(9th meeting) High-Level Political Forum 2025 | Voluntary national reviews (VNRs)
Economic and Social Council
Date: 18 July 2025
Language: English
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k1x/k1xpjylldv
Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations.

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President [0:03]:

Good morning, colleagues. The 9th meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Economic— on Social Development, convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council at its 2025 sessions, is called to order. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I invite the Forum to begin its considerations of Sub-item C of Agenda Item 2, Voluntary National Reviews. This morning, the Forum will hear the first Voluntary National Review presentations. For the first set of the panel presentations, I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from Guatemala, Malaysia, and the Sudan. Before we begin with the presentations, I would like to appeal to the presenting countries to adhere to the agreed 10 minutes per presentation so as to allow sufficient time for all presenters as well as engagement with all other states and participants. I apologize in advance if I have to interrupt interrupt speakers, and I hope that I 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 will understand the need to be disciplined so as to allow adequate time for presentation as well as interactions from the floor. The Forum will first hear the voluntary national review by Guatemala, and now I invite His Excellency Carlos Antinio Mendoza Alvarado, Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency of Guatemala, to make a presentation. Excellency, you have the floor now.


Guatemala · Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency · Carlos Antonio Mendoza Alvarado [2:15]:

Very good morning to all of you. Thank you very much. We are going to begin with the video, which we will see right away.


Speaker 3 [2:27]:

For an—

we have an invaluable wealth in terms of nature, but we also are dealing with vulnerabilities such as the persistent social and economic effects of the pandemic. Despite this, the country has made great efforts in order to move forward. We would like to highlight the progress that has been made in terms of fulfilling the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda. There's been progress on the SDGs. SDG 3, good health and well-being. Maternal mortality decreased from 108 to 85 per 100,000 live births. The adolescent fertility rate dropped from 83 to 67. Per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19. We consolidated the territorial organization of health services and strengthened population of— to improve coverage and quality of care. SDG 5, gender equality. Guatemala rose 24 positions in the Global Gender Index. We promoted the learning level strategy with a gender perspective, protective mechanisms for victims of violence, and inclusive actions for women and access to land and decision-making. SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth. We promoted training and technical professional skills, offered employment scholarships, and ensured compliance of labor legislation. We advanced labor inclusion, managing 17,427 job vacancies for people with disabilities. SDG 14, Life Below Water. We made progress in the conservation of marine coastal areas and fishery management, although there are challenges such as marine pollution. SDG 17, partnerships for the goals under SDG 17, with an average annual increase of more than 15%. Tax revenue increased for 3 consecutive years, strengthening public debt sustainability, which is now the lowest in Central America. We strengthened international cooperation, resource mobilization, and statistical platforms. Perception of society's sectors. The disability certification was approved. We see that as a step forward. I think it is very important progress in these sectors such as ancestral— in these areas there haven't been significant steps forward, but now they've taken into account our observations and proposals. The Superintendency of Communications has been working to be able to carry out this digital transformation so that the Guatemalan people can have access to all digital services. The various actors in society through this report reaffirm their commitment so that nobody falls behind and for the 2030 Agenda to continue being a transformative guide towards a more fair, inclusive, and sustainable future for our peoples.


Guatemala · Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency · Carlos Antonio Mendoza Alvarado [5:31]:

Sir, here I am on behalf of a country that faces significant historic inequalities, but it is also a mixture of cultures, languages, and territories which are its greatest asset. This is Guatemala, and for Guatemala, it is an honor to be able to present the 5th Voluntary National Review for 2025. This is not a technical document that is isolated. Rather, it is a reflection of a broad participatory and rigorous process that presents the progress, the challenges, and the strategic decisions that we are adopting as a state in order to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals. We are offering the world. an example of transparency and commitment. More than 120 organizations of our civil society— this includes young people, indigenous people, women, the private sector, international cooperation, and the academic sectors— all actively participated in the development of this. Also, for this— on the second occasion, we engaged in a voluntary sub- national review at the Inquilco en San Pedro Necta in Huehuetenango, which is a territory that represents many of our contrasts: cultural wealth and great community capabilities, but also serious challenges of poverty and exclusion. The report indicates significant steps forward, as you have seen, but also challenges that we cannot ignore. There are serious social and territorial inequalities that particularly affect Indigenous peoples, rural women, and young people. There is still limited public investment, and this restricts the coverage of essential services such as health, education, and this perpetuates historic gaps. The lack of coordination between planning, budgeting, and implementation limits our ability to effectively and quickly respond. We deal with insufficient production and use of disaggregated data, which are so essential for designing policies that are evidence-based and focused on the most needy. Among the main conclusions of the report, We highlight that even though there has been a decrease in neonatal and maternal mortality, there have been steps back— steps backward in terms of health, gender, the wage gaps, economy, the employment, and the environment. So we need to make greater efforts in order to fulfill the goals that are established in the 2030 Agenda. However, We have strengthened our public institutional framework with transparency mechanisms, social participation, and cross-sectoral efforts. We are fostering capabilities in the national planning system so that each public policy decision is based on data and the real priorities of our people. This 5th report is more than simply overcoming the barriers of inequality, strengthening transparency, and bringing planning and public investment to our territories to attend to the needs of the most vulnerable peoples. I would now like to give the floor to the Presidential Secretary of Women in Guatemala, Dr. Ana Prudencia.


Guatemala · Presidential Secretary on Women [9:56]:

Buenos días, señor Presidente.

Guatemala.

Good morning, Chair, distinguished delegations. Guatemala recognizes that sustainable development will only be possible if we strengthen our advisory work to promote public policies in order to overcome structural inequalities that affect women, particularly indigenous and rural women. They have been historically excluded, but they are also leaders. care for life, and they build peace in their communities. Guatemala reiterates that we cannot achieve the 2030 Agenda without the principle of equality between men and women and without the full enjoyment of individual and collective rights of Indigenous people. Sustainability requires recognition of their knowledge and their territories. We are committed to promoting public policies that have a cross-sectoral and intersectional approach that responds to the various realities of our country. We promote active participation of women in all decision-making levels, and we will work so that planning and public investment can respond to the needs and aspirations of people so that sustainable development can have a human face. And it should also include the faces and the words of Indigenous women. Thank you.


President [11:28]:

Thank you. I think it is the perfect time. I thank the Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency of Guatemala and his team for the presentations of the BNR. The Forum now will hear the voluntary national review by Sudan, and now I invite His Excellency Mohamed Bassar Mohamed.


Sudan · Undersecretary of Planning · Mohamed Bashar Mohamed [11:51]:

Thank you.


President [11:52]:

Undersecretary of Planning in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of the Sudan to make the presentations. Your Excellency, you have the floor now.


Sudan · Undersecretary of Planning · Mohamed Bashar Mohamed [12:02]:

Thank you, Chair. Honorable ladies and gentlemen, all protocol observed, a very good morning to you all. I am very much privileged and honored to deliver To you, my country, VNR 2025. So kindly be invited to watch a video that highlights key elements of our VNR. Please play the video. Honorable ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mohamed Bashar Mohamed. I am the Undersecretary of Planning, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, presenting this VNR on behalf of the Government of Sudan. I am very much privileged to present to you today the Sudanese VNR for the year 2025. This VNR is prepared after wide consultation with different entities and organizations. Sudan's VNR 2025 is intended to review progress and has been made— the progress that has been made in the implementation of the Agenda 2030 for the period 2020-2024. During the first 3 years of the period under review, 2020-2022, some progress was made, mainly in the areas of poverty reduction, economic growth, general education, health, electricity coverage, gender equality, and domestic resource mobilization. Following are some graphs showing the magnitude and Trend of the achieved progress. On the 15th of April, 2023, the Rapid Support Forces, RSF, waged wide scale of attacks on the army, civilians, towns, and villages. These attacks resulted in a massive destruction of all signs of life in Sudan. The conflict has led to the world's largest displacement, with 25% of the population forcibly displaced, a figure far above 12 million people. All economic activities have been disrupted. Major agricultural schemes were attacked and farmers were forced to abandon their lands. About 66% of factories were damaged. 49% of banks' branches were looted. All markets in the capital city Khartoum were destroyed and burned to the ground. Unemployment rate surged from 20% in the year 2020 to 47% in the year 2024. 30% of health facilities have been destroyed. Central medical supply stores were looted. Vaccine chains of cooling system were destroyed. Over 90% of school-age children are out of schools for 2 years. Water stations and treatment plants, electricity generation, distribution, and transmission facilities were damaged by drones. Use of weapons and explosives in residential areas and destruction of specialized laboratories have increased toxic waste and polluted water and a wide spread of air pollution. All museums have been destroyed and looted. It is evident from the above that these attacks stalled all the progress made towards achieving the SDGs and in fact erased any gains achieved in the previous years. The efforts were divided between 4 main entities in a coordinated manner. Number one, the federal government. The federal government reclaimed the public system, enabled Sudan to restore economic activity and stability. Agricultural inputs were provided which led to a substantial increase in output, especially food production. Resumption of the provision of basic services. Banking systems and electronic payments were restored. Schools were reopened. Students were enrolled, including IDPs' students. Provision of substantial life-saving drugs facilitation of IDB returnees. At the state level, state governments took adaptive measures to increase their resources to avail basic services to the IDBs and act as alternative hubs for business and economic activities evacuated from the capital city of Khartoum and resettled in the states. The civil society organization initiated many efforts to absorb and minimize the conflict shocks. The Emergency Response Room, which is a youth-driven initiative, and Takaya, a common kitchen for making and distributing free meals, are prominent community-driven approaches. They provide lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people who are under seize of the conflict in war zones and for IDPs. They provide food, medicine, water, assist victims of sexual violence, and help in safe evacuation of the war zones. The development partners provided substantial humanitarian assistance which saved lives of millions of people who were directly affected by the conflict. The government is working on finalizing a post-conflict economic vision for reconstruction, which will be based on the SDGs framework. The vision is based on immediate phase for humanitarian recovery and a medium to long-term phase for reconstruction and rebuilding of the national economy. The overarching objectives are To stabilize the economy, rebuild the damaged infrastructure, and invest in the provision of basic services; create employment opportunities and encourage private sector investment; promote and enhance good governance; and address issues of environment and climate change. It is clear this vision will put the SDGs back The destruction of the economic base, namely the damage of the private sector, has limited sizable tax revenue increases. However, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning initiated serious PFM reform efforts to boost domestic resources. Revenues has already started to increase in the year 2024. The government do, however, improve the enabling environment for the private sector. The executive procedures for the PPP law was approved in the— in February 2025, and the new investment law for 2024 was also approved following wide scale of consultations. In conclusion, despite the wide destruction and severe negative impacts of the conflict on the country, Sudan is firmly committed to bring back the SDGs on track. Given the scale and magnitude of the destruction, the recovery and reconstruction definitely require large amounts of resources, that are beyond the capacity of the Sudanese economy. Therefore, immense assistance of humanitarian and external financing together with technical assistance are perceived critically required. Sudan is also looking forward to the international community to lift the suspension on the HIPC process that started in the year 2021 to enable the mobilization of external concessional resources for the benefit of the SDGs. Thank you so much.


