President Röpke discusses key contributions EESC can bring to Summit of the Future with UN Under-Secretaries-General

On 12 July, EESC President Oliver Röpke held bilateral meetings with UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder as well as UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua, in the context of the UN High-Level Political Forum taking place in New York.

During the meetings, President Röpke presented the work of the EESC concerning the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the potential cooperation during the upcoming Summit of the Future in September. USG Li Junhua expressed his strong support for the EESC's involvement in the upcoming Summit of the Future. This sentiment was echoed by USG Ryder who reiterated that the EESC should play an important and substantial role in the upcoming Summit.

In the context of the HLPF, President Röpke had the opportunity to discuss current geopolitical challenges with Head of EU Delegation Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, DG ENER Director-General Ditte Juul-Jorgensen, Spanish Minister for Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera. On Monday 15 July, President Röpke also met with Commissioner for International Affairs Edward Mermelstein and Deputy Commissioner Kristen Edgreen Kaufman of the New York Mayor's Office. During the meeting, the President had a rich exchange of best practices on affordable housing, international cooperation and economic development.

From 15 to 17 July, an EESC delegation is participating in the High-Level Political Forum in New York – a pivotal event for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation. The HLPF in July 2024 will be the first HLPF under the auspices of ECOSOC after the 2023 SDG Summit. The 2024 HLPF will support the implementation of the Political Declaration and other outcomes of the SDG Summit for advancing the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.