President of ECOSOC, Ambassador Narvaez,
Excellencies, Honourable Ministers and Heads of Delegations to the HLPF,
Distinguished Delegates,
Dear colleagues,
Let me begin by congratulating Member States and all stakeholders for your engagement throughout the HLPF.
The focused, vibrant and insightful discussions that have taken place over the last eight days have given us some insight to the solutions that will make the SDGs our reality.
You have re-affirmed that the 2030 Agenda is the only blueprint we have for a thriving, healthy, and sustainable planet.
You shared what is possible, what is being done, and what can be scaled up.
Your discussions have taken place against a dark backdrop for the 2030 Agenda. Staggering numbers of persons still live in extreme poverty, food insecurity is at alarming levels, and every day we are contending with the impacts of climate change. High levels of debt persist, and the annual investment gap required for developing countries to achieve the SDGs is daunting.
This HLPF has taught us that, despite these challenges, the SDGs continue to inspire, unite, and mobilize efforts worldwide.
The HLPF served as a platform to connect, share, and amplify outcomes from across the sustainable development policy arena, integrating key messages from the ECOSOC Youth Forum, the STI Forum, and the Financing for Development Forum. And we heard about the transformative actions needed to advance the outcomes of the SIDS4 Conference.
The discussions benefited from the participation of a range of stakeholders. More than 100 ministers and high-level participants joined the conversations. Dedicated Major Groups and other Stakeholders session spotlighted how invaluable the participation of civil society is to achieve the SDGs.
Excellencies,
The Ministerial Declaration that you have just adopted provides action-oriented policy guidance on the SDGs reviewed this year. Your in-depth review of SDGs 1, 2, 13, 16, and 17, has strengthened the consideration of interlinkages among the Goals.
As the 2024 HLPF draws to a close, allow me to express my appreciation for the leadership of the President of ECOSOC, Ambassador Paula Narvaez. You have skillfully steered the work of the Forum to both address the sobering realities of the challenges that lie ahead while inspiring ambition and action.
I thank you all for your contributions to the 2024 HLPF. Be assured of the Secretariat’s resolve to work with you to implement the outcomes from this forum to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
Thank you.