How Can We Intensify Efforts to Achieve SDGs?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- UN Secretary-General urges immediate action on SDGs.
- Only 35% of SDGs are on track five years before the deadline.
- 47% are advancing insufficiently, and 18% are regressing.
- Net official development assistance fell by 7.1% last year.
- Collaboration and inclusion are crucial for equitable development.
United Nations, Sep 23 (NationPress) In a compelling address at the SDG Moment event at the UN headquarters, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the urgent need for enhanced initiatives to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
During this significant occasion, part of the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Guterres detailed a roadmap to accomplish the SDGs: transforming the global financial system, prioritizing climate action, and gearing up for technological advancements.
“In all our efforts, we must prioritize peace,” he remarked, highlighting that in 2024, global military expenditure is projected to be 13 times greater than the official development assistance, according to reports from Xinhua news agency.
With just five years remaining until 2030, only 35 percent of the SDGs are progressing well, while 47 percent are lagging, and 18 percent are regressing, stated UNGA President Annalena Baerbock during the event.
“The financial landscape is equally alarming. Despite increasing needs, net official development assistance saw a decline of 7.1 percent last year,” she noted.
“We are not advancing as swiftly as necessary on the essential promise of the Sustainable Development Goals,” Baerbock added.
She emphasized that “development will only be equitable and sustainable if it amplifies voices that are often overlooked and if we collaborate and demonstrate solidarity with one another.”
Rooted in 17 SDGs, the United Nations launched the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, dedicated to eradicating poverty, fostering equality, tackling climate change, and more by 2030.