(11th meeting) High-Level Political Forum 2026

Good afternoon. May I kindly ask you to your seats?

The 11th meeting of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council at its 2026 Session is called to order. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I invite the Forum to continue its consideration of sub-item C of agenda item 2 entitled Voluntary National Reviews, and hear 3 sets of panel presentations. Recalling operative paragraph 35 of General Assembly Resolution 75/290B on the participation of the major groups and other relevant stakeholders. In order to promote the interactivity of the discussion and similar to previous years, a limited number of questions may be presented by stakeholders in video format. If I hear no objections, we shall proceed accordingly. It is so decided. For the first panel presentation, I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from Tonga, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Cameroon. Before we begin with the presentations, I would like to appeal to the presenting countries to adhere to the agreed 10 minutes per presentation to allow sufficient time for all presenters as well as engagement with other states and participants. I apologize in advance if I have to interrupt speakers, and I hope that it will not come to that with your cooperation. Given the number of countries making voluntary national review presentations at this year's HLPF, I believe that we all understand the need to be disciplined so as to allow adequate time for presentations as well as interaction from the floor. The forum will first hear the voluntary national review by Tonga. And I invite His Excellency Lord Faka Fanua, Prime Minister of Tonga, to make a presentation.

Mr. Vice President, Your Excellency, distinguished representatives, ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to represent the Kingdom of Tonga at the presentation of its 2nd Voluntary National Review on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. May I extend warm greetings to you all from His Majesty the King, Tupou Fa— Tupou VI, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Tonga, and the people of Kingdom of Tonga. Mr. Vice President, allow me to present the 2nd Voluntary National Review from Tonga. We are proud to share the progress reflected in this review, having witnessed firsthand the positive changes and transformations taking place across many of our areas of our society. While the figures and indicators are important, they tell only part of the story. Behind every statistic is a family with greater security, a child with new opportunities, and a community with renewed hope and resilience. Since our first PNR in 2019, we have strengthened the integration of Sustainable Development Goals, international planning, and made strides in improving our monitoring systems. The number of SDG indicators available has nearly doubled, from 69 in 2019 to 128 in 2026, strengthening evidence-based policymaking and accountability. Our second VNR reflects a whole-of-society effort from government, communities, civil society and faith-based organizations, to private sector and development partners. Is a testament to the determination and unity of our people. When Tonga presented its first VNR in 2019, we made a commitment to advance the Sustainable Development Goals through action, partnership, and national ownership. Today, through our second Voluntary National Review, we return to demonstrate that these commitments were not simply promises, but commitments we have actively pursued and delivered upon. Mr. Vice President, in this cycle of review, Tonga contributes through its achievements through these 5 focus areas: SDG 6, Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 7, Affordable and Clean Energy; SDG 9, Resilient Infrastructure; SDG 11, Sustainable Communities; and SDG 17, strong partnerships. Together, these priorities demonstrate that Sustainable Development Goals are translating into measurable outcomes for the people of Tonga. The progress achieved across these 5 areas reflects our commitment to turning policy into action and ambition into results. While challenges remain, our resolve to advance sustainable development remains steadfast. Clean water has given our children health, our families dignity, and our communities resilience. Under SDG 6, initiatives such as Tonga National Water Tank Project and the WASH Schools Program have enabled more than 3,000 households and 200 schools to access reliable and safe drinking water. This has reduced waterborne diseases, and improve the daily lives of families across our islands, strengthening health and resilience. Energy transformation is empowering households, offering alternative energy sources, and safeguards our environment for generations to come. Under SDG 7, renewable energy now accounts for 32% of Tonga's national energy mix in 2025, up from 18% in 2019. While this progress places us firmly on track towards our 70% target by 2030, greater scale is needed to reduce fuel dependence and expand clean energy adoption. Initiatives such as the Outer Island Renewable Energy Project have already expanded solar power across remote communities demonstrating a potential to transform lives. Infrastructure has connected our islands, opened markets, and ensured that opportunity reaches even the most remote communities. Under SDG 9, 96% of Tongans are now covered by 4G networks, strengthening connectivity between families, businesses, and schools across our archipelago. In addition, more than 150 kilometers of rural roads have been rehabilitated, and upgrades to wharves have further strengthened national transport links, improving access to services, markets, and opportunities. Sustainable communities are not only rebuilt but renewed stronger, safer, and more inclusive than before. Under SDG 11, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai recovery and Reconstruction Programme has rebuilt more than 1,200 homes following the eruption and tsunami. Investments in 4 community halls and 25 safer schools have created spaces that foster resilience, safety, and learning. Urban living conditions continue to improve, with the proportion of people living in slums reduced to just 0.3%. Alongside ongoing resilience investments. Partnerships have brought resources, opportunities, and solidarity, demonstrating that global cooperation is the cornerstone of resilience. Under SDG 17, collaboration across government, communities, and development partners continues to drive Tonga's progress. Labour mobility schemes, such as Palm and RSE, have created employment opportunities abroad for over 5,000 Tongans, while regional engagement through the Pacific Island Forum and Pacific Community and Crop Agencies has strengthened Tonga's voice on climate change, among other relevant matters of concern. Remittances, a lifeline for many families, increased to 41.9% of GDP, Reflecting strength of our global partnerships and diaspora. Mr. Vice President, across our national outcomes, tangible progress is evident. With poverty reduction, extreme poverty has declined to less than 1%, while national poverty reduced from 27% to 20%, and multidimensional poverty fell to 24%. With food security, food insecurity declined from 20.4% to 14.8%, with improvements in child nutrition indications. With governance, public financial management reforms and the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commissioner's Office have strengthened transparency and accountability. In health, maternal mortality reduced to 66.8%—

66.8%.

per 100,000 live births and neonatal mortality to 3 per 1,000. Yet non-communicable diseases, NCDs, remain a major challenge, accounting for 75% of all deaths. In education, school completion rates among low-income households increased significantly from 57% to 94%, with near-universal enrollment in primary education. 2 primary schools now integrate children with disabilities into mainstream classrooms, supported by improved facilities that foster a more inclusive learning environment. We remain committed to expanding these efforts to ensure child— every child has access to inclusive education. Further, for persons living with disabilities, Tonga has signed the Convention for the Rights of People with Disabilities With infrastructure investment, infrastructure increased from $20.6 million in 2021 to $30.8 million in 2023, strengthening energy and connectivity systems. For environment, Tonga achieved its 1 million tree planting initiative, with ecosystem restoration strengthening climate resilience. The Tonga Climate Change Trust Fund and Multi-Hazard Early Warning System have further enhanced disaster risk reduction and preparedness. With national security, the launch of Tonga's first National Security Strategy is guiding efforts to strengthen border protection, community safety, and overall national security. These internal and external engagements reinforce our sovereignty and expand opportunities for our people, both home and abroad. The challenges and opportunities, Mr. Vice President. Despite the progress achieved, challenges remain significant. Tonga's development continues to be shaped by compounded external shocks from COVID-19 pandemic to the catastrophic volcanic eruption and tsunami, along with global energy and food price volatility. These shocks have placed immense strain on our economy and society. Climate change remains our greatest existential threat. The 2022 disaster alone caused damages equivalent to 18.5% of our GDP, underscoring the urgency of adaptation. We also face structural challenges limiting financing, human resource shortages, and gaps in data systems. Yet these challenges drive us to innovate, strengthen institutions, and deepen partnerships. Equality remains a critical area of opportunity. Women's participation in leadership is growing, but not yet equal. Youth unemployment and gender-based violence remain pressing concerns, while people with disabilities continue to face barriers in accessing services. Acknowledging these gaps is guiding the actions needed to address them. Tonga acknowledges the gap that remains, and that progress on SDGs is not always fully captured by existing indicators. Strengthening qualitative and quantitative data systems, addressing policy and enabling environment gaps identified will be critical to improving implementation and measuring progress effectively. Mr. Vice President, Looking ahead, our path forward is guided by the Tonga Strategic Development Framework of 2035, endorsed earlier this year. This framework places resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability at the heart of our development agenda. We are committed to accelerating renewable energy towards 70% by 2030. We are committed to strengthening disaster preparedness and climate risk resilience, expanding data systems for better evidence-based policy and decision-making. Mr. President, I'm cognizant of our time constraints, so I'll jump straight to the conclusion. Our 2nd VNR reflects a renewed and results-driven commitment to accelerate action today, strengthen systems for tomorrow, and build a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future for generations to come. Though we have faced immense challenges, Tonga continues to rise. This Voluntary National Review stands as a record of our progress and a call to action to keep building a Tonga where no one is left behind and where every achievement brings us closer to the shared vision of a 2030 Agenda. Thank you very much for your attention.

I thank the Prime Minister of Tonga and his team for the presentation. The forum will now hear the voluntary national review by Saint Kitts and Nevis, and I invite His Excellency Conrys Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Domestic Transport, Information Communication, Technology and Posts of Saint Kitts and Nevis to make a presentation.

Mr. President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, it is an honor to present the 2nd Voluntary National Review twin— of our Twin Island Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Every VNR tells 2 stories. One is measured through policies and Programs and statistics. The other is measured through lives of people. Ultimately, it is the second story that matters most, and for that, as we would say in local Palance, we're doing something. 3 years ago, our Federation presented its first VNR to this Forum. Today we return with our second review, alongside the first voluntary local review for the Island of Nevis completed in 2025. Together, these reviews reflect our commitment to reporting progress and our belief that sustainable development requires us to pause, reflect honestly on where we have come from, learn from our experiences, and continually improve the way we serve our people. That philosophy is embodied in our Sustainable Island State Agenda, our homegrown development vision, and our National Development Planning Framework 2023 to 2037. Together, they have aligned the Sustainable Development Goals with our national priorities, ensuring that the 2030 Agenda serves as the blueprint through which we are shaping the future of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Today, I would like to share that story through 5 Sustainable Development Goals under review. For decades, reliable water supply remained one of our greatest development challenges. As one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, Saint Kitts and Nevis has long contended with the combined pressures of climate change, prolonged droughts, and limited freshwater resources, testing the resilience of our people year after year. Today, that story is changing. The commissioning of the 2 million gallon per day Bastyr Desalination Plant, made possible through the valued partnership and support of the Republic of China on Taiwan, in addition to the completion of a large water well in Cayonne, has increased the proportion of households on St. Kitts receiving 24-hour water service from just 25% a few years ago to nearly 70% today. Behind that statistic are thousands of families whose daily lives have been transformed. More families now have the confidence of knowing that reliable water will be available throughout the day, while we continue working to extend that same level of service to every community across our Federation. Businesses can operate with greater certainty. Communities are better equipped to withstand periods of drought. In fact, even as we are presently experiencing one of the worst droughts in our history, communities who long struggled with intermittent supply now have 24-hour water service. We're doing something. Our investment in water security has therefore become an investment in public health, economic resilience, and climate adaptation. Yet, our experience has also taught us, important lesson: resilience cannot be built one sector at a time. Water security depends upon energy security. For generations, the cost of electricity in Saint Kitts and Nevis has been shaped largely by forces beyond our control. Every fluctuation in global fuel prices affected households, businesses, and public services alike. Like many Small Island Developing States, we understood that our long-term prosperity could not remain tied indefinitely Complementing these investments is our Global Environment Facility Rapid Decarbonization Project, which is strengthening the policies, institutions, and technical capacity needed to support a cleaner and more resilient energy future. Colleagues, in a matter of just over 2 years from now, with our 50 MW solar PV plant and 30.5 MWh battery energy storage system coming on stream, St. Kitts would move from less than 2% renewable energy production to near 50% renewable energy penetration, even as this does not count the geothermal energy on the island of Nevis slated to be added to the grid in 3 to 4 years. We're doing something together. These initiatives are reducing vulnerability, strengthening economic competitiveness, and creating a more secure future for generations to come. They also demonstrate how one investment can advance multiple Sustainable Development Goals at the same time, supporting climate action, economic growth, and social well-being while reducing our dependence on imported fuels. Our approach to infrastructure has followed the same principle. For small island states, infrastructure is measured by whether it expands opportunity, strengthens resilience, and enables innovation. In the last 3 years alone, we have invested in roads that amount to 40% of the length of our entire main road of St. Kitts. At almost $100 million Eastern Caribbean dollars, that is around 10% of our national budget for a year. We're doing something. But perhaps nowhere is sustainable development more tangible than in the communities where people live, work, and raise their families. Creating sustainable communities means ensuring that development is felt not only in national statistics but in the everyday lives of our citizens. Through climate-smart housing initiatives, urban renewal programs, and the regularization of longstanding informal settlements, We are working to ensure that more families have access to safe housing, secure land tenure, and communities that are better prepared for the impacts of climate change. One moment remains particularly vivid in my mind. During the distribution of hundreds of land titles under our Squatter Regularization Initiative, one gentleman quietly shared how much that document meant to his family. He felt he had something now. He explained that he had already begun constructing an additional home on the same property for his grandson because, for the first time, he could plan with certainty for the generations that would follow him. We doing something. That conversation reminded me that sustainable development is ultimately about people. It is about creating opportunities that endure beyond our own lifetime. Sometimes the true impact of public policy cannot be measured in hectares of land or dollars invested, but in the hope it creates for the next generation. None of these achievements would have been possible through national effort alone. Like many small SIDS, Saint Kitts and Nevis continues to face significant challenges, including climate vulnerability, constrained access to concessional finance, and the need to strengthen national data systems to better inform decision-making. These realities remind us that international cooperation remains indispensable to sustainable development. Working alongside partners like the United Nations systems, the Green Climate Fund, the Saudi Fund for Development, the Republic of China and Taiwan, and our sisters and brothers across the African continent, we are strengthening institutions mobilizing investment, and building the national capacity needed to translate ambition into lasting results. These partnerships reinforce a simple but important truth: while development must always be nationally owned, it is most effective when supported by genuine international cooperation. Mr. President, our 2nd Voluntary National Review does not suggest that our work is complete. Rather, it reflects our determination to continue learning, adapting, and improving. But we're doing something. The Sustainable Development Goals have become deeply embedded within our Sustainable Island State Agenda because they speak to the future of our people, or the future that our people have chosen. A future where clean water is reliable, where energy is sustainable, where infrastructure is resilient, where communities are inclusive, and where partnerships enable even the smallest states— we are the smallest independent nation in the Western world— to pursue the biggest ambitions. The story of St. Kitts and Nevis is still being written, but Mr. President, we're doing something. We know that challenges remain, but we also know that progress is possible when national vision is matched by determined implementation and meaningful partnership. It is in that spirit that we reaffirm our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and to working with the international community to build a more resilient, more inclusive, and more sustainable future for all. St. Kitts and Nevis is doing something. I thank you.

