“Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises:
the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”
Your Excellency, Ms. Paula Narváez,
President of the Economic and Social Council,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my privilege to address the closing of the 2024 ECOSOC Partnership Forum.
Allow me to begin by extending my congratulations to you, Madam President, and all the Members of the Bureau on a successful event.
I would also like to thank all the UN and stakeholder partners that have worked tirelessly together to shape the SDG Action segments that have taken place this afternoon.
Today’s discussions have served to carry forward the momentum that was instilled by the SDG Summit last fall, while also allowing reflections on key priorities that lie ahead, including the Summit of the Future in September.
Excellencies,
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some key messages and takeaways that have emerged from the different sessions today.
First, we have repeatedly heard how partnerships can be a catalyst for SDG implementation at all levels by bringing together a wide variety of actors to pool their resources and expertise. To be effective, however, it is important that partnerships respect country ownership and local contexts and have robust accountability measures in place.
Second, many speakers stressed the need to ensure that no one is left behind in our development efforts, including those in deepest poverty and with the weakest capacities. They noted the tremendous capacity gaps that exist in particular in the least developed countries and other countries in vulnerable situations. We have also heard how the recent confluence of global crises and shocks have further exacerbated the situation amongst the most vulnerable.
We urgently need to mobilize more resources to address these barriers, including through the SDG Stimulus Plan as proposed by the Secretary-General, which seeks to increase liquidity, accelerate debt restructuring efforts and expand concessional and long-term financing to developing countries.
Third, we have heard of a range of concrete actions and remarkable multi-stakeholder partnerships that are effectively tackling interconnected challenges by spanning across sectors, institutions, and geographical borders. We need to carry forward these lessons learned to achieve the transformations that the SDGs demand.
Excellencies,
This is the moment to galvanize political will to deliver sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions for all.
The messages and recommendations that you have shared will feed directly into the discussions in forthcoming inter-governmental fora, including the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July and the Summit of the Future in September.
The Department of Economic and Social Affairs, as the Secretariat of the Economic and Social Council, the High-level Political Forum and many of the functional commissions and expert bodies, will continue to provide its full support to the collective global endeavour to advance sustainable development.
Let us maintain our determination to engage actively and constructively together for people, planet, prosperity and peace, in partnership.
Thank you.