With just five years remaining to meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress is uneven — and in many areas, dangerously off track — amid shrinking national budgets, rising nationalism, and trade-disrupting tariffs, speakers warned today at the opening of the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council.
The segment includes the three-day ministerial meeting of the High-level Political Forum, taking place from Monday, 21 July, through Thursday, 24 July, under the theme of “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] — for leaving no one behind”.
“Now is not the time to abandon our ideals — it is the time to double down on solidarity and our obligations to one another,” said Bob Rae, President of the 54-member Council, recalling that it was just a decade ago that nations came together to adopt the 2030 Agenda.
“Peace cannot be sustained without justice, and security cannot be achieved without dignity,” he stressed. And while shrinking budgets around the world have made the path forward more difficult, Mr. Rae emphasized that progress is still possible. “What many of our Governments are doing will make our work much tougher,” he acknowledged, “but it does not make it impossible.” Multilateralism, he stressed, continues to deliver real, tangible benefits. He urged greater cooperation with civil society, youth, and local governments— “because that is where the goals we set out are implemented.”
Mr. Rae also warned against repeating past mistakes. “The founding generation of the United Nations knew perfectly well the consequences of depression, excessive nationalism, and tariffs that hinder rather than promote trade,” he said. “We must not return to that valley - we must learn the lessons of the past.” He also commended the evolution of voluntary national reviews, calling them “an expression of shared learning”.
Recent Progress on Global Health, Climate, Finance Testament to Power of Unified Conviction, Focus
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said that the world has “seen just in the last two months what can be achieved when countries come together with conviction and focus” — first in Geneva, where the World Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement; in Nice at the Third UN Ocean Conference, where Governments committed to expand marine protected areas and tackle plastic pollution and illegal fishing; and again in Sevilla at the Fourth International Financing for Development Conference, where a new vision for global finance was agreed.
“This Forum is about renewing our common promise — to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all,” he went on to say. “We need an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages, and unimpeded humanitarian access as a first step to achieve the two-State solution,” he stressed. The ceasefire between Iran and Israel must hold, a just and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter, international law and UN resolutions must be achieved, and the horror in Sudan must end.
Only One Third of Sustainable Development Goals on Track
“The Sustainable Development Goals are not a dream,” he said. “They are a plan to keep our promises — to the most vulnerable people, to each other, and to future generations.” But the world must face a tough reality: Only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress. Nearly half are moving too slowly. And 18 per cent are going backwards.
Meanwhile, the global economy is slowing, trade tensions are rising and inequalities are growing, he said. Aid budgets are being decimated while military spending soars. And women and girls are facing systemic barriers — from violence and discrimination. “We must embed long-term thinking into every decision,” he added.
“It is through cooperation and shared commitment that we turn aspiration into action,” observed Philémon Yang (Cameroon), President of the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session. Science and evidence-based solutions must guide these efforts, which means harnessing data, deploying new technologies and drawing on local knowledge — particularly from those who are marginalized and vulnerable, he added. Voluntary national reviews, he continued, “reinforce our collective commitment to the 2030 Agenda and provide a snapshot of implementation efforts across regions and sectors”.
“They also offer valuable insights into how Member States are translating global commitments into national action,” he noted. Commending those States presenting their reviews, he emphasized: “This is where global ambition meets national action.” The deadlines for the 2030 Agenda are fast approaching — “whether we like it or not”, he emphasized — and, while progress is lacking, the international community has the tools and ambition to deliver. Pointing to the Pact for the Future and the Sevilla Commitment, as well as political momentum from Nice, he urged those present to use this Forum to “recommit to science, to solidarity and to leaving no one behind”.
Youth Demand Systemic Reform, Not Just Inclusion
Carolina Rojas, speaking for the Major Group for Children and Youth, stressed that today’s youth demand not just inclusion, but systemic reform. “We call for moving beyond symbolic engagement towards formal, mandated and properly resourced co-leadership in all relevant UN processes,” she said. “Given the size of the global youth population, it is essential to ensure our positive transition into adulthood and the workforce,” she went on to say.
Noting that she is a migrant living in Panama, she stressed that this requires the full inclusion of migrant youth in national workforce plans. And, to make gender equality a reality, Governments must invest in systems that recognize and redistribute unpaid care work, strengthen public services, enforce labour protections and guarantee comprehensive access to healthcare. She also underscored the need for long-term funding for grassroots and youth-led initiatives, which are “often the first to respond and the last to receive support”.
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