The article reports on the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which took place in New York in September 2023. The author argues that the summit failed to address the importance of freedom of expression and access to information in sustainable development. ARTICLE 19 had advocated for the protection of these rights in the lead-up to the summit, but world leaders failed to include them in their statements. The author expresses disappointment that the right to freedom of expression was completely ignored during the summit and that no state committed to better protect it as a way to meet the SDGs by 2030. Transparency and access to information were acknowledged as important by several leaders, but the article argues that this was not enough. The article concludes that the summit was a missed opportunity for freedom of expression and information in sustainable development.

Access to Information and the Sustainable Development Goals by Article 19