Thank you very much. I thank the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Domestic Transport, Information, Communication and Technology, and Posts of Saint Kitts and Nevis for the presentation. The forum will now hear the voluntary national review by Cameroon, and I now invite His Excellency Thomas Monte. Permanent Representative of Cameroon to make a presentation.

Merci.

Thank you, Vice President. The Cameroonian Minister of the Economy, Planning and Development Regional Development, His Excellency Alain Meisman May, would have very much liked to be here today, but for reasons of a major scheduling issue on his calendar, he could not travel, and therefore he asked me as the Permanent Representative of Cameroon Thank you, Mr. President. To deliver his message to you, please allow me to first of all, on behalf of the Republic of Cameroon, express our gratitude for the opportunity given to us to present the findings of our 3rd Voluntary National Review on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. This 3rd Voluntary National Review comes at a time when the world is characterized by multiple crises which continue slowing progress towards the attainment of the 2030 Agenda goals. And are increasing the vulnerabilities of our economies. In line with the guidelines by the UN ECOSOC, this review was developed through a participatory and inclusive process which brought together public administrations, territorial authorities, Decentralized ones, the private sector, civil society, development partners, the youth, and women's organizations. Since we presented before in 2022, we continued with the implementation of our reforms. aimed at accelerating the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals. And significant progress has been recorded through the development of the Integrated National Framework for Financing and Development for the strengthening of our national statistics systems and the implementation of important statistics activities which are there to monitor the SDGs. Mr. Vice President, with regard to the goals under review this year, we would like to say that we have made specific progress while remaining— of course, the significant challenges still remain. Now, specifically on SDG 6, on access the capacity of clean water production, whereas access to sanitation infrastructure is now greater than the African and global mean. For the upcoming years, we will emphasize strengthening of governance in the sector, promote integrated water resources management, and making sure that our financing mechanisms are more sustainable. Now turning to SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy. Several major energy infrastructure projects were implemented in the course of recent years. However, the demand for energy continues growing more rapidly than its supply. And there are still disparities which continue existing between the urban and rural areas. The government, therefore, will continue with rural electrification efforts and will accelerate the development of renewable energy sources in order to enhance energy security and climate resilience. Now, on SDG 9, industry, innovation, and infrastructure, there progress has been recorded in transport infrastructure and in the reform of the railway sector. But considerable needs remain in industrialization, research innovation, and access to financing for businesses. These priorities will remain at the heart of the government policies in the course of upcoming years. On SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, there investments in urban infrastructure are accompanying the rapid urbanization in my country. However, Substantial needs remain in housing, mobility, and access to essential services. The government will continue strengthening urban planning and will continue investing in more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities. SDG 17 now, Partnerships for the Goals. Here we continue strengthening our development partnerships, mobilizing our domestic resources, developing our public-private partnerships, and we continue promoting innovative financing mechanisms. These remain essential tools so as to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in a context which is marked by diminishing levels of ODA and growing budget constraints. Mr. President, despite Progress achieved. Several factors continue to affect the implementation of the SDGs in Cameroon. They are, in particular, the effects of climate change, food insecurity, the digital divide, macroeconomic constraints. population displacement, and decentralization challenges. Now, in the face of these challenges, Cameroon remains fully committed to implementing its National Development Strategy for 2020-2030, which is in complete alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals and and the African Union Agenda 2063. Over the next 4 years, our priorities will be clearly defined, and they will be to strengthen domestic resource mobilization, to accelerate the structural transformation of our economy, to increase investments in infrastructure, innovation, and human capital, to strengthen our resilience to climate change, and to improve the effectiveness of public governance. Cameroon remains convinced that the implementation of the SDGs requires international solidarity and renewed one and better access to concessional financing, stronger national capacities, more ambitious partnerships as well. With only 4 years remaining until 2030, Cameron's commitment remains unwavering. It is to pursue its reforms, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure that no one is left behind. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you, my colleague and the Permanent Representative of Cameroon, for the presentation. We will now hear comments and questions from States and other participants. Delegations who wish to intervene in the interactive discussion, including those who previously expressed their interest to ask questions to the PNR presentations through the group of friends, the VNRs, are invited to press the microphone button on the console. Before I give the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind delegations to kindly limit their interventions to 2 minutes each. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China, to be followed by Australia and Fiji.

Thank you, President. President, China welcomes Cameroon, Tonga, and other countries for their presentations We commend their efforts for contributing to SDGs. Chair, after using the erroneous designation of China and Taiwan Province of Taiwan in yesterday's general debate, the representative of St. Kitts and Nevis once again used an erroneous designation regarding the Taiwan Province of China. This blatantly violates the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, breaching General Assembly Resolution 2758, and its core one-China principle and interfering in China's internal affairs, China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and registers its resolute opposition.

I would like to warn the representative of St.

Kitts and Nevis, there's only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. General Assembly Resolution 2758 has completely resolved the issue of the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, in the United Nations politically, legally, and procedurally. The only designation for the Taiwan region in the United Nations is Taiwan, Province of China. Across the world, 183 countries have already established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. This fully demonstrates that adhering to the one-China principle represents international justice, the shared aspiration of the people, and the prevailing trend of the times. We demand the representative of St. Kitts and Nevis immediately correct their mistakes, strictly abide by the one-China principle, respect GA Resolution 2758, stop sending wrong signals, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs. I thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Australia.

Thank you, President, and can I also thank all the presenters today.

I'd particularly like to thank and address my question to the Prime Minister from Tonga for the presentation of Tonga's second VNR, and congratulations on the thorough and insightful review Your progress on the SDGs, particularly on strengthening water security, expanding renewable energy, is very commendable. Australia remains a longstanding partner of Tonga and is proud to support Tonga's efforts to advance sustainable development. So if I could ask a question, just responding to the discussion, certainly the experience following the volcanic eruption and tsunami in 2022 highlighted the severe impacts of external shocks, including through the destruction of Tonga's only internal fibre optic cable—

international, sorry.

As multilateral discussions increasingly focus on multidimensional vulnerability, how do you see tools such as the MDI and initiatives like the Pacific Resilience Facility helping countries like Tonga to better build and finance the resilient infrastructure infrastructure that's needed to withstand future shocks.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Australia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Fiji.

Mr. President, Fiji wishes to congratulate Cameroon, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Kingdom of Tonga for its VNR presentations. Fiji also wishes to pose a question To the Honourable Prime Minister, Lord Faka Fonua. Honourable PM, you've highlighted the challenges faced by SIDS in accessing adequate and predictable development finance. With this, how is Tonga using innovative approaches to strengthen resilience, and what further support does your government seek from our international community? Thank you.

Our thanks to the Single Representative of Fiji. I now give the floor to the Single Representative of Together 2030.

Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, civil society for the SDGs in Cameroon congratulates the government on this 3rd Voluntary National Review.

We acknowledge the progress made, a decline in infant and child mortality, improved access to safe drinking water, an increase in the number of voluntary local reviews, and the adoption of policies in support of people with disabilities. However, there have also been setbacks. Poverty remains high, access to energy remains inadequate and is affecting production and the quality of life.

Several regions are experiencing growing food insecurity.

Security crises persist in the far north, northwest, and southwest.

Gender-based violence remains alarming.

We therefore call on the government to strengthen specific legislation on femicide and on violence against women and children so as to neutralize and impose harsher sentences on the perpetrators of these crimes.

Optimize the reforms of electricity sector through a participatory approach in order to improve access in urban and rural areas and boost industrial development.

Establish a permanent multi-stakeholder platform for monitoring the SDGs with effective involvement of CSOs and other stakeholders in decision-making.

Systematically disaggregate data by sex, age, disability, indigenous peoples, and regions.

Accelerate fiscal decentralization by transferring 15% of the national budget to local authorities. Clarify the link between major financing operations and the implementations.

Finally, establish a national fund for a green and inclusive economy.

Achieving the 2030 Agenda requires a genuine transformation, all the more so as the deadline is fast approaching. Cameroon's civil society remains committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to ensure that no one is left behind.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Together 2030. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Jamaica, to be followed by Finland and Italy.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Jamaica congratulates Cameroon, the Kingdom of Tonga, and the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis on the successful presentation of their VNR. We further congratulate Saint Kitts and Nevis on the completion of the VLR for Venus— for Nevis, the first in the region, and on the advances made on sustainable development within the framework of your coordinated long-term national development plan framework 2023-2037. And transformative vision of sustainability and resilience. My question is directed to St. Kitts and Nevis. In your 2023 Voluntary National Review, you identified several drivers of crime and violence, including concentrations of young people living in disadvantaged single-parent households, rapid urbanization, exposure to antisocial behavior, and an emerging gang culture fueled by the illicit trafficking of drugs and firearms. Like many Caribbean countries, Saint Kitts and Nevis continues to confront the impacts of transnational organized crime, which threaten progress across several Sustainable Development Goals, including SDGs 2, 3, 4, 8, and 11. Your 2026 Voluntary National Review highlights an innovative approach to addressing these challenges. Could you elaborate on this initiative and share the results achieved thus far. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Jamaica. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Finland.