President [21:47]:

I thank the Undersecretary of Planning in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of Sudan and his team for these presentations. The Forum now will hear the Voluntary National Review of Malaysia, and now I invite His Excellency Ahmad Faizal Mohamad, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations, to make the presentation. Your Excellency, you have the floor.


Malaysia · Permanent Representative · Ahmad Faizal Mohamad [22:16]:

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. We begin with a video presentation.


Malaysia [22:25]:

Malaysia, an upper-middle-income country in Southeast Asia, is home to a vibrant, multiethnic society rich in culture and megadiversity. Its development is guided by Madani, a visionary policy framework aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Malaysia's path toward becoming a sustainable, prosperous, and high-income nation is shaped by the 12th Malaysia Plan and its midterm review. The 2025 Voluntary National Review is more than a progress report. It's a reflection of a whole-of-nation commitment to sustainable development. At the heart of Malaysia's development priorities are its people, ensuring continuous improvements in the quality of life for for all Malaysians. The country's economic resilience continues to advance inclusive growth and greater prosperity, with the main priority to reducing inequalities. Malaysia also stands poised to address the triple planetary crisis through strategic frameworks and nationwide initiatives. Efforts to strengthen governance and regional unity remain central to achieving a more inclusive and sustainable future. As the 13th Malaysia Plan approaches, it marks the final phase of the nation's SDG implementation in meeting the 2030 Agenda. Malaysia's journey towards a high-income nation is anchored in people-centric development, underpinned by unity, purposeful and sustainable action for the future. The nation remains steadfast in its commitment to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

We should do whatever is necessary, our best, to ensure that we do achieve these goals. In the most spectacular manner, because that is a sign of what Madani is all about.


Malaysia · Permanent Representative · Ahmad Faizal Mohamad [25:11]:

Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am Ahmad Faizal Mohamad, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations, and I will be presenting the VNR report on behalf of Malaysia. The VNRR represents our commitment and vision for a Malaysia that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Malaysia's 3rd VNRR covers all 17 SDGs for the first time, and has been developed through a whole-of-nation and data-driven approach. This helped to ensure that the VNRR continues to be guided by inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions, ensuring no one is left behind. A governance structure comprising government and non-government representatives led the review process. Malaysia's SDG progress aligns with the current priorities and principles of the current government, known as Ekonomi Madani. It represents the national development philosophy for an inclusive and sustainable Malaysia. Multiple SDG progress enablers are in place, including SDG financing, of which SDG Link Sukuk is an example, as well as partnerships such as the Malaysia-UN SDG Trust Fund. Malaysia has made significant progress across the 5 thematic areas. Poverty has declined from 8.4% in 2020 to 6.2% in 2022. Unemployment dropped to 3% in April 2025. Forest cover remains above 50%, and Malaysia moved up to Tier 2 in the US TIP report. Analysis suggests that we are on track to meet 43% of SDG targets by 2030, showing that the country is heading in the right direction. Preliminary analysis based on 2023 data, in fact, suggests that progress can be raised to 49%. In addition, if we exclude data which are not applicable and not available, Malaysia is 59% on track to achieve the SDG target. Over the next few slides, I will share key highlights for each thematic area. The first is the People pillar. Under the People pillar, Malaysia has achieved a decline in maternal mortality rate from 68.2 per 100,000 live births in 2021 to 25.7 per 100,000 live births in 2022. Data shows that women now occupy 1 in 4 of the managerial positions in the country. 4 of Malaysia's local universities are also ranked in the top 100 impact rankings for SDG. Moving forward, the country is committed to improving disaggregated data, inclusive policymaking, and cross-agency support for vulnerable groups. Under the Prosperity Pillar, we believe in a whole-of-nation approach that invites public participation. 15 Voluntary Local Reviews were published by 2024, with 29 more scheduled this year. We have continued the development of high-growth, high-value industries, including the opening of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, and reforms to strengthen our fiscal position. Moving forward, Malaysia will focus on tackling underemployment as well as reduce income and regional gaps. Under the Planet pillar, Malaysia is addressing the triple planetary crisis proactively. Increased ecological fiscal transfer provides support to expand protected areas through the promotion of the 3R reuse, reduce, recycle policy and the introduction of new legislation, the national recycling rate reached 35.4% in 2023. Moving forward, Malaysia will advance holistic and integrated approaches to address planetary challenges. As regards the Peace pillar, Malaysia's governance gains are tangible and measurable. We are now ranked 10th globally on the Global Peace Index and has moved from Tier 3 to Tier 2 in the TIP report. New legislation and policies such as Parliamentary Services Act and National Children's Policy signal our continued efforts to strengthen institutions. Moving forward, Malaysia will continue strengthening good governance and institutions as well as enhancing access to to information and human rights. Partnership pillar. Malaysia continues to lead regionally and globally. South-South cooperation initiatives showcase our commitment to solidarity among developing countries. Between 2022 and 2024, Malaysia was also a member of the UN Human Rights Council. At home, efforts to scale up multi-level governance and enhance data ecosystems, ensure inclusivity remains at the core. The country's efforts in open data has been internationally recognized by being ranked first place in the Open Data Inventory Score by the Open Data Watch organization. We will continue strengthening partnerships and multi-level governance for SDG implementation. Challenges. Malaysia's SDG implementation faces persistent challenges. Inequalities persist across education, infrastructure, and basic services, while the labor market continues to face challenges. Climate risks and social impacts of the green transition are intensifying. Institutional fragmentation risks effective policy delivery, and data coordination can be enhanced to overcome duplication. VNR insights point to the need for stronger thematic reporting, more comprehensive data, improved intergovernmental coordination, and sustained momentum across reporting cycles. Malaysia will continue aligning national development with the 2030 Agenda, guided by the 13 Malaysia Plan, We will prioritize human capital, inclusive economic growth, equitable green transition, good governance, and data-driven partnerships. Through a whole-of-nation approach, Malaysia remains committed to leaving no one behind. That ends our presentation. Thank you, Chair.


President [32:24]:

I thank the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations, and his team for the presentations of its BNR. I congratulate all 3 countries— Guatemala, Sudan, and Malaysia— for the presentations of their BNRs. Now we will hear comments and questions from states and other participants. Delegations who wish to intervene in the interactive discussions including those who previously expressed their interest to ask questions to any of the VNR presentations just heard through the Group of Friends of the Voluntary National Reviews, 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 their interventions to 2 minutes each. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Morocco.


Morocco · Permanent Representative [33:40]:

Thank you very much, Mr. President. First of all, I would like to Congratulations. I would like to congratulate warmly all the presenters of this first VNR panel of HLP 2025, namely Guatemala, Malaysia, and Sudan. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency Mohamed Bashar Mohamed and the Secretary of Planning at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of the Republic of Sudan. For the successful presentation of Sudan's Voluntary National Review at the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. This achievement reflects not only Sudan's steadfast commitment to the 2030 Agenda, but also the tireless efforts of its national planning institutions in advancing inclusive and sustainable development despite the war that is taking place in— and the situation taking place in Sudan. The clarity, depth, and strategic vision embodied in the VNR presentation are a testament of your dedication and your leadership. My question is, can you shed light further on what measures and resilience strategies has the state adopted to continue the path of sustainable development during the war. I thank you very much, Mr. President.


President [35:15]:

I thank His Excellency, the Permanent Representative of Morocco. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland, to be followed by India. Switzerland, you have the floor.


Switzerland [35:29]:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and congratulations to all presenters.

Thank you very much to Sudan, Malaysia, and Guatemala for their insightful VNRs and presentations. My question goes to Guatemala.

In the spirit of our shared commitment to the 2030 Agenda, Switzerland would appreciate learning more about the institutional frameworks or mechanisms the government of Guatemala is considering to increase the likelihoods that also future administrations will remain engaged in advancing and consolidating the progress achieved to date towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

Thank you very much.


President [36:10]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Switzerland. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of India, to be followed by Czechia. India, you have the floor.


India [36:22]:

I congratulate all the 3 countries for presenting their VNR successfully. My question goes to Malaysia. It is noted that Malaysia has strongly aligned SDGs in the national development process.

What are the key factors that contribute to this result?

Thank you.


President [36:40]:

I thank the distinguished representative of India. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Czechia, to be followed by NGO Major Group. Czechia, you have the floor.


Czechia [36:54]:

Mr.

President, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I would like to congratulate the Voluntary National Reports to all 3 presenting countries, and especially for their achievements, because it's very difficult in those turbulent times. Secondly, I would like to ask Guatemala, what interventions did the government implement that could have contributed to reducing maternal mortality and adolescent fertility and what actions are needed to expand them and ensure equitable access to health services, especially in rural areas and among indigenous people?

Thank you.


President [37:31]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Czechia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of NGO Major Group, to be followed by Dominican Republic.


NGO Major Group [37:43]:

Gracias.

Thank you. Guatemala deals with significant structural challenges that limit the progress towards the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda. Persistent factors such as corruption, institutional weakness, and exclusion of vulnerable sectors. Civil society highlights the urgent need to visualize realities that are outside of the official reports. On the SDG 3, there are serious issues regarding to the abandonment of health, particularly mental health, and high levels of malnutrition in 2024. 83 children died because of malnutrition despite the increase in the budget for this. Why have we not been able to improve nutrition in the country? Regarding 5, we are still facing challenges of structural inequality that women have to deal with because the ILO Convention 129 has not been approved. What is the percentage of the budget for women in these matters? SDG 8, 70% of the population that is economic active is in the informal sector without social protection, and the national policy for decent jobs has not led to good results for the urban and rural population. Why haven't you promoted an effective policy in terms of jobs? In terms of SDG 14, pollution, there's been a loss of marine ecosystems. This is tied to environmental planning, community Community participation is limited. The government should request that the Congress immediately ratify the Escazú Agreement for the Protection of All Natural Resources. In terms of SDG 17, we call upon the government to engage in a multisectoral and democratic debate on inclusive public policies. Thank you.


President [39:39]:

I thank the distinguished representative of NGO Major Group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Dominican Republic, to be followed by Lesotho. Dominican Republic, you have the floor now.


Dominican Republic [39:54]:

Thank you very much, President. We commend Sudan, Malaysia, and Guatemala for the effort of presenting their voluntary national reports. The Planning Secretary of the Presidency of Guatemala Mr. Mendoza, friends, we would like to particularly commend Guatemala for its 5th National Voluntary Report, which shows its leadership in the region regarding transparency and the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. We would also like to recognize the important progress that has been made in achieving the sustainable development and well-being for their population. We have a question focused on the the financial strategies that could facilitate inclusive economic development that's sustainable in Guatemala? Particularly, what are the financing mechanisms that could strengthen investment for decent work and sustainable economic growth considering the fiscal challenges that other challenges that Guatemala faces like other countries? Thank you.


President [40:57]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Dominican Republic. Now I give the floor to the English representative of Lesotho, to be followed by Asia-Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism. Now I give the— yeah, Lesotho, you have the floor now.


