructive foresight of the future, leading to a more integrated approach based on learning, adjustment, and transformation. This VNR was elaborated through a transparent and participatory process with the participation of 51 stakeholder national agencies as well as representatives of the civil society, the parliament, and youth under the auspices of the SDG Intersectoral Committee with the support of the National Statistical Office as well as the UN country team in Algeria, most notably the The process was not descriptive. It was an analytical approach in elaborating this report based on factual and disaggregated data. Progress factors were determined as well as gaps hindering this process. Public policies were assessed in light of their efficient contribution to achieving the desired goals. Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Sustainable development in Algeria is extremely important. It is reflected in our legal texts. Our 2020 Constitution enshrines the principles of social justice, limiting disparities, balanced development, protecting the environment, and diversifying our economy. These are important pillars in our approach, at the heart of which is the principle of leaving no one behind. Our public policies are grounded in these principles, particularly when it comes to vulnerable groups, isolated areas, women, and youth. Practically, Algeria has made concrete and measurable progress in the 17 SDGs, as shown in the following data. First, extreme poverty remains under at less than 0.5% since 2011, with social protection coverage increasing to 67% by 2024, benefiting 30.7 million people. Second, in health, life expectancy at birth is at 79.6 years, or plus 2.5 years, Maternal mortality is down 20%. Tuberculosis incidence is down 30%, with universal health coverage that continues to increase. On education, the primary school enrollment rate is close to 100%. Higher education has more than 1.7 million students, 65.7% of whom are girls, indicating the accelerating access of girls to universities. Fourth, on basic services, water connection rate is at 99— 98%, and electricity supply is at 99.9%, while more than 1.7 million housing units were provided during the period 2020-2024. This promotes the right to decent housing. Internet coverage is at 79.9%, 5.5% in 2025. These results are the result of a clear political will advanced by the country's authorities, as well as the result of sustainable financial mobilization, a robust institutional framework, and a participatory approach. These results were also possible despite the external shocks in 2029-2024, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, the shrinking financial resources, and geopolitical turbulences regionally, as well as climate change. The Algerian economy was very resilient. A rapid recovery of growth was witnessed. Growth was at 3.4% in 2021, increasing from 5.1% in 2020. Social indicators have stabilized. Structured investments continue. This resilience is anchored in a robust macroeconomic framework and a judicious management of foreign debt, as well as national solidarity through social safety nets. Ladies and gentlemen, we look to ensure sustainability in our social goals, and so we advance public policies that enhance social gains. Our 5-year roadmap map, 2026-2030, are based on 5 structural projects. First, accelerating energy transition to reach 15,000 megawatts of renewable energies by 2035. We also look to develop green hydrogen and energy efficiency. Second, enhancing water security by desalinating seawater at 5 million cubic meters in 2030. We also look to reuse treated wastewater at 300 million cubic meters annually. Third, economic diversification. We look to increase the share of transformative industry to 12%. We also look to advance our national value chains and our African integration. Fourth, economic inclusion of women and youth by enhancing the rate of women activity to 25% and reducing youth unemployment as well as including informal labor. Fifth and finally, digital and institutional modernization through e-governance and through national statistical systems. It is not unlikely that implementing the 2030 Agenda in this coming period will witness new and emerging challenges. This will require further resilience from my country on various aspects. aspects. Climate risks continue. This includes structural water stress, fragile agriculture, wildfires, sea level rise threatening coastal regions. These are risks that my country is facing through a sectoral response. Most importantly, um, the Green Dam— this dam was rehabilitated in line with modern norms and will hectares. Digitization and AI in sustainable policies is definitely an important opportunity, especially given the need to narrow the digital— the regional digital divide and considerations pertaining to cybersecurity and digital sovereignty. These are challenges that must be addressed effectively. In this regard, my country is advancing a framework that will allow developing AI uses in a way that is in line with our sovereignty and in line as well with our needs, with our view, values, and our principles. This is under the 2030 Digital Algeria strategy. The epidemiological and demographic transition also requires a change in our health sector to face non-communicable diseases. Also, in the regional environment, there are demographic movements that my country is addressing with a policy of the promotion of peace, dialogue, and respect for international law. My country remains committed to the 2030 Agenda. We continue to advance the SDGs nationally under the wise leadership of the— His Excellency the President of the Republic. We also remain committed to the principle of leaving no one behind. This is the guide of our public policies, particularly when it comes to the vulnerable groups, youth and women. My country, as since 2015, will continue to contribute to multilateralism, to high-level fora, and to relevant Arab and African mechanisms. We are keen to promote South-South cooperation as well as part of our diplomacy. Post-2030, we remain ready to contribute effectively in order to develop a future cooperation framework grounded in the 2015-2030 Agenda gains and lessons learned, and focusing most notably on economic— on the economic dimension, on integrating digital transformation, AI, and digital justice globally, without forgetting the principle of climate justice. justice. To conclude, Mr. President, on behalf of the Algerian delegation, I wish to express my appreciation to all those who contributed to the elaboration of this report— our national stakeholders, our international partners. Algeria remains ready to take part in this continued collective effort in order to achieve the sustainable development and a better future— a sustainable future for everyone. Thank you.

