UN chief calls for accelerating progress toward 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

United Nations, July 14 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the international community to “accelerate progress at scale and speed” in implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Speaking at the opening of the ministerial segment of the high-level political forum on sustainable development, Guterres said important progress has been made since the 2030 Agenda was launched a decade ago, marked by lower child and maternal mortality, greater access to social protection, safe drinking water, sanitation, electricity and the internet, faster declines in harmful practices like child marriage, and exponential growth in renewable energy, Xinhua news agency reported.

“But our journey has faced some major setbacks in recent years,” with conflicts multiplying, inequalities concentrating power at the very top, and the world speeding closer to a temporary overshoot of the 1.5-degree limit, he said.

In addition, developing countries face a whirlwind of financial woe whipped up by crushing debt burdens, weakening currencies, lack of investment, rising borrowing costs and limited fiscal space, and the conflict in the Middle East, beyond its impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure, sent the cost of fuel, fertilizers and food skyrocketing, and disrupted global trade, transportation and tourism, he said.

“Crisis by crisis, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are drifting further out of reach,” Guterres lamented, adding that just 36 per cent of the 139 assessable SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress, and 15 per cent have gone into reverse.

“Our mission is clear: to accelerate progress at scale and speed,” by investing in the proven tools of poverty reduction; adopting policies that promote decent work, gender equality and technological access; grounding progress in human rights; and protecting our planet through climate action, biodiversity conservation and a just transition to renewable energy, he said.

According to the secretary-general, this year’s forum focuses on five SDGs — clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; industry, innovation and infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities; and partnerships.

While hundreds of millions more people now have access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation services, about 2.2 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, and 3.5 billion lack safely managed sanitation, he said, calling on governments, the private sector, businesses and communities to work together to fill gaps in finance, innovation, infrastructure, capacities and governance, and to join efforts and leverage resources to build accountable, equitable and inclusive institutions that secure clean water and sanitation for all.

Underscoring that renewables are the cheapest, fastest and most scalable source of new electricity in most of the world, the UN chief stressed the need to reduce the cost of capital so investment flows where the opportunities are greatest, to manage the critical minerals needed to power the clean energy transition responsibly and sustainably, and to support the countries, communities and workers that depend on fossil fuels throughout the transition.

Guterres said there are enormous opportunities for digital tools like artificial intelligence to drive development, create decent jobs, and expand the reach of public services, which requires ensuring that all people have access to digital technology and the internet, along with the capacity to build the infrastructure and the skills needed to share in those gains.

“And it means technology serving humanity — not the other way around,” he said.

The UN chief called for action to address the global housing crisis, and build smart, resilient and safe cities, urging governments, the private sector, local authorities, and civil society to work together to mobilize equitable and sustainable financing to scale up urban infrastructure and services.

Noting that governments cannot act alone, he said development requires all hands on deck — businesses, development banks, innovators, civil society, community leaders and young people.

The secretary-general also called for urgent action to close the SDG financing gap, now standing at over $4 trillion annually, as developing countries face borrowing costs that are often several times higher than those borne by advanced economies, many spend more on servicing debt than investing in their people, and development assistance has suffered its steepest fall on record.

“Even in this era of division, multilateralism is producing results,” he said, adding that from the Pact for the Future, to the Sevilla Commitment, the Doha Political Declaration, the High Seas Treaty, and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Small Island Development States, “countries have shown cooperation is possible.”

–IANS

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