Session Report

Report of 39th session (april 2020, Virtual)

The 39th session of the High-level Committee on Programmes was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The envisaged agenda had been structured to advance the Committee’s work in support of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development Goals by 2030. In view of the cancellation, the Chair of the Committee, Guy Ryder, Director-General of ILO, requested the Secretary of the Committee to support the respective lead entities in advancing the various HLCP work streams and to provide an update to the Committee, which was effected through this report. Issues reported upon are: ethics of artificial intelligence; promoting innovation to enhance evidence-based support for sustainable development; strengthening the United Nations system’s impact and visibility on reducing inequalities; UN-Water; predictive analytics; and foresight.