I thank the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad, and African Affairs of Algeria for his presentations. And now the forum will next hear the Voluntary National Review by Brazil, and I would like to invite His Excellency Sergio França Dainício, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations to make a presentation. Alexis, you have the floor. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Before I launch into our voluntary national review, allow me to make a few opening remarks. Since the launch of Agenda 2030, Brazil's focus has been on the understanding that sustainable development requires lasting institutions, policies that reach the territories, and informed decisions— decisions informed by evidence and equity. This has led to the creation of a National Commission for the SDGs and the development of national planning instruments, including our multi-year plan with the Agenda 2030 goals and the 2050 Brazil Agenda. This offers a horizon for sustainable development that is fair, inclusive, and democratic. It also is reflected in our efforts to improve indicators, improve data disaggregation, and to use evidence for public decision-making. Without a doubt, leaving no one behind means tackling structural inequalities but also undertaking a commitment to multilateralism cooperation, and peace. With this Voluntary National Review, we bring a vision where prosperity is shared for the environmental ecological transition, and it also aims to strengthen the capacity of state, and sovereignty goes hand in hand with international solidarity. I will now give the floor to the Executive Secretary of the President of the Republic, and he will continue with this presentation. He will be speaking Portuguese, and interpretation— simultaneous interpretation into English will be available.

Thank you.

