Video message
21 September 2024, Columbia University, New York
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
At the outset, allow me to express my gratitude to the invitation to address you today.
Warm greetings to you all from the United Nations Headquarters, where the Action Days of the Summit of the Future are currently underway.
The Summit takes place at a time when our world is facing enormous challenges. From conflicts to climate change, from poverty to growing inequalities. Concerted global action is only viable path to addressing these challenges.
The current trends in SDGs implementation are not encouraging. Of the 140 SDG targets with data, we are on track to achieve only 17% by 2030, with nearly half showing minimal or moderate progress, and over one-third stalling or regressing. In 2022, 23 million more people were living in extreme poverty and 123 million more were suffering from hunger compared to 2019.
The Summit of the Future offers a generational opportunity to change course and reshape global governance – anchored in equity, solidarity and transparency.
The issues on the table at the Summit are important not only for the future of the United Nations but also for the future of humankind.
How do we transform global governance and reinvigorate the multilateral system so it can tackle current and emerging global challenges?
How can we reform the international financial architecture to support the endeavours of all countries towards sustainable development?
How can we ensure access to long-term, affordable financing to enable bold investments across key transitions? And how can we encourage the multilateral development banks and other financial institutions to reduce the cost of borrowing, manage risk, and leverage private capital?
How can we harness the power of technology and digitalization in a responsible way that benefits all humanity?
To answer these questions, we must keep up the momentum after the Summit, including at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development next June in Spain.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Events such as the one you are attending today provide an important space to spotlight initiatives and approaches that are working in various local or regional contexts. They provide a platform to build partnerships to scale up successes.
Science, technology and innovation already provide solutions to many of our challenges, if we can grasp them.
In this way, your efforts to mobilize scientific and technical expertise toward practical and innovative solutions for sustainable development are more essential now than ever.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In these times of conflict and crisis, collaboration and solidarity are often in short supply. Let us work harder and commit more deeply to the spirit of partnership and unity of purpose.
Let us continue to search for solutions, push policymakers to adopt innovative approaches and join hands to fully utilize every opportunity to make the SDGs a reality.
I thank you.