The Mary Ward Centre at the United Nations

From July 14 - 23, 2025, the Mary Ward Centre participated in the United Nations annual High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). This year’s HLPF made a deep dive analysis of five of the SDGs: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

In this article you will learn about:

• The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda

• Highlights from the HLPF

• The experience of our youth representatives

“With just five years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to shift into overdrive.”

•  António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations

What is the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by UN Member States in 2015, as the successor to the Millennium Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a roadmap for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They cover the range of environmental, economic, and social conditions necessary for the flourishing of people and the planet. 

Check out: https://sdgs.un.org/ to learn more.

Highlights of Progress Toward Achieving the SDGs from the 2025 Report of the UN Secretary-General on “Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals”:

• Progress on achieving the goals:

  • Only 139 of the 169 targets could be assessed using global trend data from the 2015 baseline to the most recent year

  • 35% of the targets show progress: 18% are on track and 17% are making moderate progress 

  • 48% of targets show insufficient progress, including 31% with only marginal gains and 17% with no progress at all

  • 18% of targets have regressed below 2015 baseline levels

• Successes:

  • Access to infrastructure has expanded significantly. By 2023, 92 per cent of the world’s population had access to electricity, and Internet use had grown to 68 per cent in 2024 from 40 per cent in 2015 – connecting millions more to opportunities for education, work and participation. 

  • In biodiversity conservation, thousands of local successes have helped double the protection of key ecosystems critical to our planet’s health. 

• Challenges:

  • One in 12 people still experience hunger, and billions lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. 

  • Persistent inequalities continue to limit human potential, with women devoting 2.5 times as many hours per day to unpaid care work as men, and persons with disabilities remaining underserved across multiple sectors.

  • Many countries face record debt servicing costs, while a staggering $4 trillion annual financing gap constrains development progress. 

What does this mean?

With only 35% of the SDGs targets making progress towards achievement by 2030, and over 48% of the targets stalled or regressed, it is imperative to create the political and financial will to make the SDGs a reality. 

In his remarks at the opening of the Ministerial Segment of the HLPF, ECOSOC President and Ambassador of Canada’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Bob Rae, declared the SDGs “are not optional ideals but essential commitments,” necessary for the flourishing of all life on our planet. At this time of real and tangible geopolitical unrest, he urged for a renewed commitment to multilateralism and international cooperation.

Our Experience at the HLPF

Sr. Sarah Rudolph, ibvm and Victory Okeugo (youth representative) participated in the HLPF as official delegates of the Canadian government. This experience enabled them to meet with key government officials from the department of Economic and Social Development Canada, including Minister of Jobs and Families, Hon. Patty Hajdu, to share key concerns and recommendations related to gender equality and decent work. They also met with staff from the Canadian Permanent Mission to the UN, including Ambassador Bob Rae. Daily check-in briefings, informal conversations over coffee, and an official Canadian reception at the Mission office fostered collegiality and networking among delegates, and created possibilities for future collaboration and partnership to achieve the SDGs.

From our Youth Representatives

The Mary Ward Centre supported the participation of three youth representatives in the HLPF. Victory Okeugo, Mia Galitsiadis, and Sarah Redikopp, co-authors of our new report on gender equality (see below), attended the Ministerial Segment of the HLPF to deepen their understanding of the UN system and engage in advocacy with Canadian government officials. See their reflections here.