Lesotho [41:17]:

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

The Kingdom of Lesotho congratulates all the 3 countries that have just presented their VNRs.

We particularly commend Malaysia for a well-articulated presentation with clear pillar reviews.

We are also impressed to note that Malaysia is on track to achieve at least 43% of its SDG targets by 2030. Having said that, and noting that Malaysia has shown strong national-level progress in its VNR, our question to them would be, what are some specific examples of SDG initiatives carried out at the regional, state, and local levels.

I thank you, Mr. President.


President [42:08]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Lesotho. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Asia-Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanisms, to be followed by Japan. Asia-Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanisms, you have the floor.


AP-RCEM [42:26]:

This is the collaborative statement of CSO representatives in Malaysia. First, we urge the Malaysian government to address experiences of vulnerable communities such as Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, refugees, LGBTQ, stateless, and descent communities remain inadequately captured. How will the government institutionalize inclusive, disaggregated data collection mechanisms for policymaking? Relating to the Pact for the Future Annexes, how will Malaysia address systemic inclusion of youth and challenges of digitalization into SDG implementation? From Sabah and Sarawak, what measures has Malaysia implemented to restore MA63 safeguards, revenue sharing, and parliamentary representation to reduce disparity for Sabah and Sarawak? What mechanisms will address statelessness, ensuring communities' access to education and healthcare? Second, on Malaysia's 3rd Vienna, we commend increased inclusivity efforts via consolidation workshops across Malaysia, along with 3rd sector consultations. On people, measures addressing security must be strengthened, particularly on poverty, food insecurity, and protections for women and young people. Structural gender inequality, especially in SRHR and economic participation, drives systemic exclusion undermining SDG progress. On prosperity, social assistance must be improved. The circumstances of one's birth shouldn't result in systemic barriers such as deprivation of public resources and labor discrimination. Sabah also experiences demographic engineering and resource centralization, which deepens inequalities faced. On planet, SDG 13 remains most off track. Against prevailing narratives of investments and tech-based solutions, We call on Malaysia to ensure a just transition and protection of communities via adaptation and rights-based approaches. As Malaysia approaches the end of Agenda 2030, the government must have political will to implement inclusive systemic changes.

Thank you.


President [44:31]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Asia First Regional CSO engagement mechanisms. Now I give the floor to distinguished representative of Japan, to be followed by United Republic Tanzania. Japan, you have the floor.


Japan [44:49]:

Muchas gracias, señor Presidente.

Thank you very much, sir. Japan would like to ask a question to the distinguished delegation of Guatemala. First and foremost, we would like to commend. Thank you for the progress made. On this, we'd like to know, what are the main challenges that Guatemala faces to achieve gender equality, and what structural measures could accelerate closing gaps when it comes to political participation, economic empowerment, and the elimination of violence against women? Thank you.


President [45:27]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of United Republic of Tanzania, to be followed by Qatar.


United Republic of Tanzania [45:41]:

Thank you, Mr.

Chair, for giving me the floor. Tanzania would like to join others in expressing our appreciation to all the presenters for their insightful presentation for their countries.

Voluntary National Reviews.

We would particularly like to commend Sudan, and especially the Honorable Secretary responsible for planning, for the excellent and courageous presentation. It clearly reflects the current reality and immense challenges facing Sudan, as well as the commendable efforts being made to remain on track and accelerate progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We're particularly interested to understand how consultations for the review were conducted in the context of conflict and widespread displacement. Specifically, how were diverse stakeholders, including displaced persons, engaged in the process to ensure that the review was inclusive and representative? Thank you, Chair.


President [46:39]:

I thank the distinguished representative of United Republic of Tanzania. Now I give the floor to the distinguished distinguished representative of Qatar, to be followed by Botswana. Qatar, you have the floor.


Qatar [46:54]:

Thank you, Chairman, and congratulations on presenting your VNRs. Thanks for the great presentations this morning. My question is to Malaysia, and the question is, Malaysia's VNR 2025 is the 3rd VNR report which reviewed 17 goals. It is Malaysia's substantive VNR produced to date.

Can you share what are the best practices carried out in the VNR process with us?

Thank you.


President [47:20]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Qatar. Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Botswana, to be followed by Major Group for Children and Youth. Botswana, you have the floor.


Botswana [47:35]:

Thank you very much, Mr. President and distinguished delegates. Congratulations to the 3 presenters. Noting the importance of disaggregated data for monitoring and reporting, my question goes to Guatemala to say that what are the data sources that are available as well as the statistical platforms relating to— that are informing decision-making?

Thank you.


President [48:06]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Botswana. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Major Group for Children and Youth.


MGCY [48:16]:

Thank you, Mr. President. I speak today in my capacity as a representative of the Major Group for Children and Youth. In 2019, the world witnessed a moment of profound hope as Sudan began a transition towards democratic governance and sustainable development. Today, however, we remain deeply alarmed by the political instability and armed conflict that have resulted in nearly 8.6 million internally displaced persons and 13 million forced to flee the nation. For children and youth, the consequences are devastating— a generation uprooted, their futures held hostage by war. As we review Sudan's VNR, we underscore the importance of transparency inclusion, and accountability. Paragraphs 79 and 84 of the 2030 Agenda emphasize that VNRs must be country-led and involve multiple stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples, civil society, and persons with disabilities. A national review must reflect the lived realities of all Sudanese. This year's in-depth review reminds us that sustainable development is not possible without peace, justice, and institutions that protect the rights and dignity of all. There is no meaningful path to health, gender equality, or equitable labor opportunities, or global partnership while conflict and displacement continue to define daily life. Development does not happen in a vacuum. We reaffirm our commitment to the children and youth of Sudan who peacefully advocate, often at great personal risk, for human rights, democratic governance, and a future rooted in peace and opportunity. Their courage must not go unnoticed, and their voices must be heard. Thank you, Mr. President.


President [50:08]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Major Group for Children and Youth. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I didn't see more requests for the floor. Now, I invite the presenters to briefly respond to the questions from the floor. First, I give the floor to His Excellency Carlos Antonio Mendoza Alvarado, Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency of Guatemala. His Excellency, you have the floor now.


Guatemala · Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency · Carlos Antonio Mendoza Alvarado [50:43]:

Thank you very much, President. We will respond to the questions of the friendly countries. Regarding the question posed by Switzerland, it is very important to ensure an institutional framework so that there can be continuity in the progress towards the SDGs. Thus, it is very important for Guatemala at this time to maintain democracy in the country. The democratic regime is facing serious challenges from a judicial body and a public ministry that continues to deny the legitimacy of the electoral result. Also, in addition to defending democracy, for us it's important to ensure the participation of Indigenous peoples at the highest level. As has been done currently by our President Arévalo, meeting monthly with ancestral authorities that defended democracy over 100 days in Guatemala. Another important point in the agenda, to ensure sustainability for the various goals in this effort, departmental governments are key. This is a strategy at the intermediate level in order to The question from our fellow citizen from civil society. I will just mention the issue of food security and nutrition. Unfortunately, in Guatemala, there hasn't been a detailed census on this until the current government. I would like to add that the And we were able to show that there were some steps forward made in terms of food security and nutrition. Particularly, there was a decrease in chronic malnutrition. But we— this decrease isn't as fast as we would like. But we are— we'd like to highlight the fact that there is an evaluation and follow-up mechanism in Guatemala that allows us to show show whether public policies and various mechanisms are working or not. The question from our friends from the Czech Republic. Guatemala has made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality as well as adolescent pregnancies. Some effective policies have included improving access to contraception, strengthening sexual and reproductive health, and the implementation of sexual education programs focused on adolescents. On the question posed by our friends from the Dominican Republic, Regarding financing mechanisms, Guatemala has managed to improve tax collection over 3 years consistently, but we have the challenge to continue mobilizing resources for private investment, productive efforts, and labor efforts, and we'd also need We also need to ensure the effective use of public resources that are available so that they have greater impact in terms of jobs and economic development. Likewise, we would like to gain access to more international funding in order to support entrepreneurship and innovation. Finally, I would like to answer the question posed by Botswana. Our main data sources are surveys, census, and administrative records. I will now give the floor to the Presidential Secretary on Women, Dr. López, so that she can respond to the questions regarding gender equality.


Guatemala · Presidential Secretary on Women [55:08]:

Muchas gracias.

Thank you. The Czech Republic's question. Guatemala first launched significant efforts to promote public policies to decrease maternal mortality and adolescent pregnancies. Some efforts include, first, improving access to contraception. Improving sexual and reproductive health services. Sexual education programs for adolescents. There are still problems of inequality in indigenous areas, so we are proposing an intervention through health centers and hospitals that should be accessible and well-equipped. We are also planning to train and hire more medical personnel, particularly indigenous people for specialized care with a cultural focus, ensuring access to medicine and quality services for the entire population. We are also promoting ancestral medicine for Indigenous communities. Regarding the question posed by Japan, Guatemala has managed to make significant progress in terms of implementing economic empowerment programs for women. There are still challenges that limit the full enjoyment of their rights. Among these, alarming levels of violence against women and girls, a lack of representation of women in decision-making bodies, particularly Indigenous women suffer from this. Inequality in access to jobs, income, and economic opportunities, particularly in rural areas or in Indigenous territories. To close these gaps, we need affirmative measures such as ensuring that Guatemala legislation— Guatemalan legislation guarantees the rights of women and girls and their access to justice. Promoting Equal participation of women in leadership positions and decision-making bodies, particularly. We must regulate parity in political parties. The Congress has been working on this for many years. We also plan on giving advice to women so that they can gain access to decent jobs. We are focusing particularly on rural areas, which is important for economic empowerment. Regarding finance mechanisms for women, we are promoting public and private investments in productive projects, infrastructure, and We are also going to promote greater access to jobs and economic development. We want to recognize the economic contribution of women, such as, for example, the work of domestic workers, female farmers. We want greater— are working to access more financing for jobs and innovation among young people. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.


President [58:59]:

I thank His Excellency Carlos Antonio Mendoza Calvarados, Secretary of Planning and Programming of the Presidency of Guatemala, and his team. Now I give the floor to His Excellency Mohammad Basar Mohammad, Undersecretary of Planning in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of the Sudan to respond to the questions raised from the floor. Excellency, you have the floor.


