11 February 2025 - “Climate change, the rapid advancing pace of technology, conflicts, and humanitarian crises are testing the architecture that we have built to maintain peace and security, to promote sustainable development, and to protect the most vulnerable.
But each of us has an important role to play—big or small—to help give life to our global commitments,” said Ambassador Bob Rae, President of ECOSOC, as he opened the 2025 ECOSOC Partnership Forum earlier this month.
Taking place at UN Headquarters in New York, the Forum emphasized the importance of partnerships in implementing the “Pact for the Future.”
Mr. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy at the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, underscored this in his address, stating that “The Pact amplifies SDG 17, emphasizing the need for partnerships that unite governments, the private sector, parliamentarians, local and regional authorities, civil society, and technical and academic communities, and of course international and regional organizations.”
The programme featured four SDG Action Segments, focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals under review at the July High-Level Political Forum: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being); SDG 5 (Gender Equality); SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). A multi-stakeholder panel discussion delved into strategies to enhance investments in partnerships and catalyze action for SDG 17.
The plenary session featured over 40 interventions from Member States and stakeholders and 20 side events connected participants worldwide.
UN DESA played a pivotal role in ensuring diverse voices shaped the Forum agenda through a Global Online Stakeholder Consultation that mobilized over 300 responses from 83 countries; an informal Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group convened by the ECOSOC President,; the co-creation by 8 UN entities and 10 stakeholders of the SDG Action Segments and the launching of a Partnership Snapshot highlighting examples of transformative partnerships supporting SDG acceleration.
Throughout the event, participants called for bold action to strengthen partnerships, deepen engagement, and implement tangible solutions. Keynote speaker Ms. Dayana Blanco Quiroga, 2023 Future Rising Fellow and Founder of the Uru Uru Team, inspired attendees by stating, “Despite the uncertainty of this moment, we must believe that we can meet the goals in Agenda 2030. We can create a better world where every life is respected and has the right to live on a healthy planet.”
The Forum was supported by UN DESA, and centered around the theme: “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leaving no one behind.”
Watch the Forum via the UN Web TV broadcast.
For more information: 2025 ECOSOC Partnership Forum