Least Developed Countries

The High-level Segment/ Ministerial Meeting of HLPF 2018 opened on Monday at UN Headquarters in New York. The opening session was followed by two sessions on Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), where 14 countries presented their reports: Ecuador, Kiribati, Lithuania, Mali, Guinea, Greece, Mexico, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Benin, Cabo Verde, Slovakia, Bahrain, Colombia, and Viet Nam. A parallel session in the afternoon included: reporting on regional forums; an address by the President of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA); an introduction to the UN Secretary-General’s reports on the UN Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) main theme and thematic discussion; and an introduction to the report of the Committee for Development Policy. A general debate started on Monday afternoon. For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. Visit our coverage of selected side events at HLPF 2018 IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from HLPF 2018. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Opening of the High-Level Segment of ECOSOC / Ministerial Segment of HLPF View of the dais during the opening of the high-level segment Miroslav Lajčák, President of the UNGA UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed Marie Chatardová, President of ECOSOC Michelle Yeoh, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador and Actress Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth Delegates gather for the opening of the High-Level Segment Voluntary National Reviews Mahamane A. Maiga, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mali José Augusto Briones, National Secretary of Planning and Development, Ecuador Socrates Famellos, Alternate Minister of Environment and Energy, Greece Teuea Toatu, Minister for Finance and Economic Development, Kiribati Kęstutis Navickas, Minister of Environment, Lithuania Delegates watch a video about fabrics made from sustainable wood fibers, presented by Michelle Yeoh, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador and Actress Kanny Diallo, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Guinea Abdullah Naser Lootah, Director General, Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, UAE Luis Fernando Mejía Alzate, Minister of National Planning, Colombia José da Silva Gonçalves, Minister of Tourism and Transport, and Maritime Economy, Cabo Verde Abdoulaye Bio Tchané, Minister of State for Planning and Development, Benin Francisco Guzmán Ortiz, Head of the Office of the President, Mexico Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Mutawa, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Bahrain Richard Raši, Deputy Prime Minister for Investments and Information, Slovakia Nguyen The Phuong, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Planning and Development, Viet Nam Reporting on Regional Forums Delegates gather in the Trusteeship Council for the report on regional forums Jerry Matthews Matjila, Vice-President, ECOSOC Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Georgia Mame Thierno Dieng, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Senegal Ghassan Hasbani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, Lebanon Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Cuba Siim Kiisler, President of UNEA, and Minister of Environment, Estonia Michael Gerber, Special Envoy for Global Sustainable Development, Federal Department for Foreign Affairs, Switzerland General Debate View of the dais during the general debate José Antonio Ocampo, Chair, UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) Sahar Nasr, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation, Egypt, speaking on behalf of the G-77/China Alicia Beatriz Pucheta de Correa, Vice-President, Paraguay, speaking on behalf of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for the Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, EU President Thomas Esang Remengesau Jr., Palau, speaking on behalf of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Around the Venue Sergio Bergman, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Argentina UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed speaks with delegates Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General, Economic and Social Affairs, speaks with Juan José Gómez Camacho, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN Erik Solheim, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director, and Jamil Ahmad, UNEP Reinaldo Salgado, Brazil, speaks with a delegate Delegates from Kyrgyzstan Delegates from Jamaica Delegates from Guinea Ibrahim Thiaw, UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser for Sahel Delegates between sessions An exhibition about the New Urban Agenda and the 'Right to the City' encourages people to understand the linkages between SDGs, and how these relate to creating sustainable cities

HLPF 2018 continued on Wednesday at UN Headquarters in New York. In the morning, two thematic reviews based on the theme of transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies took place: perspectives of small island developing States (SIDS); and perspectives of least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and middle-income countries (MICs). In the afternoon, the review of SDG implementation continued, with a session on SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). For extensive details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin. Visit our coverage of selected side events at HLPF 2018 IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) Meeting Coverage, provided daily digital coverage, daily reports, and a summary and analysis report from HLPF 2018. Photos by IISD/ENB | Kiara Worth For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Thematic Review: Transformation Towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies - SIDS Perspective View of the dais during the session Moderator Elizabeth Thompson, Permanent Representative-designate of Barbados to the UN Marc Pecsteen, Vice-President of ECOSOC Alexander Teabo, Minister for Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development, Kiribati Addys Claribel Then Marte, Executive Director, NGO Alliance Rhonda Robinson, Deputy Director, Water and Sanitation, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Tessa Williams-Robertson, Head, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Unit, Caribbean Development Bank Adrianus Vlugman, Water Sanitation, Environmental Health, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/ World Health Organization (WHO) Vishal Luchoomun, Mauritius Lucas Tavares, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) Pennelope Beckles, Trinidad and Tobago, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Thematic Review: Transformation Towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies - Perspectives of LDCs, LLDCs and MICs View of the dais during the session Moderator Karin Fernando, Center for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), Sri Lanka Idriss Maïga Alzouma, President, African Disability Forum, and Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities Maruxa Cardama, Cities Alliance, Belgium Kaba Urgessa, State Minister for Environmental Sustainability, Ethiopia Felipe Castro Pachón, Director, Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Policy, National Planning Department, Colombia Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, UN High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS Tareq Md. Ariful Islam, Bangladesh, speaking on behalf of LDCs Rubén Escalante Hasbún, El Salvador Maimuna Kabatesi, NGO Major Group Bhakta Bishwakarma, Asia-Pacific Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Review of SDG Implementation: SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable Benjamin Rae, Statistics Division, UN DESA Leilani Farha, UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Moderator Rohit T. Aggarwala, Columbia University Jean Todt, Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety Meera Al Shaikh, Member of the SDG 11 Global Council, and Smart Dubai, UAE Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director, UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) Wim Dries, Mayor of the City of Genk, and President, Flemish Association of Local Councils, Belgium Penny Abeywardena, Commissioner for International Affairs, New York City Shaila Shahid, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), and Women’s Major Group Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State, Housing and Urban Affairs, India Bogdan Toader, Romania Pablo Fernández Marmissolle Daguerre, Mexico   Around the Venue Elizabeth Thompson, Permanent Representative-designate of Barbados to the UN, and Irena Zubcevic, UN DESA Delegates from Norway Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of State, Housing and Urban Affairs, India, speaks with a delegate A delegate takes a photo of Vani Catanasiga, Fiji Council of Social Services, during an intervention Delegates between sessions An exhibition about Singapore's answer to SDG 6: ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Alan Bigelow, Solar Cookers International, explains how to harness zero-emissions solar energy to cook food, to two children from Palestine enjoying the exhibits on display