Exclusive Press Briefing: Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals One Year After Being Adopted

From July 11-20, government officials, development experts, the private sector, and civil society organizations will come together at the United Nations for the first High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Climate Agreement were adopted. The Forum is the central platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs and will be the first look at the progress made in achieving the goals and will provide an opportunity for countries, civil society, and the private sector to share plans and best practices.

The Forum’s theme, “Ensuring that no one is left behind” will drive the discussion on how to help the poorest and most vulnerable to end extreme poverty. The UN Secretary General will also release the first annual report on the progress towards the SDGs that provides a global overview of the current situation. It notes some of the staggering statistics that demonstrates the urgency to make progress on the SDGs:

• 1 in 8 people still live in extreme poverty
• nearly 800 million people suffer from hunger
• an estimated 5.9 million children die before they reach age 5
• more than one in four girls marry before their 18th birthday
• 1.1 billion people live without electricity
• water scarcity affects more than 2 billion people

Join the UN Foundation and leading development experts to learn more about the progress countries are making in achieving the SDGs and the challenges and opportunities ahead.

What: Exclusive press briefing on the High-level Political Forum & key themes/findings from the first Sustainable Development Goals report (embargoed until July 19)

When: Friday, July 15, 10:00am ET

Call-in: participant code: 3304491715

• USA: 1-877-211-3621
• UK: 0800 368 0936
• South Africa: 0800 999 426
• Singapore: 800 616 3185
• *other local numbers available

Who:

H.E. Ambassador Juan José Gomez Camacho , Permanent Representative of the Mission of Mexico to the United Nations

Anthony Pipa , Chief Strategy Officer, USAID (former U.S. Special Coordinator for Post-2015 Development Agenda)

Thomas Gass , Assistant Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Susan Myers , Senior Vice President, United Nations Foundation

Other Country Representatives (TBC)

Moderator: Aaron Sherinian, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, UN Foundation

RSVP:

Please email Eric Porterfield (eporterfield@unfoundation.org) to RSVP for this press briefing.