Published on 12 February 2025

The 2030 Agenda and Switzerland in the multilateral system

The 2030 Agenda is integrated into various forums in the multilateral system. The annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development are of particular importance, serving as platforms for in-depth discussions on issues pertaining to implementation.

The High-level Political Forum

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) serves to review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It takes place annually in July at the UN headquarters in New York and is organised by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Every year, the HLPF deals with a selection of SDGs in detail, which are known as the ‹SDGs under review›. These are analysed in depth, while the member states have the opportunity to exchange views on them and make statements on their implementation. The voluntary country reports of the member states are also presented at the HLPF. These form the centrepiece of the review process, and allow the member states to present their priorities, progress and challenges faced in implementing the 2030 Agenda. A ministerial declaration is also adopted at each HLPF in which the member states define priorities for the further implementation of the 2030 Agenda and provide new impetus for delivering it.

Switzerland is actively involved in the review process and has already presented two comprehensive country reports in 2018 and 2022. Each country report is based on a prior assessment of Switzerland's implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Switzerland participates annually in the HLPF and hosts an appropriate side-event to take a closer look at a key topic in the Agenda's implementation.

The Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

In preparation for the HLPF, regional forums on sustainable development are organised by the various UN regions. As part of this, the UN Economic Commission for Europe organises the annual UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Geneva. Here, the same SDGs are discussed as in the respective HLPF, but on a smaller scale. The regional focus allows for deeper discussions on topics that are particularly relevant to the UNECE region (Europe and Central Asia).

Switzerland is represented every year by a delegation from various federal offices, as well as by representatives from civil society, the business and scientific communities, and the subnational level. In 2023, Switzerland co-chaired the forum together with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The 2023 SDG Summit

The 2023 SDG Summit marked the halfway point on the road to implementing the 2030 Agenda. The heads of government of the member states spent two days in September 2023 working intensively on the 2030 Agenda. In their political declaration, they reaffirmed the importance of the 2030 Agenda as a common framework for sustainable development. They noted that the world was not on track to achieve the goals agreed in the 2030 Agenda and committed to accelerating their implementation.

Documents

Contact

2030 Agenda
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA
Prosperity and Sustainability Division