The HLPF takes place annually and is the central United Nations conference for coordinating global sustainability policy. As the highest-ranking city representative within the German delegation, Deputy Mayor Unterseh will speak in various sessions about Bonn's experiences in implementing the global sustainability agenda (Agenda 2030). The trip is being financed by Engagement Global's Service Agency Communities in One World. In addition to Unterseh, a representative of the Association of German Cities and a representative of the City of Kiel will take part in the first week of the HLPF on behalf of the German cities.
Bonn is one of the world's pioneering cities in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda
With the early development of a systematic sustainability strategy, which was adopted by the Bonn City Council in 2019, and with two Voluntary Local Reviews on the Sustainable Development Goals in 2020 and 2022, Bonn is one of the pioneering cities worldwide in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The City of Bonn's involvement in global city networks such as ICLEI will also be the subject of the contributions that Nicole Unterseh will present at the conference.
Bonn is particularly successful in networking for the climate. At the beginning of June, Mayor Katja Dörner proposed a resolution to the German Association of Cities in which the German cities emphasized their willingness to actively shape European developments in climate protection and called on the Federal Government to initiate a permanent structured dialogue process with the cities. This resolution by the Association of German Cities is the world's first resolution by a municipal umbrella organization calling on governments to cooperate more closely within the framework of the "Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships - CHAMP" climate initiative, serving as a role model worldwide.
Bonn's commitment to climate neutrality
The kick-off meeting of the entire German delegation will take place on Monday, July 8, at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations. In addition to representatives of the cities and the lead representatives of various federal ministries, the German delegation also includes representatives from civil society, science and business.
The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, which brings together all major international city networks, will publish its annual report on achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals at the local level on Wednesday, July 10, from 2 to 3.30 pm. The report also lists Bonn's climate plan as a positive example of achieving the global climate goal (SDG 13). Interested parties can follow the event online at https://sdglocalaction.org/2024-sdg-localization/ (opens in a new tab) .
At the central event of the cities and regions at the HLPF, the "Local and Regional Governments Forum", on Thursday, July 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Deputy Mayor Unterseh will present Bonn's commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2035 locally and advocate for stronger cooperation between the various political levels (national and international) to achieve this goal. This event can be followed online via UN-TV: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k13/k132baz59f (opens in a new tab).
Mayor Unterseh will also present Bonn's experiences with sustainability reporting and the local reports on the Sustainable Development Goals and contribute to the discussions between European political representatives and the United Nations. Her program also includes bilateral talks with representatives of other cities.
United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
The United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is the central platform of the United Nations for coordinating global sustainability policy. It meets annually for eight days, the last three of which are at ministerial level. A key component of the HLPF is the review of the implementation of the commitments made by the nation states for sustainable development. To this end, selected member states present their voluntary national reports, the so-called "Voluntary National Reviews", every year. Cities that are involved in this context contribute via local reports. Bonn submitted corresponding local reports on the Sustainable Development Goals to the United Nations in 2020 and 2022. Further information on the forum:
Agenda 2030
In September 2015, the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the 2030 Agenda. The SDGs cover all areas of sustainable development: from marine and climate protection to poverty reduction, decent work and the rule of law. This is the first time that environmental and development policy goals have been brought together in a joint global agenda. The SDGs are aimed at all countries and guide action at federal, state and local level in Germany.