UN Sustainable Development Goals need 鈥榞lobal rescue plan鈥�: Guterres

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a statement during the opening of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit 2023, at UN headquarters in New York City, New York, US, September 18, 2023. (Reuters)
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  • Just 鈥�15% of targets on track鈥� despite 鈥榮olemn promise,鈥� secretary-general tells UNGA delegates
  • UNGA president: 鈥榃e can鈥檛 relent in our resolve and determination to do our outpost to rescue the SDGs鈥�

NEW YORK: The UN鈥檚 Sustainable Development Goals need a 鈥済lobal rescue plan,鈥� Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned at the opening of the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday.

鈥淓ight years ago, member states gathered in this hall to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals,鈥� he said.

鈥淵ou made a solemn promise, a promise to build a world of health, progress and opportunity for all, a promise to leave no one behind, and a promise to pay for it.鈥�

However, progress made on the SDGs has been inadequate, Guterres added. 鈥淭he SDGs aren鈥檛 just a list of goals,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey carry the hopes, dreams, aspirations and expectations of people everywhere, and they provide the surest path to living up to our obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, now in its 75th year. 

鈥淵et today, only 15 percent of the targets are on track. Many are going in reverse. Instead of leaving no one behind, we risk leaving the SDGs behind.鈥�

Guterres said that 鈥渁t the halfway point to the SDG deadline (of 2030), the eyes of the world are on you once again,鈥� but that he believes the UNGA can turn the stagnation into progress by focusing on a number of key areas, starting with funding.

鈥淚鈥檓 deeply encouraged by the detailed and wide-ranging political declaration under discussion here today, especially (the) commitment to improving developing countries鈥� access to the fuel required for SDG progress: finance,鈥� he added.

鈥淭his includes your clear support for an SDG stimulus of at least $500 billion a year, as well as an effective debt-relief mechanism that supports payment suspensions, longer lending terms and lower rates. 

鈥淚t includes your call to re-capitalize and change the business model of multilateral development banks so they can massively leverage private finance at affordable rates to benefit developing countries. 

鈥淎nd it includes your endorsement of reforming today鈥檚 outdated, dysfunctional and unfair international financial architecture. This can be a game-changer in accelerating SDG progress.鈥�

Guterres encouraged nations to take action on hunger and the transition to renewable energy, which 鈥渋sn鈥檛 happening fast enough.鈥� 
He also emphasized the importance of digitization and education, saying: 鈥淭oo many children and young people are victims of poor-quality education.鈥�

Support and protection for people in and out of work are also of paramount importance, while he concluded by saying: 鈥淭he war on nature must stop. We must end the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.鈥�

UNGA President Dennis Francis told delegates: 鈥淭he 17 SDGs serve as a beacon of hope and a roadmap for common action to create a more equitable, just and sustainable world. 
鈥淣ow, at the midway point, it鈥檚 essential that we take stock of our progress and assess the remaining challenges that confront us.鈥� 

He added: 鈥淎 combination of factors 鈥� including the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacts of climate change and the war in Ukraine 鈥� have presented a series of complex and intersecting crises. 
鈥淎nd while this has dramatically altered the trajectory of the entire world, it is 鈥� as is too often the case 鈥� those in the most precarious circumstances, and those who are already the most vulnerable, who suffer the most.鈥�

Francis echoed the call by Guterres for action on areas such as hunger and finance, calling for 鈥渂old and transformative鈥� actions.

鈥淲hile there have been setbacks, we can鈥檛 relent in our resolve and determination to do our outpost to rescue the SDGs, as we鈥檝e been challenged by the secretary-general,鈥� Francis said. 鈥淭he fact that we鈥檙e lagging in our promise can鈥檛 be the death-knell of our blueprint.鈥�

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Qatar鈥檚 prime minister, told delegates: 鈥淲e share one goal 鈥� addressing the most urgent challenges in the world: armed conflicts, food security crises and climate change.

鈥淣eedless to say, commitment to peaceful settlement of differences and respectful dialogue are best to safeguard the development gains worldwide.鈥�

He added: 鈥淭he state of Qatar is committed to the alignment of its national development plans with the SDG principles.鈥