President Röpke attends the 2023 High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development

From Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 July, EESC President Oliver Röpke attended the UN High-Level Political Forum, in New York, to discuss sustainable development and the crucial role played by civil society in this process.

Alongside the President, an EESC delegation also attended the event, comprising the following members: Peter Schmidt, Antje Gerstein, Maria Nikolopoulou, Lidija Pavić-Rogošić, and Cillian Lohan.

During this pivotal event, President Röpke held bilateral meetings with United Nations officials at the highest level, Major Group representatives and other stakeholders on the ground, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Guy Ryder, Deputy Head of Delegation, Silvio Gonzato, Deputy Executive Director UN Women, Sarah Hendriks, Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake, Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni and Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, and other high-level figures.

Through the bilateral meetings and side events President Röpke, together with the EESC delegation, passed strong messages on the importance of ensuring structured and meaningful involvement of civil society groups, youth organisations, women groups, businesses and trade unions as a key element to boost the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

On Wednesday 19 July, the first ever EU-level Voluntary Review (EUVR) of progress towards the 2030 Agenda – accompanied by an EESC contribution - was presented. President Röpke reiterated the importance of providing the collective views of civil society to this review, as the transformation to sustainability will only be successful if it is based on broad support and active participation by all parts of society. He also stressed the need to truly engage in a just transition and bring everyone along in this journey.

Speaking about the way forward, the President expressed that the EESC is ready to continue playing its part in accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and strengthening its role as a convening space for civil society to engage with policy-makers. Furthermore, the EESC is committed to continue contributing to the next EUVR, advocating for its regular practice, which can accelerate further progress towards the SDGs both within and outside the EU.