Good morning. Thank you, Ambassador Sergio Danesi, President, representatives from Algeria. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize, I'll be speaking Portuguese. It is an honor to represent my country with the National Commission for the SDGs. I'm happy to be here to talk about Brazil's 2026 Voluntary National Review. We do so at a decisive moment for the 2030 Agenda. Only 4 years remain until the deadline set by the international community to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our international scenario still has conflicts, the climate emergency, fiscal constraints, rising inequality, and challenges to multilateralism. In this scenario, Brazil reinforces its conviction that the 2030 Agenda remains the main international pact to guide development that is economically viable, socially just, and environmentally sustainable. This review was prepared collectively. More than 270 institutions participated directly in the public consultation. We received more than 700 inputs from the federal government, subnational entities including states and cities, civil society organizations, state-owned enterprises, the private sector, and international organizations. Our review shows an important message. For Brazil, the 2030 Agenda represents a type of participatory governance model with sustainable, just, inclusive development. This is how we can coordinate planning, budgeting, data collection, social participation, international cooperation, and local action around a common purpose. Our voluntary national review has established a cycle of SDG implementation, monitoring, and evaluation for sustainable development in Brazil, and we want to work with mobilizing society specifically for sustainable development. Right now, we are consolidating different SDG implementation actions focusing on social inclusion. Today, we see significant progress in our capacity to generate and manage data, monitor indicators, coordinate public policies, integrate planning and budgeting, and strengthen the local implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Between 2024 and 2026, we increased the number of targets achieved from 14 to 15. We significantly expanded our capacity to measure progress, reducing the number of unassessed targets from 71 to 39. We reduced the number of targets in regression from 23 to 20. We significantly increased the number of targets categorized as showing positive progress from 35 in 2024 to 67 in 2026. Improving our capacity to assess SDGs means improving our public policies, bringing greater transparency to our initiatives, and strengthening the Agenda's implementation process, fixing any distortions along the way. To that end, this year we concluded the update of the nationalization of targets. Our review shows that sustainable development only yields results when it takes equity into account, especially regarding gender and race. There is no sustainability without inclusion and without the fight against inequality. This principle of leaving no one behind is not merely a normative value here. It is the organizing principle of our public policies in Brazil, and it is how we see and understand climate justice. We have seen significant changes with regard to fighting inequality. The Gini Index has been improving. In 2024, Brazil reached its historical low. On the other hand, persisting regional inequality remains a major challenge for us. We have made progress in creating formal jobs and generating and distributing income. Brazil's unemployment rate Today is the lowest. In 2026, our Human Development Index reached its historical record, showing significant progress in health and education. Income distribution remains a major challenge. With regard to fighting hunger and extreme poverty, our country has once again exited the United Nations Hunger Map. This reflects the effectiveness of our public policies for Sustainable Development Goals. We also see Brazilian initiatives and innovations in our review. In 2024, Brazil voluntarily adopted SDG 18, dedicated to ethnic racial equality. In Brazil, we believe that fighting structural racism is not a side activity. It is actually necessary for the effective implementation of the Agenda. SDG 18 establishes targets, indicators, and monitoring mechanisms aimed at promoting racial equality and offers a concrete contribution to the international conversation on inclusive development. The Pact for Sustainable Development is a continued activity that we've had since 2024 by the National Commission for the SDGs. We want to encourage local managers to use the 2030 Agenda as a development and planning instrument for their cities. To that end, we have incentives that are offered in the fields of training, consulting, and financing. Earlier this month, we concluded the first national conference on the Sustainable Development Goals. More than 270 local conferences and 20 state conferences were held across all regions of the country, bringing together approximately 31,000 Brazilian citizens to discuss the agenda from the point of view of local spaces and realities. By using this process, we create guidelines for our National Commission, create priorities for 2030, and prepare Brazil to have conversations about the future. The 2026 review highlights that the 2030 Agenda produces lasting results when it is embraced by the national state and by society through capacity building, coordinated action, and using inclusion as a guiding principle. The review shows that Brazil has made progress in its ability to integrate planning, budgeting, data, social participation, localization, financing, and cooperation within a single framework. Brazil shares a common vision for the future with regard to the Global Development Agenda. We underscored the strategic importance of this forum in adopting equity as a method of political action, recognizing social justice and climate justice as inseparable, localizing SDGs by strengthening institutional capacity for local officers, strengthening the integrity of data, technology, and information, consolidating financing and cooperation, aimed specifically at sustainable development and ensuring transparency and dialogue with civil society as a fundamental pillar of building the future we want. We therefore reinforce our commitment to multilateralism. The 2030 Agenda can only be achieved through international cooperation, the strengthening of national capacities, and with all the technology that we have today, We may still struggle to grasp the full complexity of the challenges that this moment in history places before us, but one thing is certain: we can only find a solution together. Thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations. Commission and his team for this presentation. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we will now hear comments and questions from the States and other participants. Delegations who wish to intervene in the interactive discussion, including those who previously expressed their interest through the Group of Friends of the Voluntary National Reviews, to ask questions to any of the PNR presentations just heard are invited to press the microphone button on the console now. Before I give the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind again that the— to kindly limit your interventions to 2 minutes each. With this, I would like to give the floor to distinguished representative Angola, to be followed by Norway, Philippines, Uruguay, and NGO Medir Group.

Thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the floor.

Angola congratulates Algeria for presenting its VNR during this session and appreciates the country's commitment to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.

