Excellencies,Distinguished Delegates,Colleagues,Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my honor to present the Secretary-General’s progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals. This report highlights how far we are from reaching the SDGs, particularly as the world confronts a crisis of historic proportion.
Our discussions today aim to firmly place the 2030 Agenda at the heart of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as the guidepost to build back better.
While the crisis is threatening progress towards the SDGs, it also makes their achievement all the more urgent. A truly transformative recovery from COVID-19 must be pursued. One that reduces the risk of future crises and equips us to meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
As the United Nations marks its seventy-fifth anniversary, the response to the pandemic requires a surge in international cooperation, solidarity and multilateralism. To ensure that the world emerges from the crisis stronger, the United Nations, all governments and all partners have to stay the course together.
There is much we have to accomplish.
The Secretary-General’s progress report shows that, one-third of the way into the SDG journey, our global efforts were coming up short. The report also demonstrates the impacts and implications of COVID-19 on the implementation efforts towards the SDGs.
The report was prepared in cooperation with over 200 experts from more than 40 international agencies, using the latest available data produced by Member States and estimates produced by international agencies.Excellencies,
Before the pandemic, progress had been uneven. Indeed, accelerated actions were needed in most areas. Nonetheless, gains were being made in a number of areas:
? The global maternal mortality ratio had declined by 38 percent and the under-5 mortality rate had fallen by almost 50 percent since 2000.? Over 1 billion people had gained access to electricity between 2010 and 2018.? Countries were developing national policies to support sustainable development and signing international environmental protection agreements.
However, progress had either stalled or been reversed in other areas:
? The number of persons suffering from food insecurity was on the rise. About 2 billion people were affected by moderate or severe food insecurity in 2018.? Climate change was occurring much more quickly than anticipated. The year 2019 was the second warmest on record and the end of the warmest decade of 2010 to 2019.? And inequality continued to increase within and among countries.
Distinguished Delegates,
Now, amidst COVID-19, the global community finds itself in an unprecedented situation. Parallel threats linked to health, economic and social crises have crippled countries and left us at a standstill. As of the beginning of July, the death toll has reached to over 500,000 and continuing to climb, with almost no country spared.
The effects of the pandemic and the measures taken to mitigate its impact, have:
? overwhelmed health systems globally;? caused businesses and factories to shut down;? kept 1.6 billion students out of school;? disrupted global value chains and the supply of products; and? is expected to push 71 million of persons back into extreme poverty.
The poorest and the most vulnerable, including older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants and refugees and informal sector workers, are being affected disproportionately by the pandemic. Women and children are also bearing the heaviest brunt.
The crisis has also significantly affected the livelihoods of 1.6 billion informal sector workers— half of the global workforce. And it is exacerbating the vulnerability of the 1 billion slum dwellers.
Moreover,? Disrupted health services and lifesaving interventions will cause hundreds of thousands of additional under-five deaths, and a spike in illness and deaths from communicable and non-communicable diseases.? Many countries have seen a surge in reports of domestic violence against women and children.
Even developed countries are struggling to cope. The most vulnerable countries will be far worse off. It is estimated that:
? world trade will plunge by 13 to 32 percent? foreign direct investment will decline by up to 40 percent, and? remittances to low- and middle-income countries will fall by 20 percent in 2020.
All these external shocks, together with job losses, fragile health systems, insufficient basic services, and low coverage of social protection systems, have aggravated their vulnerabilities.
The report underscores the need for global solidarity and cooperation more than ever. Indeed, the Secretary-General called for a large-scale, coordinated and comprehensive multilateral response amounting to at least 10 percent of GDP. He pushed for a series of measures to give developing countries the financial firepower that they need to weather the storm.
The United Nations family is responding across all pillars and all aspects of the crisis. That is also why this Decade of Action to deliver the Goals is so important. Overcoming the crisis and getting back on track to achieve the SDGS will require leadership, foresight, innovation, finance and collaboration among all governments and all stakeholders.
In the coming days, we must fully use the potential of the HLPF to catalyze global action. I am sure that this HLPF will prove that it is up to the task. I look forward to the discussions and engagement of all participants.
Thank you.