Sudan · Undersecretary of Planning · Mohamed Bashar Mohamed [59:27]:

Thank you, Chair. First of all, I thank very much the distinguished representative of Morocco and the distinguished representative of Tanzania for their questions concerning our VNR. First, I will start with the question of my friend from Morocco. Despite the large scale of destruction and the severe negative impacts of the conflict on the country, yet Sudan is firmly committed to bring back SDGs on track. So far, efforts to do so were divided into 4 levels. The federal levels, that the federal government first of all it reorganize a temporary administrative capital at city of Port Sudan, and we start to bring back the operations in the different government ministries and departments and to provide some basic services and to gain some level of stability. So we provide some agricultural inputs for the farmers in safe places in the unaffected states. As you know, Sudan is a big country. We have about 18 different states, each of which is more larger than some countries. So in safe places, we started to provide these agricultural inputs, which in fact helped us a lot to provide some sort of food security to the citizens. Also, the basic services in the health sector and we started some also services in the educational sector. The banking system also have restarted and some electronic payments were being effected. These services has helped us to make more and more progress each time. And then from that, from the date of the war broke out till the end of the year 2024, almost most of the states that are not affected directly by the war are being back to normal. Although they are having more burden by the IDBs. On the subnational level, those states, the recipients of the IDBs, they did a very good job in making some improvement in their fiscal space to absorb these IDBs. And to provide the basic services for them and for their citizens. Also, these states act as alternative hubs for the businesses and the economic activities that has been evacuated from the central city of Khartoum. On the civil society level, as has been said in the video, we have 2 main social organizations that has provided services to the needy in this— or those seized in the war zones, or even those IDPs has already been in other states, providing them with food, water, medicines, and assistance. And at the 4th level is the international community, and They provided substantial humanitarian assistance that helps us to save millions of people, and we thank them for that. Now, we started to think of the day after, and a comprehensive plan for the reconstruction has been drafted and is currently under validation. By technical assistance from different partners, development partners— World Bank, African Development Bank, Afro-Exim Bank, UNDP, and others. Now we are trying to get ready for the day after, and all these plans have been focusing on the SDGs. As for the second question from my friend from Tanzania concerning the consultations and the preparations of the VNR in this very unfavourable situation in Sudan, I assure him of the fact that after having no objection from the UN to provide our VNR We immediately started our consultations and wide discussions with all stakeholders and concerned departments, both on the federal level and on the state level. Consultation goes to— from the ministries to different institutions, private sector, and other stakeholders. We divided the country into 4 main categories. Each is represented by a state: River Nile from the northern, Kassala from the eastern, Jazeera from the central, and North Kordofan from the western. And other states have been asked to provide their written contributions. So wide consultation has been made. And we think the— we base on practical information that allow us to present this VNR in a reasonable manner, we think. Thank you so much.


President [1:06:20]:

I thank His Excellency, Undersecretary of Planning, in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning of Sudan, and for his response. And now I invite our colleague and close friend, His Excellency Ahmad Faizal Mohamad, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations, to respond to the questions raised from the floor. Your Excellency, you have the floor now.


Malaysia · Permanent Representative · Ahmad Faizal Mohamad [1:06:46]:

Thank you, Excellency, and thank you for all the questions. First, I want to address the question from our colleague from India. There are several factors that help us in our efforts to align the SDGs, our National Development Plan, with the SDGs. Among them, firstly, strong institutional integration and strategic planning. The government has embedded SDG principles into key policy documents such as Madani Economic Framework and the 12th Malaysia Plan. These frameworks prioritize inclusive growth, environmental sustainability, and social equity, which actually mirror the SDG agenda. Secondly, robust data systems and monitoring mechanisms which enable evidence-based policy decisions and progress tracking, including establishing data at the state and local level. The third factor is the multi-stakeholder engagement and partnerships, which have significantly contributed to our progress. The country has actively involved civil society, the private sector, and academia in our SDG implementation. The second question from our colleague from Lesotho, which requests specific examples on SDG initiatives at the regional, state, and local levels. There are many, but I can probably highlight just a few. First, the voluntary local reviews. To date, Malaysia has produced 29 voluntary local reviews of several cities and states on localization of SDG implementations. The VLRs help identify local-level gaps and strengths, allowing state and municipal governments to align their development plans with national SDG targets. Secondly, SDG localization efforts have also become increasingly organized, where they are supported by various platforms and organizations. For instance, the APPGM SDG, that is the All-Party Parliamentary Group of Malaysia on Sustainable Development Goals. It is a unique collaboration with the parliamentarians in localizing SDGs through community and NGO-led efforts. It brings together members of parliament from government and opposition to champion SDG localization initiatives, working across 143 constituencies so far, from 2020 to 2025. Meanwhile, Malaysia's CSO and NGO communities also have been united under the Malaysia CSO SDG Alliance, MCSA, and they are part of the national SDG governance structure, providing timely advice and sharing possible solutions that can be implemented on the ground. There are other initiatives, for example, the United Nations and Government of Malaysia UN MySDG Trust Fund, which focus on reaching the hard-to-access as marginalized groups. I think this point also addressed the question from the CSO. And thirdly, on the economic front, Malaysia has established economic corridors such as the East Coast Economic Region, Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority, Regional Corridor Development Authority of Sarawak, and Northern Corridor Economic Region. They are responsible for managing and promoting economic growth within their respective regions in Malaysia. It also aims to attract investment, create jobs, and improve infrastructure in less developed regions, directly addressing imbalances between urban and rural states. Again, this also addresses the concern raised by the CSO concerning the development in Sabah and Sarawak. On the third question from our colleague from Qatar, some of the best practices we can share, I think, include firstly the whole-of-nation approach. Malaysia's VNR 2025 involved inclusive consultations with government, civil society, private sector, and academia, ensuring broad ownership of SDG priorities and better alignment across stakeholders. So far, more than 550 stakeholders have been consulted and at least 8 focus group discussions have been organized. Secondly, data-driven monitoring, the use of disaggregated state-level data. In the VNR help identify regional disparities, guiding more targeted and evidence-based policies to accelerate progress where it is most needed. Third, the insight from the VNR can help align our national economic plan with the SDGs. The alignment ensures that national strategies are evidence-based, and targeted promoting integrated actions across sectors and regions to achieve Malaysia's National Development Goals and its SDG commitments simultaneously. I also thank the Asia-Pacific CSO Engagement Mechanism for its very, very broad and comprehensive question. We take note of all the areas of concerns that have been raised, which we do not have the time to address in great detail and comprehensively here. We recognize that there are persistent challenges, although, as we have presented, there are many achievements in various target areas that we have accomplished. But moving forward, we are committed in our approach to be inclusive, including by continuing to engage civil society through the platforms that we have established. We are making efforts, for example, in improving disaggregated data, among others, through close collaboration with CSOs and the UN office in Malaysia. On the Planet pillar, we are in the midst of preparing parliamentary bill, Climate Change Act, which we expect to adopt by the parliament this year, and this will be quite significant. So moving forward, we are confident that through collective efforts, especially through our commitment to the whole-of-nation approach, we will continue to produce progress and great results towards achieving the SDG targets as planned. Thank you.


President [1:14:33]:

I thank the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations. With this, I thank our distinguished presenters from Guatemala, Sudan, and Malaysia for their responses. I once again I congratulate all 3 countries on the presentations of their PNRs. I also thank the delegations for your valuable contributions. Before concluding, I would like to recall that the General Assembly Resolution 75/290B provides that countries conducting voluntary national review May provide written answers after the High-Level Political Forum if they, if they so wish, in case time was too short for them to provide detailed answers during the forum. I now briefly pause the meeting to allow the podium to be rearranged, and I invite the PNR presenters presenters of Angola, Kyrgyzstan, and Saint Lucia to approach the podium and take their seats. Thank you. Bir de güç. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, for the second set of panel presentations, I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from Angola, Kyrgyzstan, and Saint Lucia. 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 the presenters as well as engagement with other states and participants. Again, I apologize in advance if I have to interrupt speakers, and I hope that situation will not come. Given the number of countries making PNR presentations at this year's HLPF, I believe that we all understand the need to be disciplined to allow the adequate time for presentations as well as interactions from the floor. With this, the Forum will first hear the Voluntary National Review by Kyrgyzstan. I now invite His Excellency Bakit Sidikov, Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan, to make a presentation. Your Excellency, you have the floor.


Kyrgyzstan · Minister of Economy and Commerce · Bakit Sidikov [1:24:39]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Distinguished delegates, friends, and colleagues, on behalf of the Kyrgyz Republic, I would like to express our deepest gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this high-level event. It is a great honor for the country to present our 2nd Voluntary National Review at this year's High-Level Political Forum. The Kyrgyz Republic views the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a guiding framework for national development planning and policymaking. Over the past years, the country has demonstrated strong political commitment and undertaken concrete reforms across a range of sectors, from social protection and healthcare to digital transformation and climate action. The preparation of the Second Voluntary National Review covered 16 out of the 17 SDGs and was informed by an inclusive and participatory process. It engaged national and local government institutions, civil society organizations, and development partners. Following the economic contraction triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kyrgyz Republic has demonstrated a steady recovery since 2022. Over the last 3 years, the country has been growing by 9% annually on average, while the nominal GDP has doubled as compared to 2021. The budget size— the government sector budget has tripled. A new labor code was adopted to strengthen the protection of workers' rights. Youth internship internships, uh, entrepreneurial initiatives, and employment programs have been supported through grant-based financing mechanisms. The government is investing in strategic transport, energy, and digital infrastructure to foster economic resilience and inclusivity. Major initiatives are underway to reduce transport and logistic isolation, promote the development of industrial clusters, and support small and medium-sized enterprises. The Kyrgyz Republic maintains nearly universal access to electricity. Nevertheless, ensuring energy security and modernizing energy infrastructure remain national priorities. The country is advancing hydropower development and expanding the use of renewable energy sources and promoting Energy efficiency, energy saving programs are being implemented across the public sector and in vulnerable households. Significant efforts are being directed toward improving urban infrastructure, water supply, sanitation systems, and environmental sustainability. Local communities are actively engaged in the implementation of. Projects aimed at urban beautification, reconstruction, and climate adaptation. Initiatives have been launched to improve living conditions and standards in residential settlements and to promote inclusive urban development. An analysis using the ESCAP inequality assessment methodology revealed that households in the bottom 40% of the income distribution, particularly in rural areas are experiencing the most significant gaps. The leave no one behind principle is being operationalized through targeted social assistance rehabilitation programs and the use of digital tools to, tools to extend outreach. Prior to pandemic, Kyrgyzstan successfully reduced the poverty rate to 20%. However, a recent global crisis caused a significant setback, with the rate rising to 32.2%— 33.2% in 2022. In response, the government embarked on large-scale reforms to strengthen social protection and job creation. New wage scale was introduced for public sector. Pensions were increased by 19%. Child allowances rose by 60%. Besides, the social contract program led over 35,000 poor households, of which nearly 2,800 people with disabilities, to start businesses. The measures taken led to reduced poverty rate in 2024 to 25.7%. While food self-sufficiency is high for key staples such as potatoes, milk, and vegetables, important— import dependence remains significant. The agriculture sector is being modernized through digitalization, sustainable farming practices, and preservation of genetic resources with the number of registered crop varieties and hybrids nearly doubling since 2017. School feeding programs now cover 78% of educational institutions. Under the national program Healthy Person Prosperous Country, steady progress has been achieved. Maternal mortality declined to 22.6 per 100,000 live births and neonatal mortality to 10.7. Kyrgyzstan provides free and compulsory education. Recent efforts have focused on expanding access to early childhood education, improving teacher qualification, and digitalizing the learning process. The country has nearly achieved gender parity in education and healthcare and has ratified the ILO Convention 190 80 and 90 on eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work. Women's representation in local self-government bodies is gradually increasing, and digital initiatives are improving women's access to ICT. However, challenges persist, including early marriage and limited labor market access for rural women. The Kyrgyz Republic has significantly increased a recognition of the fundamental role of environmental protection and climate resilience in sustainable development. Access to drinking water and basic sanitation has improved, particularly in rural areas, up to 95.4%. Programs for rehabilitating water infrastructure and advancing alongside initiatives to promote the efficient and sustainable use of water resources. Climate resilience is being strengthened through water-saving technologies and targeted adaptation measures. The government has committed to building a green economy. Efforts are underway to reduce waste generation, promote organic agriculture, and improve resource efficiency. The share of organically certified farmland is targeted to grow from current 1% to sevenfold by 2030. Despite its low share of global emissions, Kyrgyzstan has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. A national adaptation plan has been developed, and the legal framework for climate policy is being strengthened. The country continues to champion international initiatives to protect mountain ecosystems and the cryosphere and has positioned itself as a global advocate for glacier protection. Efforts are underway to restore forests, combat land degradation, and preserve biodiversity. Distinguished participants, as we all recognize, the achievement of SDGs is not possible without ensuring peace, justice, and effective institutions. Kyrgyzstan is committed to fostering an inclusive society and strengthening the rule of law. Access to justice is being expanded, administrative procedures streamlined, and the e-governance tools introduced. The active participation of youth, women, and persons with disabilities in decision-making processes is supported. Anti-corruption efforts are being reinforced to enhance public trust in state institutions. Coordinating mechanisms under the Cabinet of Ministers facilitate interagency cooperation and multi-stakeholder engagement. Collaboration with international organizations, including the United Nations organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, and IFIs such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank and others is being actively strengthened. The national SDG reporting platform is a key element in building an effective system for monitoring and achievement of SDGs. On the adopted open SDG platform where data from 217 national sets of SDG indicators are currently posted to track national progress towards SDGs, and SDG tracker tool has been implemented as part of the SDG platform. The Kyrgyz Republic remains firmly committed to the implementation of the SDG— of the 2030 Agenda. Despite ongoing global challenges, the country continues to make tangible progress in enhancing quality of life, investing in human capital, advancing digital transformation, and promoting environmental sustainability. Continued progress will require deepening reforms, expanding social protection, addressing inequalities, sustaining economic growth, and mobilizing international cooperation. Kyrgyzstan stands ready to share its experience and learn from others. We reaffirm our commitment to the principle of sustainable development, ensuring that no one is left behind, not a single person, not a single community. Thank you very much.


