High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development with the participation of Statistics Poland
Official statistics play a strategic role in the implementation of global development agendas, providing a solid foundation for tracking progress, identifying development gaps, and directing actions where they are most needed.
From 7 to 10 July 2026, Statistics Poland actively participated in the expert segment of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) as a member of the Polish delegation, at the invitation of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.
The HLPF is the UN’s main platform for discussions on sustainable development. It brings together Member States, UN institutions, civil society, and the scientific community. The Forum serves to:
- monitor and review progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
- exchange experiences and good practices,
- coordinate global actions.
This year’s Forum focused on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to:
- clean water and sanitation (SDG 6),
- energy (SDG 7),
- industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9),
- and sustainable cities (SDG 11),
- as well as partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17), which are a permanent feature of every HLPF.
The voice of Polish statistics resonated strongly in two key thematic areas:
- Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11)
Statistics Poland drew attention to the potential of new data sources, including geospatial information and Earth Observations, for local development planning. It also presented solutions developed as part of the Experimental SDG Statistics and used, among others, in the Toolkit for Cities and recommended in the EU context in the report Data harmonisation and collection for wellbeing and sustainability indicators.
- Partnership for the Goals (SDG 17)
Statistics Poland presented Poland’s experience in engaging businesses in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including the Impact Barometer – a tool supporting companies in measuring their individual contribution to the achievement of the SDGs, developed with Statistics Poland as a substantive partner.
Statistics Poland highlighted the importance of reliable, timely and disaggregated data for the effective design, monitoring and evaluation of public policies.
An important element of Statistics Poland’s participation in the HLPF was also the presentation of its experience in developing conclusions and recommendations arising from SDG monitoring to date (lessons learned), aimed both at accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and at shaping future frameworks for measuring development. Statistics Poland contributes to this work at both regional and global levels, within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (In-depth review of halfway to 2030 – lessons learned from providing statistics for the Sustainable Development Goals) and the United Nations (Lessons from a Decade of Sustainable Development Goal Monitoring).
Key recommendations presented by Statistics Poland at HLPF include:
- involving official statistics at an early stage in the design of global monitoring systems,
- strengthening cooperation with policymakers and other stakeholder groups,
- ensuring sustained investment in national statistical systems and data infrastructure.