A Global Sustainability Framework Until And Beyond 2030. Mapping International Positions

Veranstaltungsart
Roundtable

Ort / Datum
Bonn, 10.04.2026

German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)

Structure and inclusivity of the negotiation process

There is broad agreement that the process should prioritise evidence-based learning and stocktaking of best practices in SDG implementation over strategizing before the drafting begins, such as in the former Open Working Group (OWG) format, and supplementing formal negotiations with informal parallel discussions and outreach activities to mobilise broader stakeholder communities. Also mentioned were separate (technical) discussions of indicators and means of implementation. However, opinions diverge on whether financial negotiations should be integrated with agenda negotiations or kept separate — as merging the two would make reaching a compromise more difficult. Views also differ on whether stakeholder participation should be institutionalised through structured consultation mechanisms or remain more informal and issue-based: while informal formats may create more flexible and open spaces for political exchange, structured mechanisms can strengthen accountability and make it easier to trace how stakeholder inputs are reflected in negotiated outcomes. Moreover, it remains unclear whether there is consensus for an inclusive negotiation format, similar to the OWG prior to 2015, which also depends on the approach of the next UN Secretary-General and key UN members states, such as the US, Russia and China. Finally, an additional and unresolved question is how to include younger generations in the beyond-2030 conversations.

Building alliances and crafting a compelling narrative

Building coalitions and networks beyond formal state-level conversations early on is essential. Conferences, regional fora, informal retreats, and direct outreach, especially towards the private sector, all represent opportunities to foster alignment and build momentum already ahead of the SDG Summit in September 2027.

Several thematic areas offer potential as rallying points for alliances: e.g. the digital, gig and AI economy; debt relief and finance reform, which enjoys broad support among low- and middle-income countries; climate adaptation, particularly supported by SIDS, but with potential to gain traction by embedding it within climate and security negotiations; sustainable food systems; the needs of the young generation, including improved governance, access to basic services, decent jobs, and equitable access to new technologies; affordable and clean energy; and sustainable and just economies. To foster the formation of alliances, it is important to identify potential losses and gains for specific parties from each aspect of a beyond-2030 agenda, and to acknowledge disproportionate benefits from supposedly mutual gains, while devising ways to turn these into equitable gains.

Broad support for a future global sustainability framework can only be gained by crafting a narrative for the new agenda that is widely embraced. This includes countering the narrative that the sustainability agenda is externally imposed on the Global South (in fact, the idea of a broader and integrated sustainability agenda has been initiated by Latin American governments enabling the adoption of the SDGs in 2015). Further, finding ways to connect sustainability with security and strategic economic concerns could help bring reluctant actors on board — for instance, by making sustainable economic success stories more visible, or by emphasizing e.g. that climate-health adaptation as related to both social wellbeing, climate and security. Many experts advocated also for a people-centred narrative rooted in human wellbeing. Proposals included frameworks built around more comprehensive conceptions of national wealth, or the concept of a "safe and just space" for humanity and for each individual that defines both a social foundation below which no individual should fall and environmental boundaries which humanity should not exceed.

Hinweis

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