President [1:35:17]:

I thank the Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan and his team for this very comprehensive and insightful presentation of ENR. Now the forum will hear the Voluntary National Review by Saint Lucia. I invite His Excellency Shaun Edward, Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training of Saint Lucia, to make the presentation. Your Excellency, you have the floor.


Saint Lucia · Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training · Shaun Edward [1:35:50]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to address this forum on behalf of the government and people of Saint Lucia as Minister with Responsibility for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training. Saint Lucia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and presents our second VNR report centered around the 3 dimensions of sustainable development and the 5 core dimensions that guide the SDGs while highlighting a few of our civil society success stories. The Government of St. Lucia continues to make progress towards the attainment of the SDGs utilizing a whole-of-society approach, one in which the diversity of our rich culture and traditions are celebrated while simultaneously promoting volunteerism and togetherness. Accordingly, through strong partnerships, consistent collaboration with our private and public sector, and with due consideration of the particularly vulnerable amongst us in civil society, not forgetting academia, youth, and our global partners, we will continue to accelerate our progress during this decade of action, working collaboratively and to ensure no citizen of Saint Lucia is left behind. Our accountability is showcased in our Medium-Term Development Strategy 2021 to 2026, continued from its predecessor by embedding the SDGs within the national planning framework, which features a resilient society guided by the theme Nous Tous Ensemble, which translates to we are all in it together. We will continue to build on the gains we made on environmental sustainability over the years through strengthened institutional coordination and collaboration and adoption of priority policy instruments including on climate change, oceans, biodiversity, energy, chemicals and sustainable consumption and production. Our people are the heartbeat of our nation. Therefore, advancing social sustainability remains absolutely critical to the government and people of Saint Lucia. We have a population of 180,000 people, the majority of whom enjoy a decent standard of living. With health being one of the pillars of our medium-term development strategy, We have made significant strides in the areas of disease control, health service delivery, and health infrastructure. As health sector reform accelerates, our citizens can look forward to continued improved access to modern healthcare services for a better quality of life. Quality education is one of the key elements in promoting social and human capital resilience. We enjoy gains from universal primary and secondary education and are on the verge of rolling out a comprehensive universal early childhood education program. We remain focused on advancing special needs education and technical and vocational education and training, TVET, ensuring that job seekers are well trained with the relevant skills and knowledge to meet the demands of the job market. Our new Domestic Violence Act has propelled our nation towards gender inclusion and sensitivity as an integral aspect of our national development drive. We have enhanced our gender-responsive approach to development, and this is clearly articulated as a cross-cutting thematic area in our medium-term development strategy. Additionally, we have developed our National Adaptation Plan and sectoral plans with a gender-inclusive focus. However, we do have gender disparities that exist in areas such as education and employment. Post-secondary enrollment rates are higher for girls compared to boys, while the unemployment rate in the last 15 years higher amongst females than males. A prosperous nation is a clear indication of economic sustainability and is one of the main goals of the Government of Saint Lucia. We have focused on strengthening our economic sector and enhancing and promoting our micro, medium, and small enterprises. For a peaceful society, St. Lucia's— for peaceful society, citizen security is fundamental to sustainable development, and this is why we have focused on improving our legislative and justice systems and access to information for all citizens of St. Lucia. We continue to partner with youth and civil society organizations, establishing longstanding and mutually beneficial relationships to ensure that all our citizens can contribute meaningfully to St. Lucia's sustainable development. We are pleased to showcase some exciting work being done on the ground. I am proud to introduce our civil society success stories in their own words. I invite you to view a video now.


Saint Lucia [1:41:45]:

In its commitment to sustainable development and leaving no one behind, Saint Lucia continues to forge partnerships, build on synergies, provide opportunities, and engage in consultative processes with our public and private sectors and civil society, inclusive of youth and vulnerable A people-centered approach is at the core of the development of our nation. Our SDG implementation process provides an opportunity to showcase the valuable contributions of our people. We are pleased to present our civil society success stories, and we begin with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities.

In addition to our advocacy, we believe in action. In actually implementing programs and providing our members with a tangible means of empowering themselves and in not just participating but in leading in society. In our aquaponics facility owned and operated by persons with disabilities, we have a project where inclusion meets innovation. At this facility, we highlight the SDGs of No poverty, zero hunger, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and reduced inequalities.

So this aquaponics facility was intended to equip persons with disabilities with the skills that they needed to lead in the green economy in climate-smart, resilient agriculture.

In our quest to facilitate and promote gender equality, social inclusion, decent work, and viable livelihoods in local industries, we present the story of Anne-Marie.


Saint Lucia · Anne-Marie [1:43:38]:

I opted to go into hydroponics. With climate change, we have a reduction in rainfall, so at least I'm making the, um, more efficient use of the water that I have. So I have a closed system, so the water is recycled. And I change every 2 months, so at least there's some conservation of water.

No damage to the environment because there's no chemical in the water, so your microorganisms in the soil not affected.


Saint Lucia [1:44:05]:

No runoff into our rivers to contaminate and to affect the marine life. We love to see our people thrive. surpassing national boundaries, infiltrating regional and international markets. Meet Jegg, one of our successful local entrepreneurs.


Saint Lucia · Entrepreneur · Jegg [1:44:27]:

But my group was, uh, more stewards of the mangrove and using it for sustainable livelihoods.

Part of what I do, of my success, is being part of that group, and we actually go into beekeeping as part of the diversify for the sustainable of the use of especially the Makote mangrove, on the importance of it, and that's where we're based. So that's what we actually do now, is moving from limited charcoal making and then move into sea moss and dip and honey production in the area.

So the sea moss farming will create a nursery for juvenile fish crustaceans.

All of the fishermen can begin.

And actually, because of carbon, the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, we try and limit the amount of carbon because A lot of the members, that's their livelihood.

So if they move into something where they could still get the same income from doing it, alternatively got less on the carbon, that would be better for us.

So we try and move out from one to the next.

Community and rural development are essential to our growth. We present to you Diane.


DoNation Foundation · Diane [1:45:31]:

DoNation Foundation is actually an organization that works within the communities and of course the rural areas. One of the things that we believe in is partnership for the goals, which is SDG number 17, as no organization, no country, no government can do everything alone. We are in the community, we are on the ground working in reference to the social ills we see happening in society. The poverty, the youth, the elderly. We contribute basically to every single thing where there is a need and our service is required. We continue to partner with our civil society and especially encourage our youth to actively participate in planning and policy development, capacity building, and awareness raising. They are already serving as the leaders of today.


Saint Lucia · Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training · Shaun Edward [1:46:41]:

Thank you.


President [1:46:48]:

I thank the Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training of Saint Lucia and his team for this presentation. The Forum will next hear the Voluntary National Review by Angola. Now I invite Her Excellency Maria do Rosário Bragança, Minister of State for Social Affairs of Angola, to make the presentation.


Angola · Minister of State for Social Affairs · Maria do Rosário Bragança [1:47:24]:

Your Excellency, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great honor and a deep sense of commitment to the SDGs that Angola presents its 2nd Voluntary National Review. This exercise provides a valuable opportunity to share progress, lessons learned, and persistent Challenges and to reflect on the improvements made, the ongoing constraints, and the strategic priorities contained in the 2023-2027 National Development Plan, which ensures coherence between our national policy and Angola's international commitments. This review is the result of a nationwide collaborative process involving public institutions, international partners, civil society, and the private sector. Would you please play the video?


Angola [1:48:32]:

Celebrations of 50 years of national independence for the Angolan people Independence means looking to the future with hope and determination, with the aim of transforming the country's vast potential into tangible wealth. To this end, the country has undertaken structural reforms aimed at consolidating the democratic rule of law and ensuring a sustainable and inclusive development path. In 2024, Angola carried out a study on SDG accelerators, which identified the sectors of health, education, social protection, electricity, agriculture, water and sanitation as its main drivers. In the health sector, maternal mortality dropped from 239 to 170 deaths per 100,000 live births, and the under-5 mortality rate decreased from 68 to 52 deaths per 1,000 live births. Access to education has been a priority for developing human capital, with around 12,600 schools and approximately 9.1 million students. Regarding social protection, the Kwenta Social Protection Strengthening Program stands out, having provided cash transfers to 1,070,037 households in poverty and vulnerable situations. As for the access to electricity, the government has promoted a regulatory environment that is favorable to the integration of renewable energy sources, with the current installed capacity of approximately 6,300 megawatts, of which 60% is hydropower, 6% solar, 33% thermal, and 1% hybrid. In agriculture, The priority has been to improve food and nutrition security levels, supported by the implementation of the National Food and Nutrition Security Strategy 2025-2034. With regarding water and sanitation, the population with access to drinking water increased from 54% to 58% as a result of the implementation of structural projects aimed ensuring sustainable access to water for human consumption, livestock, and agriculture. The analysis of implementation progress of the 2030 Agenda in Angola reveals significant advancements, although challenges remain in the production and availability of disaggregated and reliable data. Finally, we reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in its economic, social, environmental dimension, and we are equally determined to continue fighting poverty and building a more just and inclusive society.


