The Sixth South and South-West Asia Forum on the SDGs was held in hybrid mode, from 5-7 December 2022 in Islamabad Pakistan, as a subregional preparatory meeting for the Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) 2023, which in turn will contribute towards the annual High-Level Policy Forum (HLPF) to be held at the global level in July 2023. The Forum was jointly organized by the Government of Pakistan, the Sustainable Development Policy Institute’s (SDPI) and the South and South-West Asia Office of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP SSWA), in collaboration with the UN system, SAARC Secretariat, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and member organisations of the South Asia Network on the SDGs (SANS). 

The Forum was attended by about 1900 participants representing governments, academia, think tanks, civil society organizations, and other key stakeholders from South Asian countries. The Forum deliberated on the progress made in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in light of the “triple C” crisis of COVID, conflict and climate change which adversely impacted development gains in the subregion. Countries presented their experiences in carrying out their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and perspectives on the impact of the triple C crisis on prospects for meeting the 2030 Agenda. Thematic discussions were held on progress and challenges in Goals 6 (Clean water and sanitation), 7 (Affordable and clean energy), 9 (Industry, innovation, and infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) and 17 (Partnerships for the goals) which will be reviewed at the HLPF in 2023. The deliberations emphasized that the transboundary nature of many issues facing the subregion called for regional cooperation to collectively address challenges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.