Devex: Lagging statistics raise questions ahead of annual U.N. SDGs review
“The upcoming annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the United Nations will be a virtual affair. The format will present new opportunities for inclusivity, but also heightened challenges of accurately assessing countries’ development progress, civil society observers say. Forty-seven countries will present updates on their work — known as voluntary national reviews — toward achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals during the meetings, which run from July 7-16. The impact of COVID-19 is expected to feature in some country reports, but is unlikely to prompt a recalibration of their SDGs advancement, as many governments began their voluntary national review process before the pandemic hit in early 2020…” (Lieberman, 7/6).

U.N. News: ‘Stay the course together to emerge stronger’ from COVID-19 crisis: U.N. chief’s message to major sustainability forum
“As a major United Nations forum prepares to assess progress towards a fairer future for people and the planet, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that each of the Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), which formally begins on Tuesday, is an annual stock-take of the world’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)…” (7/5).

U.N. News: Business sector still far from reaching sustainability goals, U.N. report shows, 20 years on from landmark summit
“A new U.N. report on the private sector, released by U.N. Global Compact, shows that progress on bringing about a sustainable future for people and the planet is patchy, and the majority of companies involved in the Compact are not doing enough to help bring about the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development…” (7/4).