Each year, HESI organizes a global forum as a special event to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) – UN’s main platform for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the global level - to highlight the critical role of higher education in achieving sustainable development.
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI), launched in the lead-up to the Rio+20 Conference in 2012 as an open partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community, aims to enhance the role of the higher education sector in advancing sustainable development by facilitating multi-stakeholder discussions, actions, and the dissemination of best practices.
In 2024 - 2025, HESI is chaired by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), UN University, UNESCO International Institute for Higher Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (IESALC), and the Sulitest Association - a non-profit organization and online platform aimed at improving sustainability literacy for all. Additional UN partners include UNESCO, UN Environment Programme, UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNITAR, UN Office for Partnerships, and UN Academic Impact. Together with hundreds of university networks, student organizations, and higher education institutions they collectively form the HESI Community.
