GWL Voices 4 insights of the HLPF

The 2026 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) reaffirmed that delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals will require more than renewed commitments. Throughout the discussions, one message emerged consistently: strengthening multilateralism depends on opening decision-making spaces to broader participation, fostering meaningful dialogue, and ensuring that the next generation helps shape global governance.

Drawing on GWL Voices' participation throughout the Forum, four key insights stand out.

1. Civil society is becoming an indispensable element of multilateral reform

One of the clearest claims advanced at this year’s HLPF was that civil society has an increasingly important role to play in shaping the future of global governance. Across official sessions, side events, and stakeholder dialogues, representatives from civil society organizations, academia, youth groups, and the private sector emphasized their determination to co-create solutions, rather than simply advocate for change.

Given the current global context, reforming the multilateral system is increasingly understood as a collective responsibility that cannot rest solely with governments or international institutions. The demand for more transparent, participatory, and representative global governance is emerging from across civil society, reflecting a broader call for decision-making processes that are more open, inclusive, and accountable.

GWL Voices has long embraced this role. Earlier this year, the organization convened the Geneva Debate among candidates for the next United Nations Secretary-General and later co-hosted the Jeju Public Dialogue on the Future of Multilateralism. Both initiatives were conceived as a public service: creating spaces where global audiences could engage directly with conversations that have traditionally remained inaccessible. They demonstrate how civil society can strengthen legitimacy, transparency, and public trust by bringing critical international discussions into the public sphere.

2. Participation must lead to action

Another recurring claim from the Forum was that discussion alone is no longer enough. Civil society increasingly expects international meetings to generate tangible outcomes, rather than remain limited to symbolic exchanges.

In this regard, civil society showed its readiness to contribute concrete and actionable proposals. The Labs at the Global Futures Forum, organized by C4UN, moved beyond traditional panel discussions by inviting participants to work collaboratively on practical recommendations and policy ideas. In collaboration with the United Nations Foundation, GWL Voices co-hosted the Lab on Leadership and Legitimacy, which reflected on the kind of leadership needed for this new era, as well as how such leadership should be appointed, recognized, and legitimized.

These formats illustrate an important shift in international dialogue. Rather than treating participation as an end in itself, they recognize that inclusive processes are most valuable when they enable co-creation, policy innovation, and collective problem-solving. As multilateral institutions seek to regain public confidence, creating spaces where diverse voices can actively contribute to solutions will become increasingly important.

3. Intergenerational leadership is essential for the future of multilateralism

The future of global governance must be shaped by those who will inherit it. Throughout the HLPF, youth participation was not simply encouraged; it was increasingly recognized as essential to building more responsive, legitimate, and sustainable institutions.

As part of its Her Turn initiative, GWL Voices brought two Her Turn Rapporteurs, Tamao Chika and Ingrid Nielsen, to contribute to discussions throughout the Forum. Their participation reflected the organization’s commitment to ensuring that emerging leaders are not only present in international spaces, but actively engaged in contributing to, analysing, and shaping the conversations taking place.

This commitment was further reflected during the Global Futures Forum Labs, where the Rapporteurs actively participated by proposing ideas and identifying potential avenues for the future of multilateral cooperation. Equally significant was the intergenerational dialogue that opened the Global Futures Forum, where GWL Voices member Carol Bellamy shared her experience and expressed her hope to see a Madam Secretary-General at the helm of the United Nations in January 2027.

Meaningful youth participation goes beyond representation. It requires creating opportunities for collaboration across generations, where experience and fresh perspectives complement one another. Building these bridges is essential if multilateral institutions are to remain relevant, legitimate, and capable of responding to increasingly complex global challenges.

4. The conversation is already looking beyond 2030

While implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals remains a priority, discussions at this year’s HLPF looked beyond the current agenda and raised a more fundamental question: what should the global sustainable development agenda look like after 2030?

Across multiple dialogues, participants reflected on the lessons learned from the SDGs, the political realities currently shaping international relations, and the need to begin designing the next global framework without losing sight of existing commitments through 2030.

At the center of these discussions was the dilemma between continuity and bolder new commitments. Participants emphasized that the world today is markedly different from the one in which the SDGs were adopted, raising questions about whether a single global framework remains necessary or whether regional commitments could, in some cases, prove more effective and responsive to diverse realities.