The Secretary of State for Equality, Elvina Sousa Carvalho, is taking part in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2025), which is taking place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. This forum, organized under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is the UN’s main platform for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The theme of this year’s event is ‘Promoting sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda to ensure that no one is left behind. 
On the sidelines of the HLPF, the Government of Timor-Leste, through the Secretary of State for Equality and with the support of UN Women, organized the side event ‘A Path to SDG 5: Timor-Leste’s Model for the Prevention and Coordinated Response to Gender-Based Violence’ on July 14th at UN Headquarters. The event aimed to share the national experience in preventing and responding to gender-based violence, promote the exchange of good practices and strengthen partnerships to accelerate gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
At the opening session, the Permanent Representative of Timor-Leste to the United Nations, Ambassador Dionísio Babo Soares, emphasized that ‘Timor-Leste’s commitment to gender equality is intrinsically linked to building a more just and peaceful society’. This was followed by a speech by the Secretary of State for Equality, who emphasized that “the coordinated response to gender-based violence has been a hallmark of our progress. We remain committed to working with all partners to ensure that no woman or girl is left behind.’ 
The President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, José Ramos-Horta, sent a video message in which he called for greater support for women, especially those living in rural areas. “Gender equality and inclusion are priorities to which I devote constant attention. It is essential that the Government continues to empower women in the economic sector and create conditions for their participation in public and private decision-making, as well as resolutely combating all forms of gender-based violence. 
The panel debate was attended by Elvina Sousa Carvalho, the Vice-Minister for Institutional Strengthening of Health, José dos Reis Magno, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN, Beth Delaney, the Head of the Sustainable Development and International Partnerships Section of the Delegation of the European Union to the UN, Renaud Savignat, and the Global Coordinator of the Spotlight Initiative, Erin Kenny. The event was moderated by the Political Advisor for Gender Equality and ASEAN Affairs of the Secretary of State for Equality, Santina Soares, and ended with a video message from the Head of UN Women’s Office in Timor-Leste, Amy Nishtha Satyam. 
The 2025 High Level Political Forum runs until July 23rd and provides an in-depth analysis of five Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 5 – Gender Equality, reinforcing the global commitment to ‘leave no one behind’ in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. 