We commend you on the progress achieved thus far and the political commitment of the country to advance these goals. Excellency, your report shows real progress. May you explain what challenges remain before 2030, particularly for the sustainability of your development model, and where do you see room for further cooperation? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Angola. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Norway.

Dear Chair, thank you for giving Norway the floor. We congratulate Brazil on the VNR submitted to the HLPF this year. As we expressed in our peer review, the report presents a comprehensive assessment of Brazil's implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, providing a detailed and well-structured overview of the progress across sectors with links to national planning instruments such as the multi-year plan. Norway commends Brazil for progress made, including the socioeconomic conditions and reductions in deforestation.

The report openly describes outstanding challenges with fiscal constraints and limited capacity.

Given this context, we wish Brazil to elaborate further on how the government will prioritize different SDGs and which policies you will pursue.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Norway. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Philippines. Thank you, Mr. President. The Philippines commends the presenters for their comprehensive and insightful voluntary national reviews. We congratulate both Algeria and Brazil on the presentation of their voluntary national reviews. Mr. President, we wish to commend the government of Algeria for its sustained efforts to eradicate extreme poverty and to promote inclusive development through social protection, employment, housing, and universal access to basic services. In this regard, we'd like to ask the delegation of Algeria the following. Algeria has successfully kept extreme poverty below 0.5% for more than a decade. Could you share the key lessons from Algeria's approach, especially on how social protection, employment, housing, and universal access to basic services have contributed to ensuring that no one is left behind.

Thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Philippines, and now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay.

Thank you, President. First of all, the delegation of Uruguay wishes to congratulate Algeria and Brazil for their As regards Brazil's preduration, we are pleased to note that the country has incorporated the SDGs with a multidimensional approach, including public policy, and highlights the importance of broad participation of stakeholders in order to drive Agenda 2030. In this regard, we wish to ask if. The Brazilian delegation to give more details about the measures used to identify the distinct priorities of different stakeholder groups, including vulnerable groups and traditionally underrepresented groups, and how this is reflected in the VNR. We'd also like to ask whether there are participative mechanisms for following up and monitoring the SDGs beyond the VNR process itself. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uruguay. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of NGO Major Group, to be followed by State of Palestine, Tunisia, Slovenia, and Slovenia.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment in this constructive dialogue on the VNR of Algeria. We welcome the report's emphasis on expanding renewable energy under SDG 7, and recognize the importance of continuing to strengthen renewable energy development to support long-term sustainability and resilience, striving for 100% renewable by 2045.

We're also dedicated to reducing inequalities, advance justice, protect our planet and peace under SDG 5, 10, and 16.

Regarding SDG 17, we would welcome further information on the government's approach to inclusive partnerships.

In particular, how does the government collaborate with civil society and other stakeholders in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals?

Also, what progress has been made since Algeria's previous VNR report? Please provide positive examples of Leave No One Behind in practice. And finally, what are the principal challenges that remain in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and how can stakeholders be engaged to address them and achieve human rights for all?

Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of NGO Major Group Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of State of Palestine.

Thank you, Mr. President. We applaud Algeria and Brazil for their presentations as well as for the efforts that they have undertaken to facilitate sustainable development. We have a question for Algeria. Algeria and Palestine have a long history of cooperation. And Algeria is well known for its role through South-South cooperation. How can— how does Algeria plan to continue to embrace this role in facilitating countries' sustainable development achievement?

Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tunisia.

Thank you for giving me the floor. I would like to commend Algeria and Brazil for their excellent presentations. My question is addressed to the representative of Algeria. Mr. Minister, we emphasize the excellent relationship between our 2 countries through historic ties which bind us together. Call— there are deep-rooted cultural ties in addition to strategic cooperation, which reflects friendly relations between the peoples. As we face shared challenges related to sustainable development, climate change, as well as energy-related issues, this cooperation is geared towards facilitating energy transition in our region. Algeria is an important player in this area, specifically at the regional and international levels. And in continuing these efforts in these areas of transformation for more sustainable development, what are the international partnerships which carry the greatest significance when it comes to enhancing this transformation in an ambitious and just way? And how can we further build upon these partnerships in order to facilitate the transfer towards technologies in a meaningful way and to build national capacity? And this in the light of the principle of shared but differentiated responsibility, uh, in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Thank you.

