On Friday morning, participants discussed concrete actions and recommendations to inform the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) negotiations. Jes Weigelt, IASS, recalled that thematic reviews are uncharted territory and offer room for input. Ivonne Lobos Alva, IASS, outlined suggested recommendations, including: encouraging member states to support the draft resolution and proposed themes for review in 2017-2019; encouraging the use of informal processes and reports; and encouraging member states to consider adding principles for the inclusion of stakeholders in voluntary national reviews.

In a panel discussion, speakers presented ideas how different organizations and sectors can contribute to thematic reviews, including: the FAO Committee on World Food Security (CFS) serving as a platform to review, discuss and implement integrated policy tools; creating a UN task team to integrate civil society; engaging stakeholders to deepen the scope of issues that might be left out by the general review process; viewing rural communities and civil society as active partners and agents of change; outlining a strategy for HLPF review in 2019; and using thematic reviews to monitor crosscutting issues and informing decisions on nexuses, such as that between food water and energy. 

During a luncheon, ambassadors of the permanent missions to the UN of Thailand, Mexico and Sierra Leone, and other speakers exchanged views on, among other issues, innovative approaches needed to address the SDGs in an unprecedented context, how to organize collective learning, how to address national priority setting in an overarching way and how informal processes such as the current event can inform the work of HLPF.

For more Information, please check: HERE