Dear SEM members,
The 2026 High-Level Political Forum will be convened from 7 to 15 July. As part of the Forum, SEM will host a virtual side
event on 8 July which we hope you will be able to join.
This year’s HLPF theme is “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 full program and list of special events are available on the
HLPF
website.
Below we highlight three side events, including the one organized by SEM, that may be of particular interest
to SEM members.
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Virtual side event:
Protection of Persons
in the Event of Disasters: Does the proposed agreement reflect ground realities?
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Wednesday 8 July 2026 | 8:00 NY / 14:00 GVA / 19:00 BKK | Online
Organized by the Sendai
Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM), this virtual side event of the High-Level Political Forum will examine the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters (PPED) in the context of implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction. Speakers will discuss the practical implications of the proposed agreement, particularly for disaster-prone least developed and developing countries, with a focus on governance, capacity-building, and implementation.
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In-person side event:
Accelerating SDG 11: Building sustainable, inclusive and resilient cities through integrated urban
systems and human rights: Sustainable Housing, Mobility and Circular Solutions
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Friday 10 July 2026 | 13:15 – 14:30 NY | Conference Room 4, UN HQ
Organized by UNDRR, UN Habitat,
OHCHR and UNCRD / UN DESA, this high-level side event will present key findings from the 2026 SDG 11 Synthesis Report
and examine how housing and informal settlements can serve as entry points for advancing inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development. The session will explore how integrated urban systems, risk-informed planning, human rights-based approaches, and
strengthened resilience and urban data ecosystems can accelerate implementation of SDGs, the New Urban Agenda and the Sendai Framework. Drawing on experiences from Member States, cities, UN entities and development partners, the event will identify practical
pathways for strengthening disaster resilience and scaling housing solutions and human-rights based approaches that simultaneously address poverty, inequality, infrastructure, disaster and climate resilience and urban sustainability.
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In-person side event:
From Dakar to Abu Dhabi and Beyond: Strengthening Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement in UN Water
Conferences beyond 2026
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Wednesday 8 July 2026 | 16:00 – 17:30 NY (followed by a reception) | Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in
New York
Organized by Germany, UN
DESA, German WASH Network, African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation, and
Welthungerhilfe,
this side event will explore how stakeholder engagement can be better integrated into both the 2026 UN Water Conference
process and potential future intergovernmental arrangements on water. Building on the successful Dakar Stakeholder Meeting and subsequent stakeholder coordination efforts, the event will examine practical approaches for ensuring that civil society, Indigenous
Peoples, local communities, women and girls, youth, scientific institutions, local and regional authorities, and the private sector can contribute effectively to decision-making processes. Discussions will draw on lessons from Dakar as well as participation
models from other multilateral processes, such as the Rio Conventions. The Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (SEM) will be presented in the context of existing stakeholder engagement models.
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On an unrelated note, UNDRR recently published two social media posts about the important work of stakeholders in DRR, highlighting
SEM.
You may wish to like, comment on, or re-share them.
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Additional information on SEM
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Kind regards,
UNDRR and the SEM Advisory Group
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