Mr. Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, first of all, I would like to thank Tonga, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Cameroon for their excellent VNRs. Our question is addressed to Prime Minister of Tonga. Finland congratulates Tonga for its second VNR. We know that preparing a VNR takes a lot of work, but it's also highly rewarding. We also know that the SDGs are closely interlinked. Access must be sustainable. Affordable energy is a key for achieving other SDGs. We must move away from fossil fuels to renewables and low-carbon technologies to respect planetary boundaries and make successful sustainable energy transition. Finland is transforming its energy and heating systems to meet sustainable goals, with electricity production being close to carbon-free. Tonga has made an incredible leap in the production of renewable energy in the past 5 years, with an increase from 2.6% in 2020 to 32% in 2025. Finland would like to know what are the key factors that have enabled this huge positive development. Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Finland, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Italy.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Italy congratulates with the Kingdom of Tonga, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Republic of Cameroon for their successful presentation.

I will be directing my question to the Honourable Lord Prime Minister of Your second Voluntary National Review demonstrates progress across several Sustainable Development Goals, despite unprecedented challenges that you are facing.

As we approach 2030, what will be the government's highest priorities for accelerating SDGs implementation over the remaining years?

Thank you.

Our thanks to the distinguished representative of Italy. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Latin American and Caribbean Civil Society Engagement Mechanism.

And distinguished delegates, on behalf of global civil society in response to Saint Kitts and Nevis's 2nd VNR, we commend your progress in accelerating the sustainable island state agenda. Behind the data, families face daily struggles, from rising living costs and water scarcity to the toll of climate-induced health challenges and eco-anxiety on youth, low-income women, and persons with disabilities. To ensure that such— to ensure a just transition that leaves no one behind, we invite you to consider the following. First, on climate justice. How can we ensure geothermal and solar projects directly lower electricity bills for struggling families? What steps can be taken together to place local women's groups at the heart of climate planning? How can we prepare workers displaced by the shift to a green economy? Second, on shared well-being, what preventative measures are being introduced to combat climate-induced health risks? How can we eliminate out-of-pocket health costs for the most vulnerable? How can we weave trauma-informed emotional resilience into schools to help children and youth cope with climate impacts and be better prepared to thrive? Third, on open data, what pathways exist for NGOs to access disaggregated data and share real-time insights So they can better support communities in need. What mechanisms will ensure that vulnerable communities have transparent, easily accessible information on localized climate risks and resources?

Thank you.

Doy las gracias.

I thank the distinguished representative of Latin America and the Caribbean Civil Society Engagement Mechanism, and I now give the floor. I now turn the floor to the distinguished representative of Papua New Guinea.

I have a question to ask. I have a question to ask the Tongan Prime Minister on SDGs implementation. Firstly, on behalf of the people of Independent State of Papua New Guinea, I want to warmly welcome to this forum the distinguished Honorable Prime Minister of Tonga, Lord Fatah Faheem Fakafuna and his delegates and for insightful and commendable comments and presentations made to this forum on the SDG implementation in the country. Your leadership, Prime Minister, We note with interest that Tonga has made significant progress on SDGs despite facing multiple external challenges, including COVID-19 and the unprecedented Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption in January 2022 and related tsunami. My question is, what do you consider to be the single most important lesson Tonga has learned that may be of value to other small island developing states. I want to also recognize, appreciate, and congratulate our Pacific region brothers and sisters from Kiribati and the Republic of Marshall Islands for the voluntary national review At this forum, I also congratulate Cameroon and Saint Kitts and Nevis. I thank you.

Doy las gracias al distinguido.

I thank the distinguished representative of Papua New Guinea. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda.

Thank you, Vice President.

I congratulate the delegations of Cameroon, Tonga, and Saint Kitts and Nevis for the presentation of their VNRs. My question is addressed to the delegation of Cameroon. How does Cameroon intend to further translate its investments in energy, transport, and the digital sector into industrialization, local raw material processing, SME competitiveness, and job creation, particularly through the AFCFTA and South-South Cooperation?

I thank you.

Our thanks to the distinguished representative of Uganda. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Central African Republic.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Central African Republic congratulates Tonga, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Cameroon on the presentation of their voluntary national review and thanks them for sharing their experiences, lessons learned, and good practices in advancing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. My question will be directed to the delegation of Cameroon.

The Central African Republic welcomes Cameroon's efforts to ensure the local implementation of SDGs and the progress made to address the needs of crisis-affected populations in the sub-region. Could you specify how Cameroon intends to strengthen its cooperation with neighbors, particularly the Central African Republic? public in order to improve transport infrastructure, water access, and community resilience, and particularly border communities, so as to speed up the achievement of the SDGs by 2030. Thank you.

Our thanks to the distinguished representative of the Central African Republic. I now give the floor to The distinguished representative of Asian Pacific Regional CSO Engagement Mechanism.

Mr. President, Excellencies, we deliver this statement on behalf of Tongan civil society. Our advocacy is guided by ancestral voyaging wisdom of Piki Piki Ha Maaka'i Vai Vai Manava, the structural alignment of our outriggers to guarantee that no community is left behind.

However, aggregated national planning metrics frequently obscure acute subnational inequalities.

Under SDG 7, official celebrations of a 32% renewable energy penetration mask a grimmer reality.

Highly volatile, unsubsidized fuel tariffs drive severe household energy poverty and compel mass labor migration. Under SDG 9, nominal 4G coverage cannot compensate for deteriorating inter-island transport infrastructure. Severe maritime supply disruptions trigger immediate food pricing hikes, Driving multidimensional child deprivation to a staggering 48.9% in the outer island of Ewa. Tongan civil society remains the backbone of localized disaster risk reduction and crisis response. Following the catastrophic 2022 volcanic eruption, when centralized systems faced operational ceilings, our grassroots networks instantly delivered primary relief through the permanent mechanism of fale. Under SDG 11, leaving no one behind demands rights-based public financing and legislative protection for all bodies and genders.

We urge the state to urgently decriminalize same-sex relations to secure basic safety and visibility for our traditional LATEES and SOGI communities.

Tonga has proven that civil society can permanently strengthen the agriculture— the architecture, as demonstrated with the Ministry of Finance formalized our citizen budget guide, SDG 12.

Thank you.

Yet the same standard of regulatory transparency must apply to high-risk commercial extraction.

Despite consecutive national consultations delivering unanimous public rejection of deep-sea mining, corporate exploitation contracts continue to be renewed without public—

Doy las gracias.

I thank the distinguished representative of Asia-Pacific CSO Engagement Mechanism, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tonga, followed by Burundi.

Thank you, Chair. We'd like to pose a question to Senghor Ndiaye, but before that, we would like to congratulate you on a successful VNR and for living up with the message of doing something. I commend Saint Kitts and Nevis for pursuing one of the most ambitious energy transitions among Small Island Development States. As highlighted in your presentation on SDG 7, your accelerated transition towards achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030 has potential to stimulate economic growth and create new employment opportunities, particularly for young people. The question is, how is your government strengthening the link between education and employment to equip young people with the skills needed to support this transition? More broadly, what measures are being implemented to enhance youth participation in the economy and maximize their contribution to sustainable development? I thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Tonga. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burundi.

Thank you, Chairperson, for the floor.

We also want to join in with other countries and congratulate Mr. Ambassador Timambete and Cameroon in general for the wonderful presentation of the VNRs and the implementation of SDGs. Ambassador, according to the experience of Cameroon, what is the best way to accelerate the implementation of SDGs, especially since we are nearing the end date of 2030? Thank you very much.

I thank the distinguished representative of Burundi. I now invite The panelists to briefly answer those questions. I give— they each have a maximum of 5 minutes. I give the floor to His Excellency Lord Faka Fuana, Prime Minister of Tonga.

Thank you, Chair, and I'll time myself because I think we've received, what, 6 questions, so that's less than 1 minute for each answer. Isolation and exposure to disasters, as well as external shocks, such as the issues we're facing with fuel price issues as of late. At the same time, initiatives such as the Pacific Resiliency Facility, the PRF, which is domiciled in Tonga, are equally important. They shift the focus from responding to disasters after they occur to investing before the disaster strikes. So this financing resilient facility helps strengthen communities and preparedness in our local context. So for Tonga, resilience means more than rebuilding strong infrastructure. It also means building stronger institutions and strengthening them in partnerships such as the support that Australia has given Tonga, acknowledging the funding of the new submarine cable has helped build resiliency in terms of connectivity. Now we have 2 submarine cables for internet connectivity. The question from Finland, thank you very much for your question regarding how we managed to achieve 2.6% of renewable energy penetration from 2020 to 32%. percent in 2025. Just 2 short notes. One is strong political commitment. We've had successive governments follow through and embed within our national development planning and long-term commitments to achieve renewable energy. And secondly is strategic investments and international partnerships. More recently, such as the case point used at Saint Kitts and Nevis, we are now investing in geothermal power, which will help substitute the baseload power and reliance on fossil fuel and diesel energy. Papua New Guinea, thank you for your question. I believe the most important lesson for Tonga to learn is to build long-term resiliency before a crisis occurs and also invest in resilient infrastructure. So thank you very much for your question. I think the remaining 2 and a half minutes I'll pass on to my Ambassador to handle the rest of the questions that were posed. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister, and of course thank you, Mr. President, for allowing me to answer the questions. Of course, Fiji and Italy, thank you very much for your questions. In terms of labour sharing here. The questions that were posed to the Prime Minister, I'm going to answer them for Fiji. Because of the time limitation, maybe I'll cut that short. For Tonga, financing is not simply about mobilizing additional resources. It's about ensuring that the international and regional financial architectures recognizes the realities of vulnerability faced by SIDS. At the international level, Tonga continues to support the upright operationalization of the MEI as an important tool for ensuring that access to concessional finance better reflects the structural vulnerabilities of SIDS. We also welcome initiatives such as the PRF that the Prime Minister spoke about and remain committed to working with our development partners to simplify access to climate finance and build long-term resilience. So we therefore encourage the international community to continue supporting practical financing mechanisms that enable vulnerable countries to invest in risk reduction measures, preparedness, and long-term resilience. On the question from Italy, very, very briefly, Mr. President, with only a few years remaining until 2030 and given our VNR report progress, it is clear there is great need for accelerating implementation. The Tongan Strategic Development Framework 2035 provides the roadmap for achieving this by placing resilience, inclusivity, and sustainability at the center of our national development agenda. Our immediate priorities include improving gender equality measures, expanding renewable energy, strengthening resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness, enhancing data systems for evidence-based decision-making, and strengthening social protection measures. Above all, we recognize that these priorities can only be achieved through strong national ownership and enduring partnerships with our communities, regional organizations, and the United Nations, and our development partners. Thank you, Mr. President. Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much to the distinguished Prime Minister and Ambassador of Tonga. I now give the floor to His Excellency Congress Gregor Menten Maynard, Minister Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities, Domestic Transport, Information Communication Technology, and Posts of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Thank you so much, Mr. President. I'll start the response on behalf of the delegation of Saint Kitts and Nevis and start with the response from the question from the Latin American Caribbean Civil Society Mechanism. I'm really grateful for that comprehensive question. I'll share that Saint Kitts and Nevis, through our Sustainable Island State Agenda, has made a serious commitment for inclusivity, especially around women's groups and children and youth. For example, youth has become a key part of our NDC exercise. We have reached a local campaign, which is Climate Action and Youth, which is in its 3rd year, ensuring that schoolchildren are able to participate in our planning and policy process around climate action. Regarding women's groups and their access to resources, the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis and civil society work very closely with philanthropic groups and other regional international institutions like Global Fund for Women to mobilize over $1.4 million to women-led groups working at the intersection of climate justice and environmental activism. We are also ensuring that our young people can be active participants in our green economy as we transition, partnering very closely with the city of Hamburg on a skills partnership which allows young persons to access training opportunity in green energy and green economy areas. Importantly, the government has focused a lot on health, shared well-being, ensuring that the cost of health insurance in particular for the civil service is absorbed primarily by the government, and we're moving steadfastly towards our national health insurance scheme and have targeted social interventions through our LIFT program, which provides targeted social support to vulnerable families in terms of ensuring that no one is left behind as we transition for— transition to renewable energy, geothermal, etc., and the point of climate justice. We're very clear that industrialization and this transition to the green economy must ensure that women, especially women entrepreneurs, are included in our transition. And the government has made a very concerted effort to provide technical training, small business grants, and very low-interest loan opportunities to women-led businesses, along with skills training so that they can be part of that green economy. I'll end here by sharing that our approach to open data and data access is such that we have developed several digital platforms, including an SDG data pipeline, which allows a participatory reporting process by various government sectors, which has access to information on the SDGs. And the Department of Constituency Empowerment, which is our public-facing department has recently launched an Echo platform which allows residents to directly report challenges and opportunities to the government and have immediate interventions by various sectors. And I'll pass to Minister Maynard to respond to the other 2 questions. Thank you so much.

