The ECOSOC Coordination Segment is a crucial space for shaping global policy discussions in the lead-up to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). As a key platform aligning UN and stakeholder efforts on sustainable development, it serves as a moment to reinforce commitments to leaving no one behind. Key sessions covered a wide range of pressing topics, including social protection systems, climate resilience, and strategies for accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). One of the central themes was enhancing civic engagement in global governance, with panelists sharing best practices and innovative approaches to fostering inclusive participation.
A significant segment of the forum focused on the role of CSOs in bridging policy and implementation gaps. Discussions underscored the importance of collaboration between grassroots organizations and international institutions in addressing systemic inequalities and amplifying marginalized voices. This year, the LGBTI+ Stakeholder Group actively participated, ensuring that the voices and lived realities of LGBTI+ communities were heard and acknowledged in this space.
In our intervention, we reflected on the promises made over the past 30 years—from the landmark moments of Beijing+30 and the Copenhagen Declaration to the commitment of the 2030 Agenda to reach the furthest behind first. We underscored that while these commitments should have led to transformative progress, the reality for LGBTI+ communities today is increasingly dire.
We spoke of the current crisis facing LGBTI+ people worldwide—where governments are rolling back support, cutting life-saving healthcare, and failing to provide essential services such as safe housing and humanitarian aid. We stressed that LGBTI+ people are not political tools—we are human beings whose rights are fundamental to any vision of sustainable development.
We reminded decision-makers that protecting trans, non-binary, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and intersex people is not just a matter of justice, but of survival. A world where LGBTI+ people are free, safe, and equal is one where everyone benefits—where innovation flourishes, economies grow, and communities thrive. After all, as Ophelia Kemigisha, LGBTI+ Stakeholder Group representative said in her intervention: “A society that denies rights to LGBTI+ people is not a resilient society—it is a fragile one.”
Please find some media reporting on the ECOSOC Coordination Segment here.