Thank you, the distinguished representative of Tunisia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Slovenia.

Thank you, Mr. President. I also want to thank the representatives of Algeria and Brazil for participating in voluntary national reviews and for presenting progress in achieving SDG goals.

I have a question for Algeria. Mr. Secretary-General, we congratulate Algeria for impressive progress achieved in implementing all SDGs, including women's access to education and public life. This is where I also want to focus my question, because I think the 100% participation in elementary education and almost 66% of access to higher education is really an exemplary result. So my question would be if you can elaborate further how are these achievements contributing to the country's broader sustainable development strategy and what measures are being taken to further strengthen women's leadership and economic empowerment.

Thank you very much.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Slovenia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of people with African descent stakeholder group, to be followed by Iraq, Norway, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, and Switzerland.

We acknowledge the efforts of the Brazilian government to implement SDG 18, promoting ethnicity racial equality and combating racism, and we urge that this initiative be strengthened nationally and scaled globally. Overcoming inequality requires moving beyond fiscal austerity towards tax justice, taxing the super-rich and reviewing exemptions to expand financial for social policies. In this regard, we ask what concrete measures the state has adopted to ensure the effective participation of women, particularly from historically discriminated groups, in shaping and monitoring public policy. We also seek clarification on efforts to address the sharp rise in feminicide. We further ask what measures combat fake news and disinformation while strengthening national sovereignty, democracy, and the protection of vulnerable groups. We recommend that public security forces all— at all levels act in integrated manner and receive periodic human rights and racial literacy training delivered by secular institutions. Despite important progress, people of African descent, quilombola communities, indigenous peoples, Roma peoples, and other traditional communities still face obstacles to the full exercise of their rights. It is essential to strengthen target policies, confront structural racism, and guarantee their territorial, socioeconomic, cultural, environmental rights. In this context, we underscore the urgency of addressing environmental racism, which disproportionately exposes these groups to inadequate sanitation, territorial contamination, water insecurity, the climate crisis, and displacement caused by large-scale development. Finally, we ask how states ensure comprehensive protection.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of people with African descent stakeholder group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Iraq.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

First, let me congratulate Brazil and Algeria for their PNR presentation, and my question is to His Excellency the representative of Algeria in relation to what is security, actually. Algeria has made significant gains in water security. What are the 3 main lessons other arid and semi-arid countries could draw from your experience? And in that sense, what would you do differently?

Thank you, sir.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Iraq. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative Sierra Leone.

Thank you, Mr. President. Sierra Leone warmly congratulates Algeria and Brazil for presenting their VNAs. We're particularly pleased with the progress that have been made, especially in Algeria.

We have one question.

So how were civil society, youth, women, the private sector academia and local authorities involved in preparing the Vienna of Algeria, and how do you know their input actually changed the report? Thank you very much, Mr. President.

I thank the distinguished representative of Sierra Leone. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Lebanon.

Thank you, Mr. President. Lebanon would like to warmly congratulate Brazil and Algeria on the presentation of their VNRs and thank both countries for sharing their valuable experiences and insights. We commend both countries for their continued efforts to advance the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. My delegation would like to address the following question to the Algerian delegation. Your VNR highlights Algeria's ambitious housing program and the various housing formulas designed to reach all segments of the society in order to leave no one behind. How have these remarkable efforts been complemented by investments in transport and infrastructure? Furthermore, What lessons and good practices from Algeria's experience could be shared with other countries pursuing similar objectives?

I thank you.

I thank the Permanent Representative of Lebanon. Now I give the floor to the Additional Representative of Switzerland.

Thank you, Mr. President. Switzerland welcomes— congratulates both Algeria and Brazil for their voluntary national reports.