Thank you, colleague, and thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity. In response to Jamaica, I want to thank you for the thoughtful question and your indeed right. Crime and violence remains among the most pressing development challenges confronting many of our Caribbean societies. Our experience has taught us, however, that if we are to achieve lasting change, we must look beyond responding to acts of violence and instead understand the conditions that allow violence to emerge and spread. So it is that realization that has led St. Kitts and Nevis to adopt a public health approach to crime prevention, coordinated through our Secretariat for Human Security and Well-Being. So we are treating crime just like we treat any other disease. And what has that resulted in? Because we have time constraints. In 2025, St. Kitts and Nevis recorded a 75% reduction in homicides, accompanied by longer periods between violent incidents, fewer retaliatory acts of violence, and Equally emerging, we saw national polling showing that more than 4 out of every 5 citizens supported the government's public health approach. This new way of thinking is also reshaping our justice system through our criminal mediation and restorative justice program. We have also seen tremendous value of partnerships with civil society organizations such as Boys in Ties, some program and the turnaround agenda. These are all shaping the success that we've seen with respect to the reduction in crime. In respect of the question from Tonga, I want to again thank you for the excellent question. You are right, this transition is aggressive from St. Kitts and Nevis, and it's just— it's more than just replacing electricity. And so St. Kitts and Nevis has done a number of things in preparing our young people in particular to partake in this new emerging sector. Perhaps the best example is our ASPIRE program, which is Achieving Success through Personal Investment Resources and Education, where every child between the ages of 5 and 16 receives an endowment of $1,000, half placed in investments, half placed in savings, and we teach financial literacy of how to manage your money and make your money grow. Also, there have been a number of other training instituted in order to prepare our young people for the world ahead. As young people progress through our education system, we're ensuring that they acquire the practical skills needed to participate in the green economy through the Caribbean Center of Excellence in Research, Innovation, and Workforce Training. At the same time, we are modernizing our technical and vocational education through the establishment of the Christopher Wilkin Institute of technology. We also have other national efforts that are strengthened to enjoying international partnerships, in particular partnerships with the Republic of China on Taiwan, whose friendship with St. Kitts and Nevis has helped expand opportunities in education, innovation, entrepreneurship. One recent example is the Women's Employment Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion Program, which is equipping women, particularly those facing economic vulnerability with entrepreneurial skills, financial literacy, and improved access to economic opportunities. It reflects our shared belief that a sustainable economy must be an inclusive one where no one is left behind. Thank you, Mr.

President.

I thank His Excellency Minister Maynard and Minister Clarke. I now give the floor to His Excellency Tomo Monte, Permanent Representative of Cameroon.

Thank you, President. 4 speakers made comments on the presentation by Cameroon, either comments or specific questions, and I will react First one was a representative of civil society and she observed that there were certain gaps and encouraged measures to ensure that we can move faster. Yes, in my statement on the ODGs, I did underscore certain lacunae and gaps and said that efforts are being made. I did not put forward the statistics because the document had already been distributed, and some statistics are there to show that the government is indeed making efforts. For example, out of 350 communities that we Perhaps since we're decentralizing, 100 have already implemented their programs aligned with the SDGs. Another example, when it comes to drinking water, since 2000 to 2025, We have progressed from 68% to 71% in access to drinking water, 300,000 cubic meters of water per million inhabitants. Now, on SDG 7, on energy, in 2020, we We had 1,500 megawatts, and in 2025 we have increased to 2,170 megawatts. There is true that there is another gap here because the demand is at the level of 3,200. And let me conclude here by saying that one shouldn't just look at where we are, but take a look at the determination of the government to want to move forward. And some of the figures I have just mentioned show you that real will on the part of governments to move forward. So in any event, Cameroon is not really in heaven on this, but we're not in hell either. We are on earth with highs and lows. So that's my response to comment number 1. Then Central African Republic, they put a question and asked what needs to be done to ensure I think that strengthening of our infrastructure can be shared so as to help with cooperation. The Central African Republic knows that we work together with the Central African Republic and Cameroon in many areas. And the first one is a bilateral commission. And tackle the kinds of problems that you underscored. The second area is we are together within CEMAC and ECAS. There are regional programs within those. Third, the Standing Committee of the United Nations on Peace and Security in Central Africa. This is another framework within which we work together. And the next one is ELECA. And the last one is the 2063 Agenda, which says that Africa should be moving step by step towards integration subregionally, then regionally by 2063. So Cameroon is working and acting with all of this in mind. Uganda put a question then. And it was as follows: how are we going to transform the investments that we're doing, investments into infrastructure, so as to make sure that they go directly to production sectors and that they cover the needs of our people? Well, of course, economically speaking, we say that development means 3 things. First, infrastructure. Second, equipment placed on that infrastructure. And third is management. And you have to be working at all of these 3 levels. When it comes to infrastructure, we are trying to, as much as possible, to do that. The equipment that we place on that infrastructure? Well, we're placing it into the infrastructure. For example, in energy, we have a number of dams. That's basic infrastructure. And then we place equipment onto those dams. The transportation means not enough, but that's equipment. And then the next stage is distribution, just to make sure that distribution companies have to be there to distribute And lastly, the representative of Burundi put the question, and he said, "What are the decisive factors for us now that we are four years away from the SDG deadline in 2030? What are the decisive factors?" Well, obviously, when we were working out the SDGs, we came up. With the 17 goals, and the most major one is number 17, which is means of implementation. And when it comes to the means of implementation, there is a number of decisive factors. One, we mentioned one of them, we're talking about that today. One of them is partnerships, but partnership Cannot be the only one. The two other decisive factors are funding and technology. The SDGs require two trillions of dollars in Africa per year, for example. Well, let me conclude. Therefore. There needs to be a huge deployment of financial resources first, and second, there needs to be technology deployment in, in particular, the ICT technology, more specifically artificial intelligence technology. So these are the criteria that seem important to me, and the Pact for the Future that we endorse asks that this be turbocharged. That the implementation of SDGs be turbocharged this way. But unfortunately, financing and technology are very hard to come by these days. I thank you.

Nuestro agradecimiento.

Thanks to the distinguished presenter from Cameroon. I thank all of our distinguished panelists for their responses, and I'd also like to thank the delegations for their Thank you very much for your valuable contributions. We will now briefly pause the meeting to allow the podium to be rearranged, and I invite the BNR presenters from the United Republic of Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates to take their seats on the podium.

Thank you.

Good afternoon. For the second panel presentations, I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from the United Republic of Tanzania and the United Arab Emirates. Before we begin with the presentations, I would like to appeal to the presenting countries to adhere to the agreed 10 minutes per presentation to allow sufficient time for all presenters as well as engagement with other states and participants. I apologize in advance if I have to interrupt

Thank you, Madam Chair, Madam Speaker, distinguished speakers,

and I hope that it will not come to that with your cooperation. The forum will first hear the voluntary national review of the United Republic of Tanzania, and I invite His Excellency Katilam Kumbo, President of State in the President's— Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Planning and Investment, to make a presentation.

The Vice President of the Economic and Social Council, Mr. Oleglen Dario, thank you very much for the opportunity you have given me to share our National Voluntary Review Report to this important audience. Mr. Chairman, as per The report that we have presented, I'm going to highlight the progress we have made on the 5 SDGs, and of course I will also share a quick highlight on other important progress that we have made on other SDGs. One point to mention here is the fact that the SDGs have now adequately been aligned with our national planning framework, particularly the National Development Vision 2050, which we started implementing effectively from 1st July this year, but also with our 4th Five-Year Development Plan, which is going to be implemented between this year and 2025. So in a way, our national planning frameworks are informing the implementation of the SDGs, but also the SDGs framework is informing our national planning frameworks. Mr. Chairman, regarding SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, We are showing in our report that we have made progress, particularly in improving access to improved resources of water in rural areas, where now the coverage stands at around 85.3%, and that is a 10% increase way back in 2020, and actually more than 20% increase Way back in 2015. And among many other achievements, we are very proud in this area, and going forward by 2030, we think that we should be able to achieve the universal access to clean water, particularly in the rural areas. Regarding electricity, and I want to report here on 2 major developments. Number one, we have now improved the generation capacity. Way back in 2015, we were able to generate 2,800 megawatts. We have doubled that one. As we speak now, we are talking about 4,500 and 4.9 megawatts, and this followed the completion of our— the second largest dam in Africa. which is capable of generating around 2,000 megawatts plus, which means that over the last 10 years we have been able to double the electricity generation. We are now focusing on improving transmission and distribution, but for the time being, the power that we are generating is sufficient for our needs. We have a target of producing 8,000 megawatts by 2030. And we think that we should be able to do that. Because of that, we have improved access. Electricity now stands around 86.2%, and we are so proud of the rural electrification, which now almost every village in Tanzania has access to electricity. Regarding SDG number 9 on industry innovation and infrastructure, We are happy to report on some important progress. For example, regarding internet users, we have improved from 48% to now 85%, which in terms of numbers is really from 29 million to now 58 million people having access to internet, which is key. And of course, we are also reporting on other important developments, including, for example, the railway passengers. You may wish to note that we have made very big advancement regarding our SGR, which is now starting to operate from the commercial city to the capital city, and by 2030 we aim at connecting around 2,000 kilometers of SGR. Mr. Chairman, allow me also to highlight, um, SDG 11 and SDG 17. Public transport access is improving, uh, on average around 54.9%, and that is— we are also showing data for both men and women. We are making steady progress regarding solid waste collection coverage, particularly in the capital, in the commercial city of Dar es Salaam, where now stands around 55%. I must say this is an area that we need to increase our efforts going forward. And the last one in this regard is the SDG number 17 regarding partnerships. What I wish to report here, more importantly, is the fact that we have increased partnership with a wide range of stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society, and others. One important point I have to highlight here is that the private sector now is taking us to be more than a stakeholder. Private sector has become a key partner in our development agenda and going forward, in terms of investment, we expect to raise capital investment 70% from the private sector. So this is an area that we have really focused on and we're improving. So academia, development partners, civil society, local community and citizens, and more importantly, the private sector, and of course a wide range of government institutions. So we have the whole government approach but also the whole nation approach in terms of approaching our development. Apart from those 5 SDGs for this year, we are also reporting on other developments. For example, on SDG 1, No poverty. We are reporting here that over the last 5 years, we have reduced poverty around 1%, and we acknowledge here that the progress is a bit small, but at least we are reducing that one on the basis of the national poverty line. On zero hunger, what is important here is that Tanzania now has self-sufficiency in terms of food security. Where maternal mortality rate has decreased. Now it stands at around 104 compared to 556 in the year 2020. Gender equality is improving. For example, now we have almost 40% of MPs being women, for that matter. Mr. Chairman, As I move towards conclusion, I want to summarize by saying that I think 20.5%, we are on track in terms of the various targets. In terms of moderate progress, it's around 52.9%, and 11.8%, we either do not have data or there is marginal progress, and we hope that going forward we are going to improve on these areas. Conclusively, what are we saying here? Number one, some key areas that we think we have to address going forward. First is the whole question of you know, ensuring that we're able to implement what we are planning. We have to mobilize domestic resources. I think this is very key. We have to expand private sector investment because government alone is not going to be able to raise the needed capital to implement our plans. We have to promote innovation and digital transformation. I think this is key, particularly in the rural areas, so that we are able to ensure that nobody is left behind. If digitalization remains only in the cities, then we are not doing justice to our colleagues in the rural areas. Going forward, the rural broadband is going to be a very key focus in our country. Also critical, we take note that in terms of poverty reduction and job creation, we really have to focus on the value addition, and this is an area that we're going to be focusing very much going forward in the next 5 years to 2030. Overall, what we are saying here is that we are making progress, steady progress. We still have a lot of work to be done, but we take courage on the fact that progress is being made. We are not yet there, but we have traveled a long way. The way forward is still quite long, but we take courage of the fact that The way of travel is also quite long. And lastly, I must say that climate change and environmental protection is going to be at the center stage in our agenda because as we develop, we have to secure the future of the next generation and we have a chance in Africa. To ensure that we are industrializing, but also being environmentally responsible. I think that is something that you have to take care. Mr. Chairman, I thank you very much.