It is my honor to present the Secretary-General’s progress report on the Sustainable Development Goals. This report highlights how far we are from reaching the SDGs, particularly as the world confronts a crisis of historic proportion.
Our discussions today aim to firmly place the 2030 Agenda at the heart of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as the guidepost to build back better.
While the crisis is threatening progress towards the SDGs, it also makes their achievement all the more urgent. A truly transformative recovery from COVID-19 must be pursued. One that reduces the risk of future crises and equips us to meet the goals of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
As the United Nations marks its seventy-fifth anniversary, the response to the pandemic requires a surge in international cooperation, solidarity and multilateralism. To ensure that the world emerges from the crisis stronger, the United Nations, all governments and all partners have to stay the course together.
There is much we have to accomplish.
The Secretary-General’s progress report shows that, one-third of the way into the SDG journey, our global efforts were coming up short. The report also demonstrates the impacts and implications of COVID-19 on the implementation efforts towards the SDGs.
The report was prepared in cooperation with over 200 experts from more than 40 international agencies, using the latest available data produced by Member States and estimates produced by international agencies.Excellencies,
Before the pandemic, progress had been uneven. Indeed, accelerated actions were needed in most areas. Nonetheless, gains were being made in a number of areas:
? The global maternal mortality ratio had declined by 38 percent and the under-5 mortality rate had fallen by almost 50 percent since 2000.? Over 1 billion people had gained access to electricity between 2010 and 2018.? Countries were developing national policies to support sustainable development and signing international environmental protection agreements.
However, progress had either stalled or been reversed in other areas:
? The number of persons suffering from food insecurity was on the rise. About 2 billion people were affected by moderate or severe food insecurity in 2018.? Climate change was occurring much more quickly than anticipated. The year 2019 was the second warmest on record and the end of the warmest decade of 2010 to 2019.? And inequality continued to increase within and among countries.
Distinguished Delegates,
Now, amidst COVID-19, the global community finds itself in an unprecedented situation. Parallel threats linked to health, economic and social crises have crippled countries and left us at a standstill. As of the beginning of July, the death toll has reached to over 500,000 and continuing to climb, with almost no country spared.
The effects of the pandemic and the measures taken to mitigate its impact, have:
? overwhelmed health systems globally;? caused businesses and factories to shut down;? kept 1.6 billion students out of school;? disrupted global value chains and the supply of products; and? is expected to push 71 million of persons back into extreme poverty.
The poorest and the most vulnerable, including older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants and refugees and informal sector workers, are being affected disproportionately by the pandemic. Women and children are also bearing the heaviest brunt.
The crisis has also significantly affected the livelihoods of 1.6 billion informal sector workers— half of the global workforce. And it is exacerbating the vulnerability of the 1 billion slum dwellers.
Moreover,? Disrupted health services and lifesaving interventions will cause hundreds of thousands of additional under-five deaths, and a spike in illness and deaths from communicable and non-communicable diseases.? Many countries have seen a surge in reports of domestic violence against women and children.
Even developed countries are struggling to cope. The most vulnerable countries will be far worse off. It is estimated that:
? world trade will plunge by 13 to 32 percent? foreign direct investment will decline by up to 40 percent, and? remittances to low- and middle-income countries will fall by 20 percent in 2020.
All these external shocks, together with job losses, fragile health systems, insufficient basic services, and low coverage of social protection systems, have aggravated their vulnerabilities.
The report underscores the need for global solidarity and cooperation more than ever. Indeed, the Secretary-General called for a large-scale, coordinated and comprehensive multilateral response amounting to at least 10 percent of GDP. He pushed for a series of measures to give developing countries the financial firepower that they need to weather the storm.
The United Nations family is responding across all pillars and all aspects of the crisis. That is also why this Decade of Action to deliver the Goals is so important. Overcoming the crisis and getting back on track to achieve the SDGS will require leadership, foresight, innovation, finance and collaboration among all governments and all stakeholders.
In the coming days, we must fully use the potential of the HLPF to catalyze global action. I am sure that this HLPF will prove that it is up to the task. I look forward to the discussions and engagement of all participants.
Thank you.
File date:
Tuesday, July 7, 2020