Angola · Minister of State for Social Affairs · Maria do Rosário Bragança [1:51:26]:

Thank you very much. And now I invite you to follow along with our PowerPoint presentation. Your Excellency, Mr. President of the ECOSOC, with the presentation of its 2nd Voluntary National Review on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda, agenda. In the year of the 50th anniversary of our national independence, Angola reiterates its international commitment to achieving the SDGs so that no one is left behind. In 2021, Angola presented its first Voluntary National Review, highlighting the progress reflected in indicators of education, health, gender equality, social protection, justice and human rights, and the environment. Angola's long-term strategy for the period 2025-2050 is aligned with the UN's 2030 Agenda and the African Union's 2063 Agenda, with focus on promoting the development of a society that values and enhances its human capital, equipping the country with modern and competitive infrastructure, diversifying the economy, and strengthening the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

system.

Achieving these priority objectives requires the successful implementation of the various programs of the 2023-2027 National Development Plan, which is the main medium-term instrument of government action that focuses on developing human capital and raising food and nutritional security. In 2024, a study was prepared on the systemic analysis of the SDG accelerators in Angola, which identified the sector of education, social protection, agriculture, climate action, and water and sanitation as its accelerators. Likewise, we developed Angola's Sustainable Investment Map, highlighting the best investment opportunities in the sectors of food and beverage, education, renewable energy, infrastructure, finance, and services. In recent years, significant investments have been made in the social sector. With a focus on health as part of the National Health System Expansion and Improvement Program, progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality and mortality of children under five, which impacted life expectancy at birth. As far as gender equality, particularly in female representation in political positions, since 2021, the percentage of women in parliament has. Increased from 29.6% to 39.5%, and in other positions from 20.1% to 26%. To strengthen this legal framework, the creation of the Angolan Gender Observatory stands out. Macroeconomic stabilization measures have also been a priority to promote higher levels of food and nutritional security, an increase in the number of decent jobs, especially for young adults, and increased income for businesses and families. Regionally, Angola continues to demonstrate a firm commitment to peace and stability in Africa and regional integration, and its role in global efforts to end the conflict in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is evident. Angola assumed the pro tempore presidency of the African Union for the first time, prioritizing investment in infrastructure as a driver of Africa's development. For this reason, we are strongly committed to the implementation of the Lobito Corridor, a railway infrastructure connecting Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia, which will facilitate the transportation and trade of goods. The Lobito Corridor will contribute to promoting the development of the production sector in the Southern African Development Country in particular and Africa in general, and is fundamental to the regional economic integration as regards the African Continental Free Trade Area. The progress already achieved compels us to face with determination the major challenges that lie ahead. We will strengthen the basic social protection network by improving the implementation of programs focused on fighting poverty, with emphasis on the Social Protection Strengthening Program, Quenda. With the drought relief program already underway, we aim to increase climate resilience, particularly in southern Angola. We will intensify economic diplomacy, aiming to capitalize on Angola's presidency of the African Union in an international context that is both adverse and uncertain. Domestically, we will continue to strengthen efficiency in public management and also intensify structural reforms, which are essential to ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth, consolidating Angola as a competitive and very resilient country. Thank you very much for your attention.


President [1:57:07]:

I thank the Minister of State for Social Affairs of Angola and her team for these presentations. I congratulate all 3 countries, Kyrgyzstan, Thank you, Excellencies. I would like to congratulate the States of the Caribbean, Saint Lucia, and Angola on the presentations of their BNRs and the progress you have made in achieving the SDGs over the years. Now, Excellencies and distinguished delegates, we will now hear comments and questions from the States and other participants. Delegations who wish to intervene in the interactive discussions, including those who previously expressed your interest to ask questions to any of the VNR presentations just heard through the group of Friends of the Voluntary National Reviews, are invited to press the microphone button on the console now. I wish to remind delegation to kindly limit the interventions to 2 minutes, so as to allow all the delegations to make interventions, ask questions, or make comments on the PNR presented. With this, now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Andorra, to be followed by Mongolia. Andorra, you have the floor.


Andorra [1:58:34]:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much, sir.

I would like to join the colleagues who have already spoken by commending all the national authorities for presenting their national reports on the implementation of the SDGs in their country.

To the delegation of Kyrgyzstan, as one of the Central Asian countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, how is Kyrgyzstan advancing climate adaptation and attracting addressing water scarcity? What national strategies or initiatives are currently in place to strengthen resilience?


Chair [1:59:11]:

Thank you, Chair. I thank the distinguished representative of Andorra. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mongolia, to be followed by Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Mongolia, you have the floor.


Mongolia [1:59:29]:

Thank you, Chair.

We congratulate all countries which presented their voluntary national reports.

Our question is addressed to the delegation of the Kyrgyz Republic presenting for its second voluntary national report. Mongolia commends its remarkable achievements in the implementation of the SDGs. My country has been a longtime advocate and the main co-sponsor of the GA resolution on the status of rural women and girls and cooperative development. Thus, we appreciate the facts that Kyrgyzstan's VNRA report touched upon issues of women and girls in rural areas, and Kyrgyzstan's National Plan for Gender Equality 2022-2026 includes initiatives such as preferential lending for women business skill training, mentoring, and the development of women-led cooperatives. In short, my question is that what specific actions and initiatives are being taken to empower women and girls in Kyrgyzstan? Thank you.


President [2:00:43]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Mongolia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uzbekistan. to be followed by South Africa. Uzbekistan, you have the floor.


Uzbekistan [2:00:59]:

Thank you very much, Your Excellency, Mr. President. I would like to congratulate all presenters for the excellent presentation of their voluntary national review. We witnessed the progress, a huge progress made by Kyrgyzstan in aligning national strategies with the SDGs, particularly in areas such as poverty reduction, quality education, gender equality, and climate action. In this regard, I would like to ask a question from His Excellency Minister. It's in the issue of reducing poverty. primarily depends on resolving employment issues. And the question, what measures have been taken to increase employment and expand the labor market, especially in the regions of the country, of Kyrgyzstan?

Thank you.


President [2:02:04]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Uzbekistan. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative South Africa, to be followed by Women's Major Group. South Africa, you have the floor.


South Africa [2:02:18]:

Thank you, Mr. President, and also our congratulations are extended to Saint Lucia, Kyrgyzstan, and Angola for the presentation of their VNRs.

And we would like to pose a question to Angola in terms of the VNR that they presented and also seeing the progress that it has made. How is Angola leveraging the insights from the VNAR process to strengthen the alignment, the monitoring, and the mid-course adjustment of its national development plans and long-term strategy in order to ensure policy coherence and accelerated progress towards the implementation of both the 2030 Agenda as well as Agenda 2063.

I thank you, Mr. President.


President [2:03:08]:

I thank the distinguished representative of South Africa. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Women's Major Group, to be followed by India. Women's Major Group, you have the floor.


WMG [2:03:25]:

Civil society welcomes the Kyrgyz Republic's commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and expresses its gratitude for preparing and presenting the Voluntary National Review.

The review contains important information. However, we note there is a lack of inclusivity when it comes to its preparation, particularly when it comes to the participation of regional organizations as well as those representing women, youth, and persons with disabilities. This reflects the overall situation in terms of vulnerable groups' access to services and risks of non-compliance with the principle of leaving no one behind. A lack of gender disaggregation for data limits objective analysis of progress, especially when it comes to reducing inequality.

There is insufficient information on Target 17.2 regarding official development systems, which limits transparency in terms of international assistance. We are also concerned about climate and food security, energy, women's rights, as well as vulnerable groups' rights in emergency situations. We stress the situation of migrant women, especially those employed informally.

Their labor rights require further protection, and inequality—

economic inequality persists. In this regard, civil society recommends institutionalizing the participation of civil society at all stages of preparing and implementing the review and taking vulnerable groups into account. We also recommend publishing disaggregated data, ensuring transparency in reports on international assistance and climate measures, as well as strengthen women's protection and digital security. We also ask What steps are planned to increase inclusivity in future reviews, how to ensure disaggregated data, and how climate and labor equality can be achieved. We are convinced that openness, transparency, and trust are required in this process, and civil society stands ready to be a trusted partner in this process.

Thank you.


President [2:05:44]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Women's Major Group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of India, to be followed by Philippines. India, you have the floor.


India [2:05:58]:

Thank you, Honorable Chair.

I commend all the 3 countries—

Saint Lucia, Kyrgyzstan, and Angola— for their VNR presentation. There's a lot good things that have happened and a lot of progress.

My question is specifically to Angola. What concrete measures is Angola taking to ensure that the progress in gender representation at the political level translates into greater economic empowerment and gender equality in access to services and employment?

Thank you.


President [2:06:32]:

I thank the distinguished representative of India. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Philippines, to be followed by Tajikistan. Philippines, you have the floor now.


Philippines [2:06:45]:

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Philippines congratulates all the presenters. The Philippines thanks and congratulates the distinguished delegation of Angola, led by Honorable Minister of State for Social Affairs, for presenting their 2nd VNR report. We commend the government for the establishment of the multi-stakeholder VNR platform and the enactment of structural reforms. We note that GDP growth has been accompanied by reduction in maternal mortality and impressive gains in the field of education. We would like to ask Angola, given Angola's emphasis on macroeconomic stabilization and infrastructure-led growth, how is the government ensuring that investments like the Lobito Corridor are inclusive and aligned with environmental sustainability and local job creation.

Thank you.


President [2:07:39]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Philippines. Now I give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Tajikistan. Excellency, you have the floor.


Tajikistan · Permanent Representative [2:07:49]:

Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Let me join you in congratulating Angola, Saint Lucia, and our neighbors Kyrgyzstan for their excellent presentation, but also fulfilling their commitment when it comes to presenting the VNR, but also SDGs. My question would be directed to the Minister Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Minister, as you know, Saint Lucia, like many SIDS, is facing serious climate change impact. Despite contributing very little to global emissions, Saint Lucia is experiencing significant costs and vulnerabilities when it comes to extreme weather, sea level rise, agriculture, water and food security, infrastructure, and etc. To this end, I would appreciate if you could share with us, Mr. Minister, information about what steps have been taken by the government of Saint Lucia to assist citizens in adapting to climate change. I thank you, Mr. President.


President [2:09:10]:

I thank the Permanent Representative of Tajikistan. Pakistan. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of NGO Major Group, to be followed by Bahrain.