Mi agradecimiento al ministro de Estado.

I thank the minister of state in the president's office responsible for planning and investment. and his team for the presentation. The forum will next hear the voluntary national review by the United Arab Emirates, and I invite Her Excellency Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center and Chair of the UAE National Committee on the Sustainable Development Goals, to make a presentation.

Thank you, Mr. President. Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it's an honor to present the United Arab Emirates' 3rd Voluntary National Review. Every nation has its own development journey. Ours began 5 decades ago with the vision of our founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who believed that a nation's true wealth lies in its people, its resilience, and its responsibility towards future generations. Today, that vision continues to shape every national priority. For the UAE, sustainable development is not simply an additional agenda. It is embedded in our way of governing, planning, and measuring progress. The SDGs provide a common destination, but every country must determine its own path. For the UAE, our focus has always been on one question: how do we translate global ambition into better government and better outcomes for people? The answer was to build sustainable development into the way government plans, delivers, and measures progress. That required building a national operating model. We established a cabinet-led governance model, embedded the SDGs into our We, the UAE 2031 strategy. Today, progress is monitored through 251 SDG indicators, with 63% already achieved or on track. Sustainable development is not managed every 4 years. It is managed every day. We the UAE 2031 is more than a national vision. It is our framework that translates sustainable development into national priorities for advancing sustainable progress, future readiness, and global partnerships. Through its 4 forward pillars— investing in people, creating opportunities, creating the future, and sharing progress— the UAE aligns economic growth, social well-being, environmental stewardship, and international cooperation within one integrated model of development. This is how we ensure sustainable development is not pursued goal by goal, but through one coherent national vision. In the UAE, human development is no longer defined only by access to education or healthcare. It is increasingly shaped by how governments anticipate people's needs and deliver services that are more inclusive, seamless, and human-centered. Our Zero Government Bureaucracy program reflects this shift, redesigning public services around people rather than process. Making government simpler, faster, and more responsive. Alongside future-ready education, universal healthcare, and women's empowerment— including women holding 50% of our parliament— we are ensuring every individual has the opportunity to contribute and thrive. Because investing in people is not simply a social priority. It is the foundation of the UAE's long-term competitiveness, resilience, and sustainable development. Empowering people also means creating opportunities for them to thrive. The UAE's economic transformation is moving beyond sector diversification towards technology-enabled industrial transformation, creating industries that are more resilient, productive, and future-ready. Through flagship initiatives such as Operation 300 Billion and Make It in the Emirates, we are accelerating advanced manufacturing and innovation and unlocking new opportunities for businesses, entrepreneurs, and talents. This vision is already delivering results. Today, the UAE non-oil economy contributes more than $404 billion reflecting decades of strategic diversification and reinforcing our position as one of the world's most competitive and resilient economies. Creating opportunity also means building resilience. From energy and water security to climate resilience and natural capital, the UAE is strengthening the foundation of sustainable prosperity. The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, together with the Net Zero 2050 strategic initiative, demonstrates how innovation and long-term planning can deliver reliable, low-carbon growth while accelerating the transition to a more sustainable future. Resilience is built through anticipation, not reaction. The final pillar recognizes something simple: development becomes more valuable when it's shared, The UAE believes our contribution to global sustainable development extends beyond development finance assistance. It includes sharing knowledge, strengthening institutions, and building capacity in partnership with the member states through international initiatives such as the Government Experience Exchange Program. Because partnership is not only how progress is sustained, it is how progress is collectively accelerated. Such partnerships are essential because many of the world's greatest challenges cannot be solved by nations acting alone. That is why the UAE has become an international platform for dialogue, collaboration, and implementation, bringing together governments, international organizations, the private sector, academia, and civil society to accelerate and sustainable development. Furthermore, through our hosting of key international convenings such as COP28, the IRENA Assembly, the World Government Summit, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, the IUCN Congress, and the upcoming 2026 UN Water Conference, the UAE is transforming global dialogue into practical actions. This year's HLPF reviews 5 goals that are fundamental to resilient societies. In the UAE, progress is reflected in measurable targets and outcomes. We have a 95% wastewater reuse target. We are aiming for 13.8 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030. In 2025, the non-oil economy contributed $404 billion representing around 77% of the total real GDP. We have achieved a 93% landfill diversification— diversion rate, and we have committed $12.6 billion in SDG-aligned development assistance. Together, these outcomes demonstrate that sustainable development delivers its greatest impact when it's measurable, integrated, and shared. This progress has not come without challenges, and it also should be recognized that a significant threat to global progress on the SDGs has emerged this year from disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, which are directly impeding vital supply chains for energy, food, and humanitarian assistance. Yet, even in this time of crisis, the UAE has remained consistent with its human-centric approach and determination to ensure a resilient and sustainable future for all. As we accelerate towards 2030, we must also begin asking, what comes next? The world today is fundamentally different from the one in which the SDGs were agreed. Artificial intelligence is transforming economies, climate risks are becoming more complex, demographic shifts are reshaping societies. That is why the UAE launched the SDGs 2041 Global Dialogue. Since 2023, it has brought together global leaders across government, international organizations, the private sector, academia, and civil society to explore the future of sustainable development, not because we believe that we have all answers, but because the future belongs to those willing to ask better questions. So today I leave this forum with one question: What should sustainable development be ready for next? Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the Director for the National Competitiveness Thank you very much, Dr. Krasnodar, and thank you to the Office of the Statistics Center and her team. We will now hear comments and questions from states and other participants. Delegations who wish to intervene in the interactive discussion, including those who have previously expressed their interest to ask questions to any of the VNR presentations just heard through the Group of Friends of the VNRs, are invited to do so. Thank you very much. You are invited to press the microphone button on the console. Before I give the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind delegations to kindly limit their interventions to 2 minutes each.

Thank you.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba, to be followed by India and Singapore.

Mr. President, I congratulate all delegations for the excellent presentations.

Regarding the presentation of Tanzania, we commend the report.

Because it's a highly evidence-based voluntary national review that demonstrates a strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and learning in the implementation for the 2030 Agenda. The systematic use of headline indicators complemented by policy analysis, contextual interpretation of progress, and in the identification of acceleration pathways makes the report not only a comprehensive assessment of achievements and remaining challenges, but also a practical instrument for informing decision-making and guiding implementation efforts during the critical remaining years toward 2030. The review provides valuable insights into where greater efforts, resources, partnerships, and policy adjustments are required to accelerate progress while also highlighting the importance of aligning national priorities, institutional capacity, and development interventions to achieve sustainable development and inclusive outcomes. It is particularly commendable that the report moves beyond measuring progress to offering a forward-looking framework for action, enabling stakeholders to better understand how lessons learned can translate into strengthened implementation and more impactful delivery of the SDGs. Thank you so much.

Our thanks to the distinguished representative of Cuba. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of India.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

Our greetings to both Tanzania and also United Arab Emirates for sharing their inputs and insights. At the present, my question is towards Tanzania. We have noted with great satisfaction the notable progress that they have made in expanding access to health, education, water, and social protection, all this while keeping the Leave No One Behind principle intact. What concrete measures is Tanzania contemplating to implement or to reduce the existing social inequalities, particularly among youth, persons with disabilities, and rural communities, so that the benefits of economic growth and improved social services are evenly distributed and equitably shared by all the populations in the by 2030.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of India. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Singapore.

Thank you, Mr. President. Singapore would like to direct our comment to Tanzania. We commend Tanzania for presenting a voluntary national review that extends beyond the traditional assessment of progress towards the 2030 Agenda. By illustrating how the Sustainable Development Goals are embedded within the country's broader long-term development vision. The alignment with national long-term perspectives, coupled with the emphasis on structural transformation, industrialization, inclusive economic growth, and enhanced implementation capacity, demonstrates Tanzania's commitment to positioning sustainable development at the center of its national development pathway. The focus on translating policy priorities into tangible actions, strengthening institutional coordination, and ensuring effective implementation provides confidence that the SDGs are not viewed merely as global commitments to be tracked, but a strategic foundation guiding Tanzania's future development ambitions. This integrated approach provides valuable insights into how countries can effectively link the SDGs with national planning systems and long-term transformation strategies. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Singapore and I'll give the floor to the distinguished representative of Women's Major Group.

Thank you, moderator. Tanzania civil society welcomes this opportunity to reflect on Tanzania's 26th Vienna era at a defining moment with less than 5 years remaining to achieve the 23rd Agenda while Tanzania has begun implementing its Development Vision 2050. We recognize Tanzania's progress in infrastructure, public service investment, national planning, peace and stability. However, development should be measured by whether people can access decent work, quality education, healthcare, justice, clean water, social protection, and meaningful participation in public decision-making. Civil society therefore presents 5 urgent calls. First, the 2026 VNRR should catalyze stronger implementation, follow-up, and review mechanism, adequate financing, a whole-of-society approach, and investment in robust national statistical systems capable of generating timely disaggregated data at all levels. Second, young people, women, persons with disabilities, and rural communities should be placed at the center of employment, skills, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation to fulfill the commitment to leave no one behind. Third, investment should be created— should create decent jobs, promote local values, strengthen domestic enterprises, protect the environment, and contribute fairly through taxation. Fourth, Tanzania should strengthen and diversify financial financing for the remaining years of SDG Implementation, prioritizing critical sectors including water and sanitation, health, education, sustainable cities, and clean water. Fifth, sustainable development requires access to justice, the rule of law, transparent institutions, and enabling civic and digital space and protection of fundamental freedom. We reaffirm our commitment to working with the government, parliament, local authorities,

We thank the distinguished representative of Women's Major Group.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We warmly welcome the distinguished delegations of the United Arab Emirates and the United Republic of Tanzania and wish them the best during the voluntary national reviews at the High-Level Political Forum. My remarks are addressed to the delegation of Tanzania, which we commend for their remarkable progress reported in expanding access to clean water, electricity infrastructure, and strengthening partnerships, while also recognizing the country's continued commitment to sustainable urban development and industrialization under the thematic SDGs being reviewed at HLPF 2026. Mr. Vice President, as Tanzania continues to expand infrastructure and industrial development, how does the government plan to balance rapid economic growth with environmental sustainability? And climate resilience, particularly in ensuring that investments in water, energy, cities, and industry remain inclusive and leave no one behind.