Thank you.

My question is addressed to Algeria. The National Voluntary Review highlights significant progress in achievement of the SDGs. In your view, what are the main challenges which are outstanding and still need to be addressed by 2030, specifically in terms of sustainability of development models? And in what areas would you identify opportunities for cooperation? Thank you.

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

Thank you, Mr. President. Namibia congratulates Algeria and Brazil on their excellent presentation of their respective VNR reports and further congratulates them on the progress they've made in their respective development trajectories. Both Algeria and Brazil are notable oil and gas economies. My question to the 2 respective delegations are, how have you— how have your respective governments used this very important resource to achieve equitable and sustainable development for your people, and how have you used the sector to strengthen South-South cooperation? which has been highlighted in the Pact for the Future as a critical contributor to attaining development goals.

Thank you. I would like to thank the distinguished representative of Namibia, and now I would like to invite the presenters to briefly respond to the questions raised from the floor. So, the comments came from the floor, but the time limit will be 5 minutes to respond to them. So, I would like to invite His Excellency, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad, and African Affairs of Algeria.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank all the delegations for their interaction and the interest demonstrated in our VNR. Our report shows the data progress, so allow me speak to the choices behind the numbers rather than the numbers themselves. To our distinguished representatives from Angola and Switzerland, the Central Task for us is to make our development model sustainable, to move it off its dependence on hydrocarbon revenue. That means 2 things we are actively doing: broadening the non-hydrocarbon tax base and diversifying what we produce. It is a great endeavor we are committed to. On water, and in response to the question from the honorable representative of Iraq. We made deliberate choice not to rely on any single sources. Our security rests on dams, desalination, the reuse of treated water, and inter-basin transfers together. A country that bets on one technology is exposed to first time that technology underperforms. Thank you. If we were starting again, we would sequence 2 things differently: couple desalination with solar from the outset rather than after the plants are built, and scale water reuse from day one rather than years later. We are correcting both now. The leads of our energy transition, and I thank the delegation of Tunisia, Thank you, Mr. President, for raising this issue, which is at an early stage, and we say so plainly, we supply energy to others, but decarbonizing our own mix is a long road. Our new climate commitment has 2 levels: the share we finance ourselves and the larger share that depends on international finance. That distinction is not negotiating position. to industry, green hydrogen is where this matters most. Our pilot began over the next 2 years with a view to exporting decarbonized energy to Europe in the next decade, and we will judge our partnership by whether the technology travels with the molecules. And I will touch upon the question raised by Palestine and the representative of NGO. As Algeria, we intend to give as well as receive. Our experience in large-scale desalination in solar and the Saharan conditions and in electrifying remote areas is directly useful to African partnership. South-South cooperation is not rhetoric for us. For Philippines and representative of MGU, our result Yes. A rest on an architecture, not a single program. Direct support to households with no income, subsidies that keep basic goods affordable, and free education and healthcare. What we are changing now is the logic underneath it. For decades, the model was necessary but passive. We are shifting towards productive social investment. Linking support to training and job placement so it becomes a bridge into work rather than a permanent floor. That is harder to measure and it will take the rest of this decade to show. Housing follows the same principle and here I will address Lebanon's question. We did not build with a single formula and we did not build homes alone. Housing has gone up alongside water, electricity, gas, and increasingly transport because a program measured only in units delivered risks producing dormitory towns. Our newest developments are planned with schools, clinics, and public transport built in from the start. The lesson we will share is straightforward: housing, transport, and services have to be planned together, not sequentially. I thank Slovenia for your question. Algeria is now focusing on the gap in women's economic participation. Algerian women are the majority in higher education and close to half the judiciary, yet their activity rate in economy remains low. Closing that distance is, in our view, the single largest economic opportunity we have. We are acting on it through microcredit aimed at women, a digital platform that lets women running small activities reach a wider market, and training centers across the south and the high plateaus. The generational shift is already underway. Our task is to make sure the financing, training, and market access are in place so it actually happens. Finally, to respond to Sierra Leone's question, I will quickly describe how this report was made because it shaped the content. We did not only consult, we published participation recommendations as they were written next to our national roadmap so anyone can See the distance between the two. Several of those recommendations are now in our 2026-2030 priorities, and from September we began talking this review out to the wilayas with a first annual progress report next year. This is in a nutshell, Mr. President, our response to this interaction, and I would like I would like now ask you if you allow me to switch to Arabic for something else.

