Organized annually by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in cooperation with other United Nations regional entities and the League of Arab States, the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development (AFSD) brings together governments and other stakeholders to review progress, discuss policy solutions, and consider the latest implementation mechanisms of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in the Arab countries. The key messages of the Forum are the regional input to the global High-level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF).
AFSD 2026 is organized under the high patronage of the President of the Lebanese Republic, His Excellency General Joseph Aoun. The Forum will be chaired by the Republic of Tunisia.
Due to the latest escalation of armed conflict in the region, AFSD 2026 as an in-person event is postponed: dates and venue to be confirmed. Despite these circumstances, and in order to bring the voice of the Arab region at the global High-Level Political Forum on sustainable development (HLPF) to be held from 6 to 15 July 2026, a series of online preparatory sessions is organized in May 2026.
These online sessions address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review in 2026, namely SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), with a focus on the impact of conflict on achieving these Goals and on mechanisms for building regional resilience. Special sessions will also be organized to further reinforce SDG integration on selected regional priorities, echoing the overall theme of the 2026 HLPF: "Transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all".
The online AFSD preparatory sessions will bring together high-level government representatives and various stakeholders from civil society organizations, parliaments, international organizations, the private sector, audit institutes, academic and research centers, the media, and major groups. Each session is expected to produce a set of key messages that will be submitted to the HLPF and to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
