What to Expect from HLPF 2026

This 60-minute webinar will give participants a concise and insightful overview of the HLPF 2026, including key processes, thematic priorities, and expectations, while reflecting on its role in shaping the pathway toward the next SDG Summit.

For several years, IISD and Cepei have partnered to convene a pre-HLPF dialogue to unpack the dynamics, expectations, and strategic relevance of the HLPF. These sessions bring together leading experts and practitioners to provide timely insights and informed perspectives for stakeholders engaging with global sustainable development processes—and an opportunity to pose your questions to those deep inside the HLPF effort.

Key Themes

• Understanding the ECOSOC HLPF review process and recent developments
• Anticipating the role and contributions of Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) in 2026
• Looking ahead: positioning HLPF 2026 within the broader SDG Summit cycle

Panelists

• H.E. François Jackman, Permanent Representative of Barbados to the United Nations and Co-Chair of the ECOSOC Review of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
• Meryem Hamdouni, Counselor, Economic and Sustainable Development Section, Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations
• Lotta Tähtinen, Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Support and Coordination for Sustainable Development at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)
• Philipp Schönrock, Executive Director, Cepei (Moderator)