![\"HLPF](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/hlpf_1096x162_png.png\")
<\/span><\/div>HLPF 2018 –\u00a0\u201cTransformation towards sustainable and resilient societies\u201d<\/h1>\n
More than a thousand governments, businesses and civil society leaders will gather at the High-Level Political Forum<\/strong><\/a> on 9 to 18 July 2018 at UN Headquarters in New York to take stock of progress on the SDGs and discuss challenges and successes. On 16-17 July, the Department of Public Information will host live-streamed interviews and panel discussions in the SDG Media Zone<\/a>.<\/p>\n Below you will find stories on innovative solutions that help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as opinion pieces from SDG experts – all looking ahead on how to achieve our common goals by 2030.<\/p>\n Other ways to engage with us during HLPF:<\/p>\n By Forest Whitaker<\/strong>, Actor and SDG Advocate<\/em><\/p>\n Across the 17 goals of the 2030 Agenda lies an ambition to create sustainable and resilient societies that is unprecedented in history.\u00a0 Young people should be fully recognized as doers, as partners in the creation of positive change, be it local, national, regional or global. The important point is that we need to provide young people with tools and opportunities so that they can \u2013 and they will \u2013 come up with their own solutions to address problems that arise in their environment. Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div> By Kaveh Zahedi<\/strong>, Deputy Executive Secretary for Sustainable Development, Â鶹APP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)<\/em><\/p>\n According to ESCAP\u2019s recent Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report<\/a>, the answer is yes for only one Goal, unlikely for many Goals, and probably not for a few Goals where the region is moving in the wrong direction – most notably on inequality. While there are major variations across the vast Asia Pacific region, between and within countries, the overall trajectories are clear and point to areas where urgent action is needed.\u00a0\u00a0Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div> By\u00a0Tere Gonz\u00e1lez Garc\u00eda,\u00a0<\/strong>UN Young Leader for the SDGs and Cofounder of Liter of Light Mexico.<\/p>\n Modern energy services are crucial to human well-being and to a country\u2019s economic development, and yet 1.2 billion people around the world live without access to electricity. In some contexts this is due to the lack of infrastructure, whereas in others, the economic reality makes it impossible to afford. These conditions result in the use of dangerous alternatives such as candles or kerosene lamps to be able to properly see in the household space. Just picture for a moment conducting your daily tasks in complete darkness, even during the day. We wouldn\u2019t even be able to communicate with each other through this blog post right now.\u00a0Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div> By\u00a0Vincent Loka<\/strong>, UN Young Leader for the SDGs<\/em><\/p>\n Access to clean water in the village of Chhnok Tru, Cambodia, was of concern as open defecation is still in practice and no proper waste management established. The situation on the ground was exacerbated by the prolonged dry season in the region that degraded the river water quality. Most villagers used the water directly from the river for their water needs which ranged from washing and showering to drinking and cooking. Some were able to afford bottled water but the quality of water they received varies with season. Vincent and his team managed to provide an alternative source of drinking water for the villagers by providing the means to directly filter water from the river to produce clean and safe drinking water, thus relieving them of the reliance on polluted water or single-use packaged water. Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div> By\u00a0Samuel Malinga<\/strong>, UN Young Leader for the SDGs, and Founder of Sanitation Africa<\/em><\/p>\n Access to improved water and sanitation facilities does not, on its own, necessarily lead to improved health. There is clear evidence showing the importance of behaviour change. The key to increasing the practice of, for example, hand washing with soap and ending open defecation is to promote behavioral change through motivation, information, and education. Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div> By Karan Jerath<\/strong>, UN Young Leader for the SDGs<\/em><\/p>\n At the age of 20, Karan Jerath has already invented a device that could prevent oil spills, become the youngest member of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Energy list, and selected as a UN Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals. Watch the video to see how Jerath’s patent pending oil spill device could change the world.<\/p>\n<\/div> By\u00a0Paul Polman<\/strong>,CEO of Unilever,\u00a0vice-chair of the UN Global Compact<\/em><\/p>\n In\u00a02015, 6.6 billion people (over 90 per cent of the world\u2019s population) used improved drinking water sources and 4.9 billion people used improved sanitation facilities.Progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), \u2018clean water and sanitation\u2019 for all is being made. However, this progress means little to the 3 in 10 people who still lack individual access to safe, readily available water in their homes or the millions of people who do not wash their hands with soap despite its proven\u00a0health impact. Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div> Read more about Goal 6<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> In Brazil, 8 billion liters of water are consumed every day via flushing toilets. Piipee is a product designed to reduce up to 80% of water consumption in the toilet bowl – releasing a biodegradable solution that removes the smell of urine and changes its color. No need to flush every time anymore!<\/p>\n 10 million Ugandan, or 1\/3 of the population lack access to clean water sources. Kathy Ku created Purifaaya, a clay water filter that is both affordable and effective to provide a clean water source. It costs $20 and lasts two years, made locally with local material, it\u2019s sustainable and provides 35 jobs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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SDG Perspectives<\/h1><\/div>
![](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Forest-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>Tapping the power of youth to foster transformative change today and tomorrow<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Kaveh-Zahedi.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>Is Asia Pacific on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals?<\/a><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Tere-Gonzalez-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>From Fiction to Reality\u2014Affordable and Clean Energy in the Hands of Youth<\/a><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Vincent-Loka.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>Collaborating on water\u00a0futures<\/strong><\/a><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Samuel-Malinga-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>Embracing \u2018Behavior Change Communication\u2019 for Scaling Sanitation Products<\/a><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Karan-300x300.jpg\" "\\"Karan\\"")
<\/span><\/div>Cleaning Up Oil Spills: SDG Young Leader Invents New Way to Stop Oil Spills<\/a><\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/12-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span><\/div>Scale and speed needed to make water, sanitation and hygiene a reality for all<\/a><\/h2>\n
SDG Success Stories<\/h1><\/div>
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<\/div><\/div><\/div>Flushing Away the Act of Flushing\u00a0by Gabriel Alves<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n
Spouts of Water by<\/em>\u00a0Andrew Kaggwa<\/em><\/a><\/h2>\n
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