The  Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) is an annual, inclusive, intergovernmental forum to support the follow-up and review of progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level.

This regional platform aims to inform, empower, and support Asia-Pacific countries (especially least-developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing States) in their efforts to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and their targets set out by the 2030 Agenda by identifying regional trends and sharing best practices and lessons learned.

The Forum convenes United Nations system bodies, Member States, international organisations, civil society, and other stakeholders whose reflections feed into and inform the 2025 High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, which reviews sustainable development progress at the global level.

ARROW and the regional co-convenors, Youth LEAD, and YPEER Asia-Pacific have been organising the annual APFSD Youth Forum since 2017. Since 2022, we are joined by regional youth networks, such as Major Group for Children and Youth and Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP. The APFSD Youth Forum engages 400-500 adolescents and young people in the age group of 13-30 years from across Asia and the Pacific region to develop National, Sub-Regional and Regional Youth Call to Action. 

2025 is a crucial year for ARROW and Co-conveners with Goal 3 (good health and well- being) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality) being assessed at the APFSD along with Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth); 14 (life below water) and 17 (partnership for the Goals). In alignment with the goals under review in HLPF 2025 and APFSD 2025, the youth forum will focus on the review, gaps and challenges of the 5 goals. The overarching theme for the youth forum is “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs for leaving no young person behind in Asia and the Pacific”. 

The outcomes of the APFSD Youth Forum, which is primarily the APFSD Youth Call to Action, will feed into the APFSD Intergovernmental Forum 2025, the High-Level Political Forum 2025, as well as the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2025. The Youth Call to Action will also contribute to national level follow up and review with governments in respective countries. We also strive to ensure young people’s representation and active participation in all these identified forums.

We are also looking forward to abstracts submission and innovation proposals on climate action, gender equality and human rights, health and wellbeing, young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services, Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), decent work, and partnerships to realise SDGs in the Asia and Pacific.