SIWI raises water perspectives at the High-Level Political Forum

The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is an annual stocktaking moment for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development held at the UN headquarters in New York. Each year focuses on a different set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and SIWI takes part to draw attention to how water impacts and is impacted by the SDGs themes under review.

This year’s conference, running from 5 July to 15 July, tackles the theme “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. The forum will give specific attention to an in-depth review of the SDG 4 on quality education, SDG 5 on gender equality, SDG 14 on life below water, and SDG 15 on life on land. Progress on SDG 17 on partnerships for the Goals is assessed on a yearly basis.

“The 2022 High-level Political Forum is of crucial importance because we are now halfway to 2030 when all the SDGs should be fulfilled. Unfortunately, we are not on track to succeed, as recently described in a report from the UN Secretary-General. To rescue the 2030 Agenda, the report calls for a completely new approach. Water is one of the most powerful tools to achieve this since it connects all the SDGs,” explains Tove Lexén.

Representing SIWI, she will be joining the official Swedish Delegation to the HLPF alongside other Swedish stakeholders such as state agencies, local governments, research institutes, and a handful of civil society actors. This provides SIWI the opportunity to participate in daily meetings with Swedish government representatives at the Swedish Permanent Mission to the UN, attend the official sessions of the HLPF seated alongside the Swedish delegation, and network with decision-makers and various stakeholders.