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In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly established the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) as a central platform for the review and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Every year, government representatives and societal stakeholders meet to assess progress of SDG implementation. The HLPF can be seen as a soft governance instrument as governments are free to decide whether they submit and how they formulate reports. Most national reports fail to critically engage with the problems of goal implementation, and civil society actors do not have a strong role in the review. Growing political conflicts and limited resources are additional factors impeding the HLPF's effectiveness. The HLPF could have stronger impacts if it incorporates stronger mechanisms for accountability, invite a larger participation of societal stakeholders and build on digital tools and platforms to improve transparency and accessibility.