NGO Major Group [2:09:25]:

Thank you. We applaud the St. Lucia National Development Plan's whole-of-society and people-centered approach toward equitable SDG implementation. To deepen progress, we have 6 recommendations. Join state and non-state international allies to hold high-polluting countries accountable and pay their fair share for climate-related physical, psychological, and cultural loss and harm to ease financial burdens on St. Lucians. 2, finance NGO operations monitoring systems to be more effective, sustainable, and continually improve community impact. 3, further indigenize and normalize the SDGs as a socially inclusive St. Lucian lifestyle, making explicit connections to public projects, business opportunities, so stakeholders can take ownership of the process from decision-making through implementation. 4, fund climate adaptation supports tailored for vulnerable St. Lucians and those living with disabilities, including parametric and other insurance mechanisms to recover losses. 5, within, within national education, health, and climate strategies, integrate holistic trauma-informed psychosocial resilience training for educators, first responders, caregivers, health workers across schools, mental wellness centers, and resiliency hubs to address growing youth mental health challenges, eco-anxiety, and loss. 6, in the vision plan, incorporate rights of nature frameworks, more Indigenous and regenerative paradigms, not just sustainable, in farming, fishing, tourism, and blue ecopreneurship. We, civil society, are here to work with you to build a more resilient, equitable, and regenerative Saint Lucia.

Thank you.


President [2:11:16]:

I thank the distinguished representative of NGO Major Group. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bahrain, to be followed by Botswana. Bahrain, you have the floor.


Bahrain [2:11:30]:

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I would like to start by congratulating the 3 presenters— Angola, Kyrgyzstan, and Saint Lucia— for their insightful VNRs. And my question goes to Saint Lucia. As Saint Lucia advances on meeting its targets for the Sustainable Development Goal 14, what is being considered to boost economic growth, and what climate resilience through ocean governance in Saint Lucia.

Thank you.


President [2:11:58]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Bahrain. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Botswana, to be followed by State of Palestine. Botswana, you have the floor now.


Botswana [2:12:12]:

Thank you, thank you, Mr. President, Excellencies, and distinguished delegates.

Let me join others in congratulating all the countries that have presented their VNRs, including Angola, for the dedication in advancing the 2030 Agenda. Botswana recognizes that resource mobilization remains one of the critical enablers of SDG implementation, and that revamping the global financial ecosystem to better support developing countries is indispensable to achieving our shared goals. In this context, could Angola share the strategies that it has employed to mobilize both domestic and external resources to finance SDG implementation, and particularly, are there innovative financing mechanisms of partnerships you have found effective, and how are these reflected in your VNR? Thank you.


President [2:13:19]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Botswana. Now I give the floor to the State of Palestine, to be followed by Africa regional mechanisms of the major groups and other stakeholders. State of— State of Palestine, you have the floor now.


State of Palestine [2:13:37]:

I wish to offer a warm congratulations to all presenters for their insightful presentation of their voluntary national reviews. My question is addressed to Saint Lucia, particularly in relation to the methods used to consult local communities and civil society through the review process.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.


President [2:13:54]:

I thank the distinguished representative of State of Palestine. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Africa Regional Mechanisms of the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders. Now you have the floor.


Africa Regional Mechanism · Africa Regional Mechanism for Major Groups and Other Stakeholders [2:14:10]:

Thank you for the opportunity to share a statement on the Angola VNR.

Speaking on behalf of the Africa Regional Mechanism for Major Groups and Other Stakeholders, we note the progress reported in health, education, and economic reforms.

At the same time, we are concerned about limits to civic space where many civil society actors still face challenges when speaking out, organizing, or seeking justice.

These issues affect trust and make it harder for citizens to take part in building a fair and sustainable future.

Meanwhile, I would like to inquire about the following. One, what modalities did your government adopt to ensure meaningful participation of rights holder groups, particularly those most affected by development challenges, in the elaboration of the VNR? Two, what plans does your government have to follow up on the presentation of the VNR at national and subnational levels after the HLPF? And in terms of implementation of the SDGs, what are the specific initiatives taken to focus on the populations that are often discriminated against, such as women, young persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, LGBTI people, persons discriminated on work and descent, migrants and refugees? And also, the actions you are undertaking to reduce identified inequality gaps as outlined in your plans towards 2030 to eradicate all forms of inequality? Thank you.


President [2:15:29]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Africa regional mechanisms, of the major groups, and other stakeholders. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I did not see more requests for the floor, and so I now invite the presenters to briefly respond to the questions from the floor. And so I invite His Excellency Bekir Sidikov, Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan, to briefly respond to the questions from the floor. Excellency, you have the floor.


Kyrgyzstan · Minister of Economy and Commerce · Bakit Sidikov [2:16:09]:

Thank you, Mr. President. So let me start with a question related to the national strategies or initiatives to strengthen really— on strengthening resilience of the country and the similar countries to climate change. We are among the most vulnerable countries, the entire Central Asia. We are just prone to the climate change due to our location. The mountainous terrain and infrastructure vulnerability. So everything— these things exacerbate the climate threats to the country. According to the observational data, since 1960, the country's average annual temperature has increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius, which is almost twice the global average rate of warming. So being as a mountainous country and on the other hand acting as a— playing the role of just regional pumping station of drinking water for downstream countries of the region, the Kyrgyz Republic in 2022, we declared 2022 as a year for of protection of mountains, ecosystems, and climate resilience. And the national— we prepared a national roadmap of activities to adopt. 5-year mountainous agenda was initiated by the Kyrgyz Republic. And besides, the Kyrgyz Republic's president, His Excellency Sadr Jafar have launched the nationwide campaign called Green Heritage. As part of this campaign, large-scale tree planting activities are being conducted across the country with the participation of government bodies, local authorities, civil society activists, volunteers, and students. Actually, the goal is to mitigate climate change and preserve water resources. Thank you. Resources. A key area of focus is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the development of renewable energy sources and the implementation of air pollution reduction initiatives. Besides, efforts are also underway to modernize water supply systems and improve access to clean drinking water. Protected natural areas, including national parks and reserves, are being established to safeguard ecosystems and glacial regions. National adaptation plan up to 2030 has been developed, which outlines the measures to reduce vulnerability in key sectors such as water management, agriculture, infrastructure, public health, and tourism. In addition, a concept of carbon neutrality by 2050 has been approved, which envisions a transition to low-carbon economy and long-term climate planning. The country is also in the process of developing its 3rd NDC, which will serve as Kyrgyzstan's core climate policy document. National Sustainable Development Strategy until 2040 identifies green growth and sustainable natural resource management as a key priority. National Development Program till 2030 emphasizes inclusive economic growth, social equity, and climate change adaptation and mitigation. Finally, Green Economy Development Program aims— which was developed recently— aims to build sustainable economic sectors and support climate-resilient infrastructure. This is my short answer to the first question related to the climate change-related actions.

Yeah.

Can I just proceed to the next question? The question related to empowering the women's role and activity within the Kyrgyz Republic. We are taking consistent measures to promote gender equality and empower women and girls. Both through legislative and institutional framework, the country is actively fulfilling its national and international commitments in this area. Over the past years, the legal framework governing the rights of women and girls has been significantly strengthened. In 2023, State Program to Support Women's Leadership until 2030 was approved. National Gender Equality Strategy until 2030 was developed. Alongside a corresponding National Action Plan that outlines 5 priority areas, including expanding women's economic opportunities, cultural policy and functional education, protection from gender-based discrimination and access to fair justice, women's political participation, regulatory policies to ensure gender equality. Recently, a new labor code was adopted according to which which nearly 400 professions previously restricted for women has been cancelled. It also provides opportunities and enables women to be involved in— more active in economic activity of the country and work for higher paying and technical professions. With regard to the political rights of women, the legislation was updated so that to ensure at least 30% of MP seats in national parliament will be ensured for women. The same approach is applied to the local electoral bodies. With regard to the financial support, this year the government launched a concessional financing program for women-led businesses with the focus on rural areas. So the plan is just to expand the program and increase and motivate the rural women-led businesses within the country. With regard to the question from delegation of Uzbekistan— from the delegation of Uzbekistan, allow me to give the floor to my colleague, the expert from the Office of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, the expert from the SDG department of the Office of the President, Mr. Erlan Bakirov. Thank you.


Kyrgyzstan · Expert, SDG Department, Office of the President · Erlan Bakirov [2:23:54]:

In the Kyrgyz Republic, creating jobs, especially in the regions, is a top priority. The government is taking a wide range of actions to support employment and reduce poverty. One of the key initiatives is a social contract program which has helped over 35,000 low-income families to start their own small businesses. In addition, people are being employed through public works, vocational trainings, and internship programs for young job seekers. Kyrgyz Republic is also developing digital platforms to help people find jobs more easily and is working with other countries to support legal and safe labor migration. Another important effort is Food for Work program, which has provided temporary jobs and temporary jobs and food for over 100,000 people. In general, these efforts help improve— help improve livelihoods, reduce unemployment, and of course help support economic growth, especially in the regions and rural areas of our country.

Thank you.


President [2:25:36]:

I thank His Excellency the Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan and his team for the response. Now I invite His Excellency Saun Eduard, Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training of Saint Lucia to respond to the questions raised during the interactions?


Saint Lucia · Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training · Shaun Edward [2:26:02]:

