The 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) launched the final third of a 15-year timeline to achieve the UN’s 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The five-year deadline is a cause for concern, as most of the goals are progressing too slowly. Although the official discussion on the “post-2030” development will not begin until the 2027 SDG summit, there was a clear sense of urgency in the forum. A significant concern is that 75% of the SDGs are unlikely to be achieved by 2030.
According to the UN’s 2025 SDG report, progress is being made on 35% of the goals, but only 18% is on schedule. On the other hand, 35% of the goals have stopped or regressed. This year’s priorities are particularly worrying: SDG 3 (health and well-being), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 14 (life underwater) and SDG 17 (partnerships). According to the UN Secretary-General’s report, none of these are progressing as planned, and SDG 8 and SDG 14 are particularly far from their targets. SDG 14 is also one of the least funded goals.
The main challenges are a lack of funding, a lack of political will and limited capacity. Several interconnected crises, such as wars, climate catastrophe, inflation and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, together add to the challenges.
In addition to these, the situation is complicated by structural problems, such as unsustainable debt burdens and a decrease in foreign aid as countries transfer resources to defense spending. The UN is also suffering from unpaid contributions from member states and growing distrust of global governance.
In their closing remarks at the Forum, several delegations proposed amendments to the draft Ministerial Declaration. The United States’ statement in particular attracted attention: the country announced that it rejected the entire declaration and demanded the deletion of several paragraphs that dealt with gender equality, climate action and labour rights. The United States justified its position by saying that these themes are “divisive”. The proposals were rejected by a clear vote, and Mexico called the U.S. statement “divisive and inappropriate.” In the end, the declaration was adopted in its original form, with the United States and Israel voting against it.
The separation of one country from the common sustainable development agenda is regrettable, but not a problem that the HLPF can solve. Progress towards the SDGs should not be assessed solely on the basis of statistics. Although many of the goals are not on schedule, progress is being made, and many people’s living conditions have improved since 2015. In addition, the SDGs have had a softer effect, promoting new ways of working and a more open discussion culture.
One of the most significant advances is the voluntary national assessments (VNRs). The vast majority of Member States – including the EU – have drawn up at least one VNR, and many have reported several times. VNRs have evolved from “advertising speeches” in the early years towards peer review, in which proposals are followed by questions from other states and stakeholders. Although some of the questions are pre-agreed, many are sharp and provide additional information, sometimes acknowledging challenges.
Governments have also described in a more concrete way how the SDGs have been incorporated into national plans and strategies. Several countries have openly communicated their challenges, enabling constructive feedback and the creation of new partnerships. Cooperation with stakeholders has proven to be beneficial, bringing new ideas and resources to implementation.
Another emerging phenomenon is the increase in local and regional evaluations (VLR and VSR). These will focus on better data collection, which will support coherent and evidence-based decision-making at different levels of government. This suggests growing local ownership and allows for more tailored management and monitoring.
The HLPF must also be an open space for non-state actors. According to the participants, their voices are heard better in the HLPF than in many other forums, such as the UN Financing conference in early summer. However, after the pandemic, the representation of civil society has decreased, which is also reflected in the number of side events. This raises the question: is it enough to improve the processes if some actors do not have access to the forum at all?
The OECD estimates that the funding gap for the SDGs in low- and middle-income countries has grown to $4 trillion a year. In 2022, the corresponding figure was 2.5 trillion. The increase is due to increased climate costs and geopolitical uncertainty. Many countries welcomed the outcomes of the Finances for Development conference (FfD4), which include commitments to reform the global financial system, support tax reforms, and manage the debt burden.
Although some criticised the results of FfD4 for focusing on the private sector, alternative forms of financing, such as South-South cooperation and tripartite cooperation, also came up in the discussions. China’s Global Development Initiative was mentioned as a possible alternative to traditional donors, although its emphasis on infrastructure may leave less attention to gender equality, for example.
The HLPF provides an important forum for reflecting on the impact of global crises and geopolitical changes on sustainable development. This means not only assessing the goals at the national level, but also open discussion on how multilateral and other international cooperation can contribute to the achievement of the goals.
When considering what will happen after 2030, it is good to remember that the HLPF will continue to create momentum for sustainable development, regardless of whether all the SDGs are achieved. As Secretary-General António Guterres said at the opening of the Forum’s ministerial segment: “We need to turn momentum into change.”
Finnsus’ CEO Rilli Lappalainen participated in the meeting in July as part of the Finnish delegation.