This past July, I had the privilege of representing VIVAT International at the United Nations in New York for the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). For those unfamiliar with these terms, the HLPF is essentially the UN’s annual “global check-up” meeting. It is where governments, civil society, and grassroots organizations gather to see how well the world is doing in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—our shared 2030 blueprint for a world free of poverty, hunger, and injustice.
A key part of this check-up is the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs). You can think of VNRs as “school report cards” that countries voluntarily prepare and present to the global community to show their progress, struggles, and plans. This year, 36 countries stepped up to present their VNR report cards.
The focus of this year’s forum was on five critical areas:
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 17: Partnerships to make the goals a reality
As I sat in the grand UN halls, the words of General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock echoed with a sense of urgency: “Headwinds are no excuse; the UN was not built for easy winds.”. Indeed, the global report card presented to us was deeply sobering. Only about one-third of our measurable global targets are currently on track, while one in seven have actually slipped backward below where we started in 2015.
What I Witnessed: The Daily Struggles Behind the Data
For VIVAT International, development is not about abstract statistics; it is about human dignity. The realities shared at the UN were a heavy wake-up call. At our current global pace, the world will miss the 2030 deadline for universal clean water and safe sanitation by roughly 20 years. Today, over 2 billion of our brothers and sisters still lack safe drinking water, and 3.4 billion have no safe toilets.
On clean energy, we heard that while solar and wind technologies are becoming cheaper, poor families in crowded city slums are still left in the dark because they cannot afford the connection fees.
A Seat at the Table: True Partnership or Just “Checking a Box”?
As a faith-based organization, VIVAT believes that those living in poverty must be the authors of their own development. Yet, at the UN, “inclusion” is too often treated as a formality.
I listened closely as UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Claudia Fuentes Julio, pointed out that true participation must move from “consultation” to “co-creation”. Consultation simply means the powerful hear our opinions but have no obligation to act on them. Co-creation means local communities actually help draft policies and decide local budgets. Furthermore, she reminded us that many grassroots defenders cannot speak out because they do not feel safe from retaliation.
My Observations and Critical Comments
Reflecting on my time at the HLPF 2026, I offer these critical observations for our VIVAT family and supporters:
- Geopolitics Over Human Lives: On the final day, we watched in disappointment as political games diluted real progress. The Group of 77 and China successfully voted to delete all references to the “UAE Consensus” (the global agreement to transition away from fossil fuels) from the energy goal, claiming procedural boundaries. Furthermore, Israel tried to delete a paragraph in the final declaration that asked governments to address the root causes of conflict—such as inequality, corruption, and poor governance. While that deletion was thankfully rejected, it showed how national political interests are consistently put ahead of global human survival.
- The Missing Human Element: The official UN SDG framework is obsessed with charts and numbers. But as Konris Maynard, a minister from Saint Kitts and Nevis, beautifully reminded the delegates: “Every VNR tells two stories—a story of policies and indicators, and a story of the lives that have been transformed.” He urged us to remember that true sustainable development cannot be plotted on a graph; it is measured by the hope we create for the next generation.
- No Peace, No Development: With conflicts actively stalling progress in places like Somalia, Burkina Faso, and Mozambique, ECOSOC must recognize that peacebuilding is not a separate political track—it is the absolute prerequisite for the 2030 Agenda.
Where Do We Go From Here? Our Mission Beyond the UN Walls
My time at the HLPF 2026 made one thing abundantly clear: we cannot afford to let the 2030 Agenda become a forgotten promise. While the official reports show that our global progress is severely off track, we must resist the temptation to fall into despair. As UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock reminded us, this global house was not built only for “easy winds”. Now, more than ever, we must choose hope and double our efforts.
For VIVAT International, our path forward is well-mapped. We must continue to pressure our national governments to move past the empty ritual of “consultation” and embrace true “co-creation” with local communities. We must advocate for a complete reform of the international financial system so that vulnerable island nations and developing countries can access the funds they need to survive climate and economic shocks. We must also hold leaders accountable to their promises—demanding they put aside geopolitical games, implement the Sevilla Commitment to close the USD 4 trillion funding gap, and focus on the factors that give rise to conflict.
Ultimately, sustainable development is not a collection of abstract indicators on a UN spreadsheet. It is about the safety of our homes, the water in our taps, the dignity of our workers, and the hope we create for the next generation. Let us carry the spirit of “leaving no one behind” into our daily service. True change does not start in the grand assembly halls of New York—it begins on the ground, with us, working hand-in-hand with the furthest behind.
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