Highlights and images for 11 July 2024

Accounts of war and reports of human rights infringements and “alarming” levels of violence against children, including the plight of millions of child refugees and asylum seekers, rang through the halls of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) on its fourth day. In the morning, delegates focused on the in-depth review of the 16th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all, and effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions.

Want to dig deeper into today's talks? Read the full Earth Negotiations Bulletin daily report.

Official reports that progress on SDG 16 is significantly off track belied speakers’ continuous references to peace, justice, and freedom from fear and violence as critical enabling conditions for the achievement of all 17 SDGs. The session concluded with calls for self-critical reflection on: the need for renewed investment in accountability mechanisms at all levels; and a restoration of trust and meaningful participation in public institutions, with a possible role for the upcoming Summit of the Future.

Delegates then heard a progress report of the 10-year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP). The 10YFP is designed to accelerate a shift at regional, national, and global levels, delinking economic growth from environmental degradation. Annika Lindblom, Co-Chair, 10YFP Board, noted this is closely linked to SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), which seeks to steer conventional understandings of economic growth by actively encouraging inclusive and sustainable economic development.

In the afternoon, attention turned to ways of building resilience and capacity for African countries, least developed countries (LDCs), and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). Moderator Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head, UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, said these groups of countries are disproportionately impacted by climate change and natural disasters, while also facing severe barriers to trade and other economic opportunities. Several speakers issued reminders that LDCs and LLDCs bear the brunt of climate disasters for which they are least responsible, and drew attention to the need for solutions that consider national contexts. Many welcomed the completion of the third LLDC programme of action, which contains roadmaps for strengthening food security, climate resilience, and freedom of transit, and is due to be adopted at the third LLDC Conference taking place in Botswana in December 2024.

The final session of the day considered barriers affecting middle-income countries (MICs) in their achievement of the SDGs. Interventions converged on calls to move beyond gross domestic product (GDP) as a measure of economic progress. José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, cautioned that GDP-based classifications have led to the “middle-income trap,” whereby countries experience stagnation in their development pathways from least developed to advanced economies. Many delegates stressed that resulting obstacles include reduced access to official development assistance and concessional funding, and welcomed steps towards more innovative and multidimensional measures of development.