UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has emphasized the urgent need for innovative solutions and bold policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), urging the international community to commit to and invest in these objectives before the 2030 deadline.
Speaking at the opening of the 2024 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), Ms. Mohammed called for transformative actions to address pressing global challenges such as poverty, food insecurity, and climate change.
“Though the challenges before us are daunting, together we can overcome them and achieve the peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future that all people not only need but deserve,” she told delegates at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday.
Ms. Mohammed underscored the importance of inclusive participation, particularly from youth and marginalized groups, and emphasized the cross-cutting nature of gender perspectives in achieving sustainable development.
Highlighting the need to reflect on progress toward the 2030 Agenda, she pointed to the upcoming Summit of the Future as a crucial opportunity to restore trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can lead to human solidarity in the face of both opportunities and threats.
In this context, she noted the special event on SDG Acceleration scheduled for next Monday, which will focus on specific investments needed and showcase country-level examples of action.
Further in her remarks, Ms. Mohammed highlighted the multifaceted challenges facing the global community, including poverty, climate change, conflict, and gender-based violence. She stressed the sobering reality that less than one-fifth of the SDGs are on track, a situation she deemed unacceptable but fixable.
“This Forum is about finding the solutions and the political will to turn our words into actions in the lives of billions,” she told the delegates. “Your presence, energy, and ambition tell me that, although the greatest challenges before us are daunting, together we can overcome them and achieve the peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future that all people not only need but deserve.”
Also addressing the Forum, Paula Narváez, President of ECOSOC, highlighted the challenges faced by developing countries, particularly in conflict-affected areas, stressing the need for peace and stability. She emphasized that the agenda includes local and regional actions, insights from regional forums, key intergovernmental discussions, and presentations from 37 countries on their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).
The Forum’s general debate will bridge the 2023 SDG Summit to this September’s Summit of the Future.
Under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), this year’s theme focuses on eradicating poverty through sustainable, resilient, and innovative solutions amid various crises.
Running through 17 July, the Forum will review progress towards Goal 1 on ending poverty, Goal 2 on zero hunger, Goal 13 on climate action, Goal 16 on peaceful and inclusive societies, and Goal 17 on strengthening means of implementation.
On the calendar are Voluntary National Review (VNR) Labs, where countries voluntarily report on their progress toward achieving the SDGs, their challenges, and their plans to overcome them.
