The European Union and its Member States on 15 July 2026 expressed regret over several paragraphs in the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, disassociating from language on unilateral economic measures, common but differentiated responsibilities, stakeholder participation, and technology transfer. The explanation of position was delivered by Ambassador Dónal Cronin, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, on behalf of the EU and its Member States.
The EU supported the overall Declaration but voiced disappointment that references to the UAE Consensus on climate action, the right to a clean and healthy environment, and climate-resilient infrastructure were omitted. The EU also regretted that the text did not clearly recall the importance of gender-responsive implementation of the 2030 Agenda. On partnerships, the EU disassociated from paragraph 27, which it said contains caveats undermining stakeholder participation and a whole-of-society approach, contradicting the 2030 Agenda itself.
Regarding paragraph 15 on unilateral economic measures, the EU disassociated, stating that such language is based on false narratives propagated by countries subject to legitimate sanctions targeting violations of international law. The EU also disassociated from paragraph 17, which singles out the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities from the 1992 Rio Declaration, calling it an unfaithful reflection of the balanced text. On technology transfer, the EU reiterated that references should note transfers must be voluntary and on mutually agreed terms, expressing concern that inappropriate references doubled compared to last year's Declaration.
The EU asked that its positions on these paragraphs be recorded in the meeting's report. The Declaration covers five critical SDGs under review: water (SDG6), energy (SDG7), infrastructure and innovation (SDG9), cities (SDG11), and partnerships (SDG17). The EU had pushed for stronger language on transboundary water cooperation, clean energy investment, inclusive digital transformation, resilient urban planning, and financing from all sources to close the SDG gap.