New York: Addressing ministers at UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action to rescue lagging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amid war, inequality, and fiscal strain. He highlighted that transformation is not only necessary but possible, citing several landmark commitments adopted in recent months, such as the Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, pledges to expand marine protected areas at the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, and the new vision for global finance agreed upon in Sevilla at the fourth International Financing for Development Conference.
According to United Nations, only 35 percent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress, nearly half are moving too slowly, and 18 percent are going backwards. Guterres urged governments to act with urgency and ambition, emphasizing that the Sustainable Development Goals are a plan to keep promises to the most vulnerable, to each other, and to future generations. He acknowledged gains since 2015, such as expanded social protection, declining child marriage, and growing women’s representation, but stressed that the SDGs remain within reach only if world leaders channel resources and political will.
The Secretary-General also linked development and peace, noting ongoing violence in Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, and other regions. He emphasized that sustainable peace requires sustainable development and called for immediate ceasefires and renewed commitment to diplomacy, urging a doubling down on multilateralism.
Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council, echoed Guterres’s call, warning that global disruption from climate change to economic disarray requires deeper solidarity. Rae stated that the SDGs are essential commitments and emphasized that now is the time to reinforce multilateral obligations. He cautioned that shrinking national budgets and rising nationalist politics are undermining progress but insisted that multilateralism delivers tangible benefits for society.
Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, stressed the need to align political commitments with concrete action. Yang praised initiatives like the Compromiso de Sevilla and the Pact for the Future, which aim to reform global financial systems and scale up climate finance. He highlighted that the gap between ambition and delivery can only be closed through solidarity, resources, and political will, warning that the deadlines for the 2030 Agenda are fast approaching.
The High-level Political Forum (HLPF), established at the landmark Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, serves as the primary UN platform for monitoring SDG progress. This year’s forum, under the auspices of the ECOSOC, focuses on goals such as health, gender equality, decent work, life below water, and global partnerships. Over 150 countries have presented Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), showcasing national efforts and challenges in implementing the 2030 Agenda.
Guterres praised the reviews as acts of accountability and templates for other countries to follow. With just five years left to meet the global goals, he urged ministers to transform these sparks of transformation into a blaze of progress for all countries.