News 15 Jul 2020

UN meeting to consider speeding up the implementation of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development

 

The UN will organise a summit considering the state of sustainable development and the speeding up of the implementation of the goals of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in New York on 7 to 17 July. All UN Member States and international organisations participate in the meeting of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting is exceptionally held mainly via remote access this time.

At the HLPF meeting an extensive report, entitled “Voluntary National Review of Finland on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, on the state of sustainable development in Finland and the implementation of sustainable development will be published. The compilation of the report was headed by the Prime Minister's Office. The statistical annex of the report “Sustainable Development Goals Indicators for Finland” compiled by Statistics Finland contains all available Agenda 2030 indicator data for Finland.

Finland will have a strong presence at the summit of the High-level Political Forum. At the opening of the HLPF ministerial meeting on 14 July, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin will give a speech, after which the results of Finland's Voluntary National Review (VNR) report will be presented. Statistics Finland's Director General Marjo Bruun, in turn, will present the compilation process of Finland’s statistical annex at the VNR session on 16 July.

According to the statistical annex, Finland has fared well in international comparison in implementing the sustainable development goals. Many of the goals related especially to health and social conditions were reached in Finland already in the 1960s and several other goals set for 2030 will be reached by 2030. Finland's key challenges are related to unsustainable production and consumption habits, combating climate change and biodiversity loss.

“The compilation of the statistical annex has been an excellent example of ecosystem cooperation in the field of statistics. In total nearly 30 other organisations have participated in the production of the data in the statistical annex. This operating model is an example of intensifying cooperation in the field of statistics,” says Director General Marjo Bruun.

In Finland, the implementation of sustainable development is the responsibility of central government under the leadership of the Prime Minister's Office. Statistics Finland is responsible for the monitoring, that is, the production of the SDG indicators.

View the statistical report: Sustainable Development Goals Indicators for Finland – Statistical Annex of the Finnish Voluntary National Report 2020 on the Implementation of Agenda 2030

Sustainable Development UN Indicators database

Further information: Head of Research Jukka Hoffren tel. +358 29 551 3351