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uganda. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Qatar.

President, we would like to congratulate the states that have made their presentation, and we would like to congratulate the United Arab Emirates for its voluntary national review during this session of the HLPF. We welcome the achievements under the 2030 Plan of Action, and this despite the increasing challenges across the region. These reviews serve as an important platform for the exchange of good practices and expertise and to promote knowledge and opportunities so as to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs and to keep international promises. The review that was presented shows the willingness to adopt inclusive plans on the basis of strong institutions In addition to investments in human capital and partnerships, we reiterate our commitment to continue the work to implement the SDGs nationally through our own vision. We reiterate that the achievement of sustainable development calls for international cooperation and implementation means as well as technology transfers and the right financing so that countries can meet their priorities efficiently. Once again, we'd like to congratulate the UAE for their considerable achievements, and we wish to continue with our joint work and exchange of expertise in achieving the SDGs for a more sustainable future for our people. Thank

Our thanks to the distinguished representative of Qatar. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.

We'd like to thank the panel for the insightful presentations. My question is for the United Arab Emirates.

How is the UAE working with businesses and investors to support achievement of the SDGs, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for future collaboration.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of NGOs Major Group.

Thank you very much. We would like to thank the United Arab Emirates for the efforts they made to attain the SDGs. Efforts were made under SDGs 3 and 8 to strengthen healthcare of the citizens within the strategy that aims at providing the best possible healthcare in the world, including by— on the other hand, the problem consists of the fact that health insurance is linked to the employment status, in particular for the foreigners. Foreign workers are limited to low or mid-paying positions. Furthermore, immigrant workers who work in infrastructure water supply, etc., cannot benefit from dignified work socially and economically speaking. On SDG 11, resilient and inclusive cities, efforts are being made there as well. However, foreign workers very frequently reside in those areas which are far away from urban hubs. So we do have questions on 7 and 8. What is the government doing to implement that when it comes to energy for immigrant workers and providing social security to foreign workers? On SDG 11, How do you ensure there's decent housing for immigrant workers on 17?

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burundi.

President, we congratulate Tanzania. our best neighbor, for presenting a highly inclusive and participatory voluntary national review. Certainly, according to his reports, we encourage the government for adopting a whole-of-nation approach that engaged government institutions, local authorities, civil society, the private sector, youth, women, Persons with Disabilities and Development Partnership, demonstrating strong national ownership of the Voluntary National Report Process.

So, as Tanzania moves towards implementing Vision 40/15 and the 4 or 5-year development plan, how will the government institutionalize these broad multiple stakeholders engagement beyond the voluntary national report process to ensure continuous monitoring, accountability, and meaningful participation in Sustainable Development Goals implementation at both national and local level.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Burundi, and I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Philippines.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Philippines commends all presenters for their comprehensive and insightful voluntary national reviews. We congratulate the United Arab Emirates, led by Her Excellency Hanan Ahly, and the United Republic of Tanzania, led by by His Excellency Minister Mukombo for their presentation of their voluntary national review.

Our question is directed to the United Arab Emirates, and may I commend them.

We express our gratitude to the UAE for their implementation. of the 2030 Agenda for all strata of the society, strengthening sustainable development through international cooperation. Our question therefore is as follows. We are looking at partnerships here. What are the lessons that you drew to make sure that the outcomes terms of partnerships be measurable so as to create greater platforms? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Philippines, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bahrain.

Thank you, Mr. President. Firstly, I'd like to congratulate the United Arab Emirates and the United Republic of Tanzania on presenting the 2026 Voluntary National Review Reports and thank them for their comprehensive presentations.

I'd like to present a question for the delegation of the United Arab Emirates. What is one innovation from the UAE's SDG journey that you believe has genuinely changed the way the government delivers on sustainable development?

I thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Bahrain, and I now invite the I now give the floor to His Excellency Ketila Mukumbo, Minister of State of the Presidency responsible for Investment.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. We have 2 commendation statements from our friends Singapore and Cuba, and we thank them for that. We draw very big inspiration from Singapore in particular regarding the fact that they focus on human capital development as the main ingredient for development, and we take a lot of inspiration from that, as well as from our friends in Cuba that we have been cooperating with them for many years, and we thank them for that. We also take note of the statement made by the civil society organization. And we have taken note of their comments and I think going forward we'll consider those ones into our future reports, but I am happy to say that we work very closely with our civil society organizations in our development endeavors. Mr. Chairman, let me now address the questions that have come from our 3 friends, India, Uganda, and Burundi. From India, the main question here is what are we doing to address Social inequalities. I think this is important. I will only highlight three main issues here. Number one is to ensure that we are ensuring that the infrastructure development is covered both in urban and rural areas because we have to improve infrastructure in rural areas so that you know because infrastructure is the key ingredient for development and that is. Important for us. The second point is that we are— the agro-processing, we are doing the small-scale value addition at the rural area so that value addition starts happening right at the productive sectors. Instead of the rural areas only selling raw materials to big industries, we begin small-scale value addition at that level, and we think that that is also a possibility of closing the gap. The third point is the digitalization, as I said in my presentation, to ensure that digitalization also happens in the rural areas, and that because digitalization has become a very important tool for development, so that is key. And lastly is ensuring that the key services particularly electricity, water, they are available in rural areas. I think that is an important way of addressing the gap. And then our friends from Uganda, I think they raised a very important question regarding what are we doing to address the structural challenges to industrialization. I will mention only 3 points here. Number one is the investment in special economic zones. And we have dedicated at least 5% of funds earmarked for infrastructure going only to special economic zones. Number 2, we are providing special tax and non-tax incentives to value addition investment, both from the local and international investors. And number 3, we have a very clear legal framework in which now we are barring exportation of raw materials, particularly the mineral resources. In Tanzania now, you cannot— you can no longer export mineral resources in their raw form. Value addition must happen in the country before exporting that one, and I think that one is important in terms of enhancing structural economic transformation. The last question came from our friends from Burundi, and the question was how to institutionalize multistakeholder engagement beyond the VNR. So number one here— 2 points here. Number one is that we have a National Planning Commission, which is the national coordination agency to ensure that this is the one-stop point for all the planning processes, and before anything happens, everything begins here. And secondly, we have a very strong monitoring and evaluation framework in which now, among other things, engagement of stakeholders, both government and private, is no longer an option. It is one of the most important key performance indicators. So whatever you do, we are going to ask you, how much have you engaged the important stakeholders in the process that we are doing? And we think that one is an important aspect. So we have this, the whole government approach, to ensure that all the government agencies are activated to respond to our planning framework, but also the whole national approach to ensure that beyond government, every other stakeholder is engaged in our development processes. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.

I thank Your Excellency Ketilamkumbo, and I give the floor to Her Excellency Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center and Chair of the UAE National Committee on the SDGs.

Thank you, Mr. President. بداية أتقدم لدولة قطر بخالص التعازي.

First of all, I would like to express my most sincere condolences to President Qatar.

His remark. With regards to the question coming from UK and Philippines regarding the partnerships or at least targeted initiatives to businesses and investors, I think this is a very, very important question because one of the most frequently used words in sustainable development is partnership. The SDGs has also designated one full goal, SDG 17, as a standalone enabling system through the other goals that are delivered. This is reflected through our VNR, from public-private partnerships that mobilizes capital and technology to academia and communities that support research and implementation, and international partnership that combines development finance, knowledge exchange, and capacity building. We see this through initiatives such as the Global Water Gateway, way. Masdar's clean energy partnerships across more than 40 countries, the Government Experience Exchange Program, the agriculture program, the climate technology program, and many others. The lessons from our BNR is simple when it comes to partnership. Partnership works best when we start with a problem we are trying to solve, and then bring together those with capabilities to solve it. If you allow me to move to the question from the representative of Bahrain, I would like to thank you for your question. If it comes to one innovation, it's hard to choose one because there are so many great innovations that we worked on. Things, initiatives like the MBR, solar parks, which targets SDG 7, SDG 9, the industrial innovation, and many others. But if I come back to the Secretariat managing the SDGs progress, I would say the one innovation we managed to do is the SDGs National Data Action Plan, where we worked with a lot of government entities at local level, federal level, as well as the private sector, and we started to to bring in incentives tools in order to incentivize data exchange experiences. And we used the awarding system, things like the data index and the statistics performance index, to help us connect with the right data sources and also to encourage the data sources through data contracts and modalities to ensure that we have connected Sustainable data exchanges, and that's something that enhanced the data capabilities within our system. And hence, we can finally measure our progress towards the SDGs, where we are happy that we reached 73 as 63 percent of the goals are achieved. Thank you.

Nuestro agradecimiento.

I thank Her Excellency Managing Director Ahli for those. Thank you very much for those answers. I would like once again to thank our distinguished presenters for their responses, and I would like to thank all of those delegations for their valuable contributions. We will now briefly pause the meeting to allow the podium to be rearranged and invite the PNR presenters from Norway and Somalia to take their seats on the podium.

Thank you.

Buenas tardes.

Good afternoon. For the 3rd panel presentations— for the 3rd panel presentations, presentations, I am pleased to welcome the distinguished presenters from Norway and Somalia. Before we begin, I would like to appeal to the presenting countries to adhere to the agreed 10 minutes per presentation to allow sufficient time for all presenters as well as engagement with other states and participants. I apologize in advance if I have to interrupt speakers, and I hope that it will not come to that with your cooperation. The forum will first hear the voluntary national review by Norway, and I invite His Excellency Asmund Aukrust, Minister of International Development of Norway, to make a presentation.

Thank you.

Thank you, President. And ladies and gentlemen, State Secretary Annette Davidsen and I, and we are very proud to be here to present the Norwegian 3rd Voluntary National Review. With this honest report, Norway shows our political commitment to the University of the 2030 Agenda. In this report, we show how we integrate the SDGs in all our government's policy throughout the whole-of-government approach. And we are happy and proud today to report on solid progress in most of the goals, supported by a strong welfare state, high level of trust, and relatively low inequality. Norway, we perform well on goals related to poverty, on health, gender equality, clean energy, reduced inequality, and partnership. However, we must say, as many other developed countries, we also have our challenges, especially related to environmental pressures. As Minister of International Development, I'm also therefore very proud of our progress on SDG number 17. International cooperation is as a cross-cutting priority for us. And to solve most of the challenges related to health, peace and security, climate change, environmental degradation, and resource use, we need international cooperation. We need partnership with many different actors, both home and abroad. Our report really underlines how important inclusive participation is from all actors in our community, from NGOs, from businesses, academia, and other stakeholders. I would also like to use this opportunity to thank our review partners, the DRC, Tanzania, Brazil, and Finland. They have really helped us making this report better. I would also like to thank our colleagues from Somalia to be here today to present their reports. I would like to be clear in the ending to see that international cooperation is not an add-on, it's a core for achieving the SDGs by 2030. Without multilateralism, without the support and services that we get from the UN, we could not have made this report as way as we have done. A clear message from from Norway and our government on this summit is also that the UN needs to reform itself. However, the VNR process is, in my opinion, should serve as an example of how the UN really could work strategically with governments all over the world. With those words, I give the word to my colleague, the State Secretary, Annette Laavisen.