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Thanks for the questions. Steps by the Government of Saint Lucia to assist citizens in adapting to climate change. One of the first things the Government of Saint Lucia has been doing or attempted to do was to embark on a comprehensive public education and sensitization campaign, and this is ongoing. In order for us to treat with the issues of climate change, there must be buy-in from every facet of the society. And so our public education and sensitization campaigns have been taken to schools, churches, and civil society organizations generally. I would have told you in my presentation that we a small nation with 180,000 people. So we have reached— and it is up to the government to impress on the minds of the citizenry, irrespective of age or gender, the importance of climate change and how we can get the population to appreciate the realities of climate change, the causes of climate change, and very importantly, the debilitating impacts that climate change can have on Saint Lucia as a small island developing state. We live on the frontline of climate change, and everybody in this room knows where climate change emanated from, where it is coming from, who are the emitters, and who are the persons perpetuating the ills of climate change. But sadly for Saint Lucia and other small island developing states of the Caribbean, the Pacific, we live on the frontline of climate change, and in the space of half an hour, we can watch our entire GDP disappear from before our eyes because a Category 4 or 5 hurricane has decimated everything in our country, including lives, infrastructure, livelihoods, and everything that a hurricane can find in its path. Yet we have to find the monies every year, borrow, because a lot of the pledges and the promises made by the international community to help rebuild are never forthcoming. So very importantly, we have to let our people know everything there is to be known about climate change in terms of origin, the consequences, the impact, and how we can deal with it. Any discussion about climate change can be had in, in, under 2 broad headings: mitigation and adaptation. And mitigation basically speaks to the things we need to do to ensure that there is a decrease in the amount of greenhouse gases and other substances in the atmosphere that facilitate and exacerbate the climate change situation as we know it. And then you have adaptation, the things you can do to cause your citizens to coexist with the realities of climate change, and that is where we are focused, because as I indicated, we are not emitters, but we have to adapt and we have to live with the realities of climate change. So there's a lot that we can do to cause our people, and we are doing to cause our people to live with climate change and to lessen the impact on us as a people. We have been able to put in place a national adaptation plan with to build resilience in priority sectors for a small island state like Saint Lucia. So our National Adaptation Plan, it addresses issues in the water sector, the health sector, the education sector, the agriculture and fisheries sector, and also infrastructure. And very importantly, we must ensure that as we deal with climate change from an adaptation standpoint, that the tourism industry is central. And you might be asking, but why emphasis on tourism? Because tourism accounts for 65% of St. Lucia's GDP. This is the mainstay of our economy. And if tourists do not come to our shores, whether as cruise passengers or stayover visitors, the government will have a serious cash flow problem, which will ensure that we are not in a position to pay salaries, to have medicines in our hospitals, and to provide quality education for our children so that they too can live their dreams and become the professionals they can see their counterparts in the developed countries becoming. So this is very important to us. So as I indicated, we have to continue this robust and comprehensive public education campaign, and also very importantly, we have to continue along the lines of policy formulation to ensure that as we move forwards, the standards we establish for building infrastructure and things of that sort cause our people to be a little more resilient in terms of how they deal with the evils of climate change. There was also a question, I think, that came from our colleagues from Bahrain, and let me say that the government is fully cognizant of the economic potential that can be derived from ocean governance. Very often we used to refer to ourselves in the Caribbean, Saint Lucia specifically, as small island states. But today we have changed that narrative to admit that we are small island states, but we have vast ocean territories. There was a time when we were heavily reliant on a cash crop as the mainstay of our economy. In the case of Saint Lucia, it was banana cultivation, which at one time in our history accounted for 75 to 80% of GDP. But because of WTO dynamics, we lost preferential treatment and we had to recalibrate. We had to reset our economy. And that is why tourism is now the mainstay and agriculture plays a less significant role in terms of contribution to GDP. So we have to begin with all the trade barriers and whatnot. We have to find creative ways to ensure that we bolster our economies. And we have recognized with the help of UN agencies like UNEP and others that we have a very precious resource at our disposal in the ocean and the marine space that we have for purposes of transportation, for recreation, and for livelihoods for fishers and other folk. So we have formulated a National Ocean Policy and Strategy Action Plan, which looks at ocean governance and whatever we do in our oceans for the year 2020 to 2035. We've also developed a Coastal Master and Marine Spatial Plan for 2025 to 2045 to regulate whatever happens in the marine space. And also very recently were able to formulate a policy document or put together a policy document known as the Marine Litter Management Action Plan, which at home we call the MLMAP. And this has a lot of significance coming out of UNEA, the United Nations Environment Assembly in Kenya, where a lot was spoken about in relation to plastic pollution and how it adversely impacts the marine environment in almost every corner of this globe. So we're fully cognizant that there's a lot of economic activity that can be derived from the marine space, and that is why we have embarked on deliberate policy interventions to regulate whatever is happening there. As I indicated, we're a small island state, but we are a vast marine territory, and we are working with international agencies and friendly governments to ensure that we harness whatever economic potential that lies in the ocean at our disposal. The last question came from Palestine, who wanted to know what exactly we were doing to ensure the incorporation of civil society organizations, particularly the vulnerable amongst us, in the whole discourse on national development as it relates to the attainment of the SDGs. Let me say that it is policy in St. Lucia to ensure that marginalized groups have a voice and a seat on state boards and for parastatal organizations in our country. We continuously embark on town hall meetings or community meetings, radio and television programs, and at every opportunity we invite the representatives of civil society organizations, in particular marginalized groups, to come to the table and dialogue with government with a view to ensuring that everybody is incorporated in whatever national policy discussions we have as we move towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, thereby giving the people of St. Lucia a much better opportunity at life and to ensure that they too can realize their goals, their dreams, and their aspirations in much the same way that their counterparts from the developed world would have realized. Thank you very much, Mr. President.


President [2:35:13]:

I thank His Excellency the Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training of Saint Lucia. Now I request Her Excellency Maria Douros Rosario Braganca, Minister of State for Social Affairs of Angola, to respond to the questions raised from the floor. Your Excellency, you have the floor now.


Angola · Minister of State for Social Affairs · Maria do Rosário Bragança [2:35:45]:

Thank you.

Obrigado.

Were posed to Angola, namely South Africa, India, Philippines, and Botswana, and also the regional mechanisms for Africa. Concerning the South Africa question related to how Angola can leverage insights from the VNR process to the SDG agenda, I want to say first of all that Our National Development Plan from 2023 to 2027 foresees a degree of alignment with the SDGs of around 70%, up from the 52% convergence observed in the previous National Development Plan from 2018 to 2022. For us, the VNRR process helps the Angolan government to identify gaps that still exist in the implementation of its policies, and it will facilitate a more coherent approach to align national priorities with the SDGs. On the other hand, the knowledge gained from this VNR process emphasizes the importance of data and reliable indicators for monitoring, monitoring process progress, which obliges us to invest in improving data collection and analysis capacities, allowing for more effective monitoring of the implementation and results of the SDGs. The regular analysis of progress made through the VNRR supports the midterm adjustments that are necessary, especially for the midterm review process of the National Development Plan. And this adaptability is essential to respond to emerging challenges and to ensure that the country remains on track to achieve its goals. So these are the main considerations concerning the question from South Africa, and I will move to the question of from Philippines concerning measures that Angola has taken to ensure that the progresses in the representation of women can lead to improvement in the gender quality in access to services.

and employment.

For us, the focus in this question of empowering women has much to do with rural and low-income women. So we are providing educational programs and vocational training focused on women. Especially in rural areas, as well as enhancing women's access to credit and financial services that can empower them so that they can enter to diverse fields of business and boost their economic participation, starting and growing business and thus contributing to economic empowerment. Other important aspect is to improve the access to healthcare and social services that can help women balance work and family responsibilities so that in this way, we can support their participation in the workforce. And these results have been possible due to the implementation of a number of policy measures, most notably the inclusion of gender-sensitive budget component in the general state budget based on a classification measure that assess the budget's contribution to achieving gender equality objectives. And concerning the question about how macroeconomic stabilization can contribute to the sustainability of the environment and to give better jobs to the population. And this question also helps to reply the question posed by Botswana concerning financing of SDGs. Lubito Corridor is an Angolan government project that aims to involve human resources locally and developing their skills so that we can ensure that the workforce is enabled to participate in and benefit from infrastructure projects. So that we can reduce unemployment and strengthen local capacities. On the other hand, the incorporation of ecological practices in infrastructure development includes carrying out environmental impact assessments and adopting technologies that minimize ecological footprints, thus promoting a green transition and consequently environmental stability— sustainability. Harmonious balance between economic growth, environmental management, and social inclusion is thus Envisaged in line with the broader strategy of this project, Rodor do Lubito, in financing the SDGs. Now I will switch to Portuguese just to add some more aspects. A questão do financiamento dos SDGs para Angola tem 2 pontos cruciais. Aqueles que estão voltados para o apoio social estão fortemente inseridos no Orçamento Geral do Estado para que o Estado seja o maior garante deste processo de melhoria das condições de vida e do alcance dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Não obstante isso, o envolvimento de Angola em organizações multilaterais financiadoras, como o Banco Mundial e o Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento, têm permitido o desenvolvimento de projetos, sobretudo na área da educação, Quer seja na educação de base, quer seja no ensino técnico-profissional e vocacional, quer seja no ensino superior, e também na área da saúde, inclusive na área da ciência e da inovação. Existem projetos apoiados pelo Banco Africano de Desenvolvimento e pelo Banco Mundial. Outra parte do financiamento importante para os ODS tem a ver com a participação do setor privado. Na minha intervenção referi que Angola fez um estudo e que demonstrou quais as áreas para o investimento, e portanto o setor privado tem esta orientação I'm sorry, people are saying to me that there is no translation from Portuguese to English, so I'm sorry. I was speaking about financing for SDGs, saying that Angola is included in multilateral financial institutions like African Development Bank and the World Bank. And with the— with this, we have many projects concerning education, basic education, higher education, vocational education, also for science and technology and for health. This is one part of financing SDGs, and the other part, we are counting with the private sector. I told about this map of investments, and the private sector knows very well which are the best opportunities to invest. So I will move to the last part, regional mechanisms of Africa. Question about how we will do to publish the results of the VNR.


President [2:46:43]:

Yes.


Angola · Minister of State for Social Affairs · Maria do Rosário Bragança [2:46:45]:

It's important to highlight that this report is the result of national work, including many sectors, civil society, youth. And so we will publish this report in Portuguese and also in local languages so that we can diffuse them. And at the provincial— at the province level, governments, local governments will do the dissemination of the information. We count also on universities so that they can also help us to publish the results of this VNR report, this VNR. Just to conclude, concerning vulnerable people, we have many plans. For instance, for people with deficiency, many of them, for people with albinism, We have plans specific to give support to them, taking into account that they cannot be behind the other people. So I think it's all that I can reply to the questions, and thank you very much.


President [2:48:22]:

Thank you. I thank Her Excellency the Minister of State for Social Affairs of Angola. Now I give the floor to His Excellency Bekir Sidikov, Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan. Only 2 minutes, Excellency, to respond.


Kyrgyzstan · Minister of Economy and Commerce · Bakit Sidikov [2:48:46]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Let me just provide answer to a question related to the data disaggregation and broader inclusivity when the reports are prepared. The Kyrgyz Republic, we do maintain a close cooperation and collaboration with an active segment of civil society, including NGOs. Within our official delegation, we are pleased to include a representative from a non-governmental organization who supports us in the monitoring and evaluating of SDG implementation, as well as in integrating NGO contribution as an alternative data source when VNRR's reports are prepared. Besides, I would like to use this opportunity to thank personally a person who actually asked this question for her personal contribution and participation in discussions took place when this VNR was prepared. Thank you very much for your contribution. With regard to the data disaggregation, we are consistently working to enhance data availability guided by international standards, recommendations, and methodologies. The Kyrgyz Republic has increased the number of available SDG indicators from 159 back in 2020 to 217, as it was told in my presentation, in this year. We are also making progress in improving data disaggregation. Example, Gracia, we have conducted 4 rounds of multiple indicator cluster surveys, and in 2020 census, we included dedicated questions on persons with disabilities. Thank you very much.


President [2:50:59]:

Thank you. Thank you, Minister. I thank Their Excellencies, the ministers from Kyrgyzstan, Saint Lucia, and and Angola for your presentations of ENR as well as the responses to the questions raised. I also thank all the delegations for your very valuable contribution to these sessions. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, before concluding, I would like to recall that the General Assembly Resolution 75/290B provides that the countries conducting voluntary national reviews may provide written answers after the High-Level Political Forum if they so wish, in case time was too short for them to provide detailed answers during this Forum. We have thus completed our program work for this meeting. The Forum will reconvene this afternoon at 3 PM in this conference room to hear 2 more sets of voluntary national reviews. Detailed information on the program is available on the HLBF website. The meeting is adjourned. Congratulations. Yeah.