High-level Political Forum 2018 (HLPF 2018): Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies, New York, NY, USA

Published on: 15/02/2018

The meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2018 (HLPF 2018) convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council included a three-day ministerial meeting of the forum 16 to 18 July 2018. The theme will be "Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies". The set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be reviewed in depth will include Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

One of the preparatory events included the High Level International Conference on the Implementation of the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development", 2018-2028, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 20-22 June 2018.

UN-Water compiled a list of water and sanitation events during HLPF. Two of these were co-organised by the IRC-led Watershed empowering citizens programme:

Why robust multi-stakeholder national accountability mechanisms are essential for achieving SDG6

• Organisers: WSSCC, SWA, UNDP, FANSA, FANMEX, ANEW, EWP, Coalition Eau, Watershed Consortium,  The Governments of Kenya, Nigeria, Togo, Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Permanent Mission to the UN
• Date and time: Wednesday 11 July 16:00-17:30 (followed by a cocktail)
• Venue: PERMANENT MISSION OF SRI LANKA TO THE UN, 820 2ND AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10017

Are women meaningfully involved in implementing SDG 6+ in the national plans?

• Organisers: Permanent Mission of Hungary to the UN, Women for Water Partnership and contributors: International Federation of Business and Professional Women, Soroptimist International, NGO coordination CSW/ NY, Un Women, “Watershed”/Simavi
• Date and time: Thursday 12 July 13:15 – 14:30
• Venue: UN Headquarters Conference Room 8
• Short description: Agenda 2030 and the SDGs give unique guidance both on women’s empowerment (SDG5) and the importance of “ water”(SDG6) and the connection between the two. WfWP and partners analysed the voluntary national reports (2016-2018) on the combination of the two: did countries address the joined implementation of SDG5 and 6? Or are actions lagging behind their rhetoric? The session aims to attract attention to the combined agenda and deliberate on the ways forward

Elynn Walter and Erma Uytewaal represented IRC and the Watershed consortium at HLPF 2018. There findings are written up in the blog "High level promotion for SDG 6 national accountability mechanisms", published on 18 July 2018.

Contact IRC:

For more information about IRC's participation in HLPF please contact: Vera van der Grift, Head of global communications, grift@ircwash.org