UN calls for more global commitment to SDGs

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has called for escalated efforts by Nations for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that the 2030 deadline is met. Mohammad, who made the remarks at an informal General Assembly meeting on taking stock of SDG actions, warned that the current pace of progress was insufficient. “The SDGs have jumped from the General Assembly Hall to communities across the world and are taking hold among policy-makers and in global public awareness. “However, our assessment clearly shows that the pace of progress is insufficient,” she added, noting also that progress has been uneven between the sexes, and among people of different ages and constituencies. She particularly said that the persistence of poverty remained the main challenge and that tackling gender equality and the use of new technologies should be leveraged to tackle this issue. She also highlighted the importance of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Mohammed also underscored the potential of the 2030 Agenda for a more prosperous and peaceful world and said that its success depends on the active engagement of all actors for people, peace, prosperity and a healthy planet. “My simple appeal today to all of you is to stay engaged, help us keep the ambition high, and work with us in this collective endeavour for a better future for all,” she said. Peter Thomson, the President of the General Assembly, also spoke of the importance of collaboration and the deployment of resources, expertise and technology on a greater scale to realise SDGs. Thomson said: “Potentially, we have reserves of them sufficient to well exceed the goals before us. “Thus, it is a matter of deployment, of marshalling our forces, both morally and practically, to undertake the tasks at hand in a spirit of inclusivity and universality.” He recalled the work done over the last year to advance each of the 17 Goals, in particular, building momentum across the SDGs. Thomson called for strengthening the UN’s capacity to convene, engage and create coalitions for collective action across the means of implementation. He sais that this includes partnerships with the private sector, employing technological advances and leveraging the potential of public and private financing to support achieving the goals. He urged greater efforts to deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda, adding that “we now need a shift in gears. “It is time to crank it up a notch, for time is not on our side. We have the resources, the ideas, the technology and the motivation. “Add leadership, courage and an unwavering commitment to progress and we will reach our 2030 destination with goals fulfilled,” he added.