Thank you, Minister. The preparation of the VNR has been led by the Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with contributions from all the government ministries. A defining feature of this VNR is the highly inclusive and participatory methodology. I am therefore pleased that so many stakeholders across Norwegian society have contributed to this, to this review, and to the Norwegian Children and Youth Council, which has played a key role in ensuring that young people's perspectives are integrated throughout the report. Civil society, labor unions, local and regional government, the Sami Parliament, industry, academia, and the agriculture sector have all shared their perspective on the state of sustainability— sustainable development. I am particularly proud of the strong and active involvement of youth in the preparation of this review. Their voice and insights are essential to ensuring that we remain on track towards a more just and sustainable future, meeting today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own. This approach underlines Norway's commitment to an independent and vibrant civil society. Ladies and gentlemen, Norway's VNR provides a comprehensive assessment of national implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The report covers all 17 SDGs and the 169 targets, offering a detailed overview of progress, challenges, and future priorities. I would like to highlight that the principle of Leaving no one behind is at the core of the government's priorities. Further, an evidence-based approach to the SDGs and the VNR process is necessary to make progress on the goals. I am therefore proud that Statistics Norway has provided an annex to our report that shows our progress on the global indicators. Overall, Norway demonstrates strong performance on the SDGs. having fully met 97 targets, while 72 requires further efforts. While most of these targets are close to being achieved, 6 requires significant improvement. These targets are related to resource use, waste management, climate action, biodiversity, and the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. Norway also has potential for improvement with regards to strengthening marine conservation, ensuring access to affordable housing, and to dental care. Our VNR report strongly emphasized a whole society approach, recognizing that the SDGs cannot be achieved by government action alone. Norway has therefore established multiple mechanisms to facilitate broad participation and coordination across sectors. The Higher Executive Forum for the SDGs, established in 2022, serves as a platform for collaboration between government, private sectors, civil society, academia, and local authorities. It promotes shared understanding of synergies and trade-offs across the goals. In addition, Norway had its first national citizens' panel in 2025 on sustainable consumption. Ladies and gentlemen, to conclude, Norway's VNR shows that we are well positioned to achieve the SDGs. This is enabled by a society that is supported by strong institutions and high level of trust. The Norwegian welfare system is the foundation of our national approach to leaving no one behind, ensuring universal access to income, opportunities, kommunenes, utdanning og helse. Dette er underpinnet av en sterk forpliktelse til kvalitet og nondiskriminasjon. Utenfor det gjør rapporten klart at implementasjonen i noen områder ikke er forberedt nok. Derfor kaller Norges VNR for sterkere politiske koherens, klarere prioritering og mer systematisk forvaltning av forhold. SDGs into regular policymaking, thereby strengthening ownership, coherence, and implementations across sectors. Further, the government has launched a new plan for Norway to accelerate progress. The plan is structured around 5 objectives: economic security, strengthening the labor market security and stability for business sector, a sense of security for children and young people, a robust and reliable public health system, and security for the country. These priorities are closely aligned with the SDGs, and by following the plan, Norway reaffirms its strong commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda. Thank you.

I thank the Minister of International Development of Norway. and his team for the presentation. The forum will next hear the voluntary national review by Somalia, and I invite His Excellency Mohamed Abdirahman Farrah, Minister of Planning, Investment, and Economic Development of Somalia, to make a presentation.

Thank you, Mr. President, Excellencies, it's a great honor and privilege to present to you today the Federal Republic of Somalia's 2nd Full-Year National Review. Somalia is situated in one of the most strategically significant locations in the world, sitting at the most eastern tip of Africa, close to Middle East and Indian Ocean, boasting Africa's longest coastline stretching over 3,000 kilometers. The country possesses vast natural wealth through livestock, agriculture, and excellent trade corridors, as well as a growing blue economy. At the heart of our vast country are the Somali people, who are resilient, dignified, and culturally rich people known for their entrepreneurial spirit. Somalia's ambitious National Transformation Plan 2025-2029 aims to boost the country's transformation and inclusive growth through targeted programs organized around 4 interconnected pillars, which are transformational governance, sustainable economic transformation, social and human capital transformation, environmental and climate resilience. Somalia has experienced rapid and measurable progress in security, economic reform, governance, and institutional development since presenting its first VNR in 2022. In December 2023, the UN Security Council, through the UN resolution, lifted the 31-year armies embargo, helping the government regain access to heavy weaponry to fight al-Shabaab. In recent years, the Somali National Army has regained control over multiple areas in the central and southern regions, flowing targeted offensive operations against extremist groups. Also, after 54 years, Somalia is currently serving as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2025-2026 term. In December '23, Somalia secured over $4.5 billion in debt relief through the IMF's HIPC initiative, canceling 99% of the debt and reducing external debt from 64% of the GDP in 2018 to 12% in 2025. In 2026, Somalia is experiencing a deepening drought emergency resulting in widespread crop failure, substantial livestock losses, and large-scale displacement. According to recent data, 40% of the population face high acute food insecurity. We have also strengthened our national data and statistical systems. With the Somali National Bureau of Statistics subsequently substantially increasing SDG data availability from 39% in 2022 during the first VNR to 70% in 2026. For the preparation of this VNR, SNBS took extensive inclusive consultations and SDG data validation with nearly 200 stakeholders across government, UN agencies, civil society organizations, including representatives of women and children, youth, persons with disabilities, the private sector, diaspora, academia, the labor groups, trade unions, ensuring broad national ownership of the VNR process. In the methodology, a mixed Methods. Qualitative and quantitative approach was used in the— for the VNR. The VNR is mainly comprised of official data from surveys and administrative data sources. Further, the VNR was conducted using modern statistical tools. For the progress in the SDGs, in SDG 1, no poverty, the national poverty rate declined from 69% in 2017 to 54% in 2022. However, poverty remains widespread and multidimensional, with 67% of Somalis considered multidimensional poor. Poverty is particularly severe among nomadic communities, where 78% of the population live below the national poverty line. In response to this, the federal government is Bahraini Social Protection Program has scaled up assistance to reach over 4 million beneficiaries by the end of 2026. In SDG 2, Zero Hunger, climate shocks have caused widespread displacement and adversely affected livelihood and food systems. In 2025, 44% of the population experienced moderate food insecurity, while a further 24% faced severe food insecurity. In SDG 3, which is good health, Somalia has made important progress in improving health outcomes. The maternal mortality ratio declined by 54% from 1,040 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006 to 563 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023. Progress has also been recorded in child survival, with the infant mortality rate decreased— decreasing by around 7% between 2020 and 2024. SDG 5, which is the gender equality, despite female genital mutilation remaining highly prevalent Somalia has made important progress in criminalizing in the federal member states. Representation of the women in the lower house of parliament declined from 24% in 2016 to 20% in 2022. IDPs accounted for 62% of reported GBV cases in 2024, increased to 77% in 2025. Highlighting the heightened protection risks faced by displaced women and girls. For clean water and sanitation, expanding access to basic drinking water services, national coverage increased significantly from 68% in 2021 to 75% in 2024. Progress in access to basic sanitation services has been slow and uneven. National coverage increased modestly from 41% in 2021 to 44% in 2024. In avoidable and clean energy, access to electricity increased from 49% in 2020 to 76% in 2025, reflecting continued investment in expanding energy access and improving essential services. Decent work and economic growth. As previously mentioned, Somalia has made significant progress in strengthening economic recovery. Economic growth has remained positive, increasing from 2.7% in 2022 and 4.1% in 2024. In innovation, industry, and infrastructure, mobile phone ownership has become widespread in Somalia, reaching 85% of the population aged 15. And above in 2022. Further, the country achieved one of the strongest improvements globally in ICT regulatory performance with its TRACA score increasing from 0 in 2007 to 77% in 2024. In climate action, despite contributing minimally to the causes, Somalia is the first country in East Africa to launch and submit its updated nationally determined contribution targeting 34% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. Life below water. Somalia has longest coastline in mainland Africa. Despite abundant resources, the fisheries sector remains underutilized. Further, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing causes estimated and a loss of 306. NSDG 16, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. In 2025, Mogadishu held the first one-person, one-vote local elections since 1969, with over 900,000 registered voters and 233,000 votes cast. Justice institutions continue to expand access to justice. Somalia maintained a relatively low homicide rate, 2.5 per 100,000 populations. Coming forward, overall, meaningful progress has been made across many of the SDGs. However, significant challenges remain, with almost half of the population food insecure, poverty levels remaining high, climate vulnerability, and inequalities in access to services. Somalia needs to accelerate action in order to attain transformation agenda. Specifically, we need to build a productive and diversified economy that creates opportunities for all, strengthen private sector-led growth and attract sustainable investment, invest in people, innovation, and future workforce, deepen institutional transformation, democracy, and accountable governance. Lastly, or finally, we need to strengthen data systems to drive evidence-based transformation. Somalia will continue building on the significant progress made in expanding SDG data availability since the Forestry VNR. Thank you very much.

I thank the Minister of Planning, Investment, and Economic Development of Somalia for the presentation. We will now hear comments and questions from states and other participants, delegations who wish to intervene in the interactive discussion, including those who previously expressed their interest to ask questions to any of the VNR presentations just heard through the Group of Friends of the VNRs, are invited to press the microphone button on the console. Before I give the floor to the first speaker, I would like to remind delegations to kindly limit their interventions I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Finland, to be followed by Jamaica and Rwanda.

Mr. Chair, Excellencies, delegates. First of all, I would like to thank Norway and Somalia, your VNRs. They presented comprehensive, knowledge-based, and future-oriented VNRs. They are excellent work. We particularly commend Norway's inclusive and participatory manner of preparing the VNR. Norway has meaningfully engaged a broad number of stakeholders with a special emphasis on young people. An interesting element in Norway's VNR process is the use of citizens' panels. Finland believes that providing stakeholders with spaces for independent The integrated assessments of progress and challenges in SDGs implementation deepens the whole-of-society approach in both PNR preparation and working for the SDGs. This is important for both ensuring that no one is left behind and in chasing ownership of SDGs implementation across societies. We would like to ask how Norway plans further development stakeholder participation and whether citizens' panels play a role in this work.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Finland and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Jamaica.

Thank you, Mr. President. Jamaica congratulates both Norway and Somalia for your excellent presentations. I have questions for both countries.

Jamaica commends the strong commitment of Norway to sustainable development—

I'm sorry, embedding the SDGs into mainstreaming policy development, whole-of-government approaches to implementation, and strengthening public participation.

We particularly note that Norway has evaluated all 169 targets this year. In this regard, could Norway share about what the basis of this evaluation has been? To Somalia, Jamaica congratulates Somalia on the progress that you have made and the achievements that support your transition to resilience, sustainability, and sustainable development. Somalia's VNR highlights the important role of data in monitoring progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Could you share the institutional and policy measures that have helped to strengthen data production and coordination across government and how these efforts are supporting evidence-based decision-making.

Thank you. Thanks to the distinguished representative of Jamaica. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Rwanda.

Thank you very much, Mr.

President, for giving Rwanda the floor. First, Rwanda commends Norway and Somalia for presenting their VNR this year. This is precisely the purpose of the VNR process, to foster peer learning, share experiences, and reflect on both progress and challenges ahead of us. We commend both countries for their commitment to this exercise. Mr. President, I will draw my attention to Somalia.

To which Rwanda extends its appreciation for the significant progress highlighted in the VNR, particularly your efforts to strengthen governance, advance economic recovery, and build resilience through national transformation.

Mr. Minister, if I may pose a question, your VNR identifies climate resilience as a key national priority. Could you elaborate on how your government is integrating climate adaptation into national planning while ensuring that economic growth and social inclusion remain at the center of your national development agenda?

Appreciate it.

I thank the distinguished representative of Rwanda. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative. of NGO Major Group.

This statement was prepared by representatives of Norwegian civil society organizations with input by more than 60 Norwegian civil society organizations. We are very happy that the Norwegian government included civil society in the official VNR report. The involvement shows the commitment to engaging civil society and other stakeholders in achieving the 2030 Agenda. We commend the inclusion of several of the challenges Norway faces in meeting the SDGs in the official report. These challenges include negative spillover effects and policy coherence for sustainable development. While important initiatives have been introduced in several areas, implementation remains insufficient, fragmented, and too slow to meet the ambition of the 2030 Agenda. Persistent inequalities, continued biodiversity loss, high resource consumption, insufficient climate action, and weak policy coherence continue to undermine progress. A recurring conclusion from the civil society assessment is that Norway's challenges are not primarily a question of capacity or resources. They are questions of political priorities, implementation, and coherence. Norway has both the means and responsibility to demonstrate that sustainable development is achievable. This requires policies that address the interconnections between the goals Recognize Norway's global footprint and ensure that short-term interests do not come at the expense of long-term sustainability. How will the Norwegian government follow up the negative spillover effects highlighted in the VNR report going forward? What are the means of implementation for achieving policy coherence for sustainable development and tackling the negative spillover effects?

