Beirut, 8 July 2018 (United Nations Information Centre)– Lebanon will present its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development* and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the ministerial meeting of the Economic and Social Council’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development on Wednesday 18 July 2018, between 9 am and 2 pm New York time.
The HLPF will convene in New York from Monday 9 July until Wednesday 18 July 2018, under the theme “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”. It will review successes, discuss challenges and mobilize efforts to achieve the SDGs, being the key platform for tracking progress in this area. As with each year, a specific set of objectives will be reviewed; and this year Goals 6, 7, 11, 12 and 15 will be assessed, in addition to Goal 17, which is reviewed annually. Forty-seven countries from around the world, including Lebanon, will report voluntarily on their progress in implementing these goals.
The Lebanese government has taken major steps towards the implementation of the SDGs and has sought to send a positive message about Lebanon’s commitment and determination to implement the 2030 Agenda. Hence, the government established a National Committee in June 2017 consisting of all ministries and public institutions, as well as representatives from civil society and the private sector.
Accordingly, the United Nations in Lebanon supported the Lebanese government in organizing a workshop for the National Committee on SDGs on 7 December 2017 that was launched by Lebanon’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health Ghassan Hasbani and the acting United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Tanya Chapuisat. The workshop discussed key themes related to the SDGs, and focused on subsequent steps for the National Committee towards meeting Lebanon’s commitment to submit its first VNR to the High-Level Political Forum. The National Committee workshop was followed by introductory workshops with private sector and civil society. Supported by the UN, civil society held further discussions at a sub-regional level for greater participation and inclusiveness.
*Reminder: In September 2015, 193 Member States of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They committed to a set of goals that seek to eradicate all types of poverty and achieve a more sustainable world, addressing challenges ranging from governance to health, from women’s empowerment to environmental sustainability. The SDGs build on the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and set a vision as to how the world should look like in 2030.
For more information on the HLPF:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2018
To access Lebanon’s National Voluntary Review Report:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/19484Lebanon_VNR_2018.pdf
To view the HLPF programme of work:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/hlpf/2018#programme