We wish to address the question— to address ourselves to the fraternal Qatari delegation and population. We wish to extend to Qatar sincerest condolences on the passing of the Emir, Father, our sincerest condolences. Thank you.

I thank His Excellency the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria for his response. And now I would like to invite His Excellency the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations to respond to the questions raised and the comments Your Excellency, you have the floor.

Mr. President, the Executive Secretary of the Presidency will respond to the questions, please.

Thank you, Ambassador Sergio. Thank you to the delegates from Norway and Uruguay and also Namibia and the organized civil society who asked us questions. Please make sure to reach out to me if you'd like to further have a conversation about this. Regarding Norway, when we— when it comes to prioritizing public policies at the government level for sustainable development, we basically work on fighting inequality, fighting hunger, and distributing income. These are the 3 main pillars based on which we set the priorities for our public policies. We do it through lots of social participation and based on the best information that we have from data science. It is important to talk about IPEA, the Institute of Applied Economic Research, and also the Statistics Institute from Brazil, who support Brazil and the National Commission for SDGs. For Uruguay, you were asking about how we created the review and how we made We made sure that we listened to every party, especially vulnerable populations. It is important to say that we have state structures in Brazil. This includes social participation. So we have the National Commission for the SDGs, but we also have other councils and commissions where these stakeholders have direct access to us, and they are in direct participation to create these public policies. We have theme working groups and we have the other consultations that I mentioned in my speech. This encompasses every piece of land in Brazil based on their local perspective. Regarding the civil society question, when it comes to gender, systemic racism, and security, it is important to mention the Maria da Penha Act in Brazil, which celebrated its 20th anniversary. This is a landmark for gender protection in Brazil, and we've made progress in fighting femicide and fostering the elimination of the salary gap between women and men in Brazil. SDG 18 is extremely important for affirmative policies and reparation policies as well. But going beyond that, the Brazilian state has recreated structures so it can respond to these social needs. For instance, we have the Ministry for Racial Equality and the Ministry of Women. It is important to highlight that important foundations and important roles in their ministries are occupied by women. Even in the Ministry of Planning, we had a female leader. In our office, we have a female leader. It's important to mention that. For security, we need coordinated action in Brazil between all 3 governmental levels. The government has been managing things so that we can respond to what our population wants and needs. It all depends on our specific circumstances, which we all know are very challenging. Regarding Namibia, Brazil is fully aware that we need to make an energy transition into a model that is sustainable. We have been using lots of resources to fund this transition. We have also made progress when making clean energy, but it's important to mention that Brazil has one of the cleanest energy foundations in the world. Thank you for your question, and please come to me if you'd like to continue this conversation. Thanks.

Thank you. So I thank the Permanent Representative of Brazil as well as the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the SDGs of Brazil for their response. So I would like to thank both our presenters Additional presenters for their responses. And I also like to congratulate both Algeria and Brazil for the presentations of your PNRs. I also thank the delegations for your valuable contributions and to these interactive discussions. And before concluding, I would like to recall that the General Assembly Resolutions 75/290 B provides that the countries conducting BNR may provide written answers after the High-Level Political Forum if they wish to do so, in case time was too short for them to provide detailed answers during the Forum. We have thus completed our programme of work for this meeting. The Forum will reconvene at The HLPF will convene at 3:00 PM in this conference room to hear additional voluntary national reviews, consider the draft minister declarations, and concludes its work at the 2026 session. Detailed information on the program is available on the HLPF website and iGov. The meeting is adjourned. Thank you.