The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a bold vision: a commitment to a better, healthier, safer and more prosperous and sustainable future.
But the Goals are facing massive headwinds. More than 4 out of 5 SDG targets are off track.
On top of the impacts from a global pandemic, many countries are being crushed by massive debt burdens, limited liquidity and sky-high borrowing costs. Conflicts, hunger, inequalities and the climate crisis are all intensifying. And the global financial architecture is not providing developing countries with sufficient financing and liquidity or to act as an effective safety net for all.
The world has the wealth, the technology, and the know-how to achieve the SDGs.
Last September’s SDG Summit included consensus around an SDG Stimulus of at least $500 billion per year in financing for developing countries — and the need for global financial architecture reform.
It highlighted key transitions to generate maximum progress — ending hunger, expanding renewable energy, digitalization, education, social protection and decent work, and ending the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
It also underscored the vital importance of ensuring that women, girls and young people are at the decision-making table.
Today, you will hear from leaders about their countries’ progress across all these areas — leaders determined to make changes, even in the face of great odds.
And we will celebrate some milestones at the global level. From reducing child mortality rates…to preventing new HIV infections…to increasing access to renewable energy and broadband …to greater gender parity across education systems.
As we reflect on next steps, I urge focus on the three development drivers that can accelerate progress.
The first is finance.
Crushing debt and inefficient tax systems are starving investments in health, education and food in many developing countries.
The Pact for the Future includes support for the SDG Stimulus and global financial architecture reform to help ease the debt crisis of so many developing countries. This includes multiplying the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks to provide more resources for climate action and sustainable development, and changing their business model to leverage massive amounts of private finance.
As we look towards next year’s Summits on Social Development and Financing, I urge all countries to double down on these reform efforts.
The second development driver is climate action.
I urge countries to put forward ambitious national climate action plans that align with the 1.5 degree limit, and cover the whole economy and all sectors.
This requires aligning national energy strategies with a 1.5-degree world, ending fossil fuel subsidies and putting a price on carbon.
It is time for a rapid and just phase-out of fossil fuels, and a rapid and smart scale-up of renewables to drive sustainable development, energy security and economic prosperity.
We must fairly and sustainably meet the global demand for critical minerals that can power the renewables revolution. And the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals has provided recommendations to do this.
Protecting development gains from climate upheaval is also critical. We need new and generous contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund. We need developed countries honoring their commitment to double adaptation funding by 2025. And we need governments to agree on a significant new climate finance goal at COP29, including new and innovative sources of finance.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ remarks at the Sustainable Development Goals Moment Event on 24 September 2024.