Thank you. Thank you, distinguished representative of NGO Major Group. And I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea.

Thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to pose questions to the presenters. I would also like to commend the distinguished delegation of Somalia and Norway for their comprehensive and insightful presentation of their voluntary national reviews. We were particularly impressed by Norway's establishment of the National Citizens Panel in 2024, which served as a deliberative platform on sustainable consumption and production. My question is directed to Norway. As the Republic of Korea prepares its next volunteer national review in 2027, we are placing strong emphasis on adopting a whole societal approach. that ensures broad and inclusive stakeholder participation. In this respect, we would like to share your lessons and experiences in more detail. Could you kindly elaborate on how the deliberative process of the National Citizens' Panel was structured, particularly with respect to facilitating discussion and developing policy recommendations?

Thank you.

Our thanks to the distinguished representative of the Republic of Korea, and I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Brazil.

Thank you, President. Thank you for giving Brazil the floor. We congratulate Norway and Somalia on the VNR submitted to the HLPF this year. Norway's report has a strong commitment to inclusive governance.

And stakeholder engagement.

We particularly note the establishment of the National Citizens' Panel in 2024 as an innovative mechanism to strengthen citizen participation in sustainability policymaking. Brazil commends Norway for incorporating the panel's recommendation into its report on the SDGs. In this regard, could Norway share the main lessons learned from this experience and how it plans to further use citizen participation mechanisms to support SDG implementation. Thank you so much.

Thanks to the distinguished representative of Brazil. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bahrain.

Thank you, Mr. President. At the outset, I wish to congratulate Norway and Somalia on presenting their 2026 voluntary national reviews. and express my appreciation for their comprehensive presentations. I'd like to present a question for the delegation of Somalia. Your VNR highlights important progress in advancing economic reforms. Could you share which reforms have been most transformative in strengthening the economy and creating the conditions for sustainable and inclusive growth?

I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Bahrain. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Workers' and Trade Unions Major Group.

Thank you, Mr. President. We welcome the federal government of Somalia's commitment to implementing 2030 Agenda through the National Transformation Plan and ongoing reforms to strengthen governance, local institutions, and public service delivery. We recognize progress in public finance management, climate resilience, a just transition, humanitarian coordinator, and efforts to protect vulnerable groups. We also acknowledge initiatives to strengthen oversight institutions, improve access to basic services, and expand social protection. However, implementation remains uneven. We remain concerned that many commitments have yet to translate into tangible improvements in the daily lives of ordinary Somalis. Persistent insecurity, weak institutions, corruption, limited transparency, and inadequate public participation continue to undermine progress towards the SDGs. Food insecurity, climate change, unemployment, displacement, and widespread poverty continue to affect millions of Somalis, while women, children, internally displaced persons, Older people, persons with disabilities, and minority communities still face significant barriers to accessing justice, education, social protection, and decent work. We call for greater investment in peacebuilding that addresses the root causes of conflict through decent work, social protection, inclusive governance, reconciliation, and social dialogue. We also urge stronger protection of human and labor rights, an end to impunity, The protection of civic space, safeguard journalists' safety, and meaningful participation of trade unions, women, and young people in decision-making, and closer alignment of national legislations with international human rights standards. We as organized civil society stand ready to work with the government to accelerate implementation of the SDGs. We therefore ask, what concrete accountability mechanism will the—

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Workers' and Trade Unions Major Group. I now invite the presenters to briefly respond to the questions from the floor within a minute— a maximum of 5 minutes. I give the floor to His Excellency Asmund Altkrust, Minister of International Thank you.

Thank you for excellent questions, and I give the floor to Annette Davidsen to respond to them.

Thank you, Minister and Mr. President. I would like to thank Brazil and Finland at first and again for their contribution to Norway's VNR process. Without your close collaboration, we would not be sitting here today. I will first be answering the question from Brazil, Finland, Korea, and Brazil. I highly appreciate Brazil and Finland's interest in Norway's efforts to promote broad stakeholder and citizen participation in the implementation of the SDGs. We particularly appreciate the recognition of the National Citizen Panel on Sustainable Consumption. Norway attaches great importance to involving citizens and and stakeholders in public policymaking. We have a long tradition of public consultation and dialogue to ensure broad participation in the development of policies and measures. One important lesson from the National Citizen Panel on Sustainable Consumption was that informed and structured public deliberation can bring valuable perspectives and strengthen the legitimacy of sustainability policies. Such participation not only improves policymaking, it also helps build trust in public institutions and strengthen democratic processes. The result was from the National Citizens Panel was included in our white paper on, on the follow-up, national follow-up on the SDGs. Stakeholder engagement is also supported through the higher Executive Forum for the SDGs. It provides a space for dialogue, shared learning, and collaboration to support SDG implementation. Following an evaluation in 2025, work is underway to further strengthen the forum and enhance its effectiveness. Looking ahead, Norway will continue to promote broad and inclusive participation in the implementation of the SDGs. Building on previous experience, a new citizens' panel will be established as a part of the work of the Economic Transition Committee. The panel will serve as a reference group on the commission and provide citizens' perspectives to inform its work. I would also like to thank Jamaica for their interest in Norway's VNR. An evidence-based approach is essential to achieving the SDGs. Norway's assessment of the targets was done by combining official statistics and national policy analysis and stakeholder input. The review draws on Statistics Norway's SDGs indicator system, which includes both global and national indicators. As of now, there are over 300 indicators in total. It's a priority for the government to further develop this framework. Further, other official policy documents were used, in particular the 2026 White Paper on the SDGs. The government's evaluation was also complemented by independent civil society assessments. We have thus made sure that each target was assessed with available data, trends, and policy developments. And on the remarks by major groups and other stakeholders. Norway takes the issue of negative spillover effects seriously and considers policy coherence for sustainable development an essential element of implementing the 2030 Agenda. The government recognized that domestic policies may have impacted— impacts beyond Norway's borders, and that sustainable development requires a holistic approach across sectors. Going forward, Norway will strengthen efforts to identify, discuss, and address such spillover effects through improvement— improved policy coherence mechanisms. Key means of implementations include established procedures for policy formulation, inter-ministerial coordination, and broad stakeholder consultation to ensure that global impacts and long-term sustainability considerations are taken into account in decision-making. An important institutional step is in— is the integration of policy coherences into the Higher Executive Forum for the SDGs, established under the previous National Action Plan for Sustainable Development. Regarding specific spillover concerns, including high consumption levels and Greenhouse gas emissions, Norway is pursuing ambitious climate policies, increasing climate finance, supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency, and contributing to the global transition towards a greener and more circular economy. Thank you.

Doy las gracias.

I thank His Excellency Asmund Alkostman. Minister of International Development in Norway, and Ms. Annette Davidsen, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Public Governance. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mohamed Abdirahman Farrah, Minister of Planning, Investment, and Economic Development of Somalia.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I just want to thank the Rwanda delegation, the Bahrain and also the workers in Jamaica, and as well as the workers and trade union questions. So I will take the first question regarding the climate, which was asked by our delegation from Rwanda, and then I will transfer the other questions to my DG, the Somali National Statistics Agency Director General. So thank you for the question regarding integrating climate adaptation into the national planning. Somalia integrates climate adaptation into the national planning by treating resiliency not only as a separate environmental program, but also as a foundation for economic development, poverty reduction, and social inclusion. Also, our administration, this new administration, this government, when we came in, our— the political willingness of the President to handle and solve the issue of the climate, how serious affecting our people, we have created a new ministry, a standalone ministry for environment and climate change to handle this critical area of climate change. One more area that we also have worked on was the National Transformation Plan, which is the 5-year roadmap of the development program plan of the country. One standalone pillar is the environment and climate resiliency pillar, which is mainstreaming all the development programs who are handling or fixing the the programs of the climate resiliency development programs. So for Somalia, the climate adaptation is not a choice between resiliency and development. I mean, it is the means through which our country can protect the development gains, what we have gained, and also created productive employment reduce inequality, and also achieve sustainable inclusive economic transformation. I thank you and I will transfer to the other questions to Abdusalam.

Thank you very much, Your Excellency Minister. I would like to thank Rwanda, Bahrain, Jamaica, and Mr. Farouk Osman, General Secretary Office, for their valuable questions. For the first question, one of the key lessons from Somalia's development experience is that stronger institutions require stronger data. As our statistical system has developed, so too our ability to plan, monitor, and target our national priorities more effectively. Our progress has been guided by the Second National Strategy for Development of Statistics, which strengthens the national statistical system and reinforces the coordination role of the Somali National Bureau of Statistics across government. Given Somalia's context, we have adopted a practical approach to increasing data availability. While national representative surveys remain essential, they are resource-intensive and often depend on development partner support. At the same time, the Somali National Bureau of Statistics has worked closely with sectoral ministries to strengthen and digitize administrative data system is improving the availability of timely official statistics for SDG monitoring and evidence-based policymaking. These efforts are now supporting the implementation of Somalia's National Transformation Plan 2025, ensuring that progress towards inclusive growth and resilience is increasingly driven by reliable nationally audited data. This progress is also reflected internationally with Somalia's recording a significant improvement in the World Bank's statistical performance indicators from 19% in 2029 to 51% in 2024. Regarding the question from Bahrain, Somalia's economic progress has been built on sustained reforms and stronger national ownership. Over the past decade, we have implemented far-reaching reforms to strengthen public financial management, improve domestic revenue mobilization, and also reinforce macroeconomic stability. These efforts restored confidence in our economy and enabled Somalia to achieve the HIB completion bond, marking a major milestone in Somalia's economic recovery. However, we see this not as an end in itself, but as the beginning of a new phase of development. Alongside these reforms, We have strengthened the economic statistics needed to guide policy through the National— Somalia National Bureau of Statistics. We have expanded the production of key macroeconomic indicators, including the GDP and the consumer price indices, giving governments more timely and reliable evidence to monitor growth, inflation, and also the impact of economic reforms. Somalia has a long tradition of entrepreneurship, and our private sector has has demonstrated remarkable resilience despite decades of conflict. Therefore, our National Transformation Plan places private sector-led growth at the center of economic transformation. Our role as government is therefore to create an enabling environment where businesses can expand and also create jobs. A key part of the effort is the gradual formalization of the economy. The recent Business Establishment Census has, for the first time, time provided a comprehensive picture of Somalia's business landscape. This evidence is helping us design policies that encourage formalization, improve the investment climate, expand the tax base, and also unlock greater private sector. Our experience has shown that sustainable economic transformation is driven by sound economic reforms, strong institutions, and vibrant private sector with continued international partnership we are laying the foundation for inclusive growth, greater resilience, and also improved livelihoods for Somali people. For the final question from Mr. Omar Farouk, in preparing Somalia's Voluntary National Review, the Government of Somalia undertook an inclusive and participatory process consulting with trade unions, women, children, and youth, non-government organizations, and also local authorities to ensure that the review reflected diverse perspectives on progress and priorities for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Thank you very much.

I thank the ministers and the Director-General, Abdi Rahman Farah. I'd like to thank the distinguished presenters for their answers. I'd also like to thank the delegations for their valuable contributions. Before concluding, I would like to recall that General Assembly Resolution 75/290B provides that 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 the forum. We've thus completed our program of work for this meeting. The forum will reconvene tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. in this same conference room. Detailed information on the program is available on the HLPF website and on iGov. The meeting is adjourned.