日期:2023/09/18 NOAH
The SDG Summit gets underway in the General Assembly hall at UN Headquarters in New York.
18 September 2023SDGs
Now is the time for a global plan to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are woefully off-track halfway towards their 2030 deadline, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday in New York.
Mr. Guterres was speaking at the opening of a high-level forum at UN Headquarters where world leaders adopted a political declaration to accelerate action to achieve the 17 goals, which aim to drive economic prosperity and well-being for all people while protecting the environment.
“The SDGs aren’t just a list of goals. They carry the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people everywhere,” he said.
Concerted, ambitious action
World leaders adopted the SDGs in 2015, promising to leave no one behind. The goals include ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, as well as green energy, and providing quality universal education and lifelong learning opportunities.
UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis noted that despite commitments, 1.2 billion people were still living in poverty as of 2022, and roughly eight per cent of the global population, or 680 million people, will still be facing hunger by the end of the decade. The international community cannot accept these numbers, he said.
"With concerted, ambitious action, it is still possible that, by 2030, we could lift 124 million additional people out of poverty and ensure that some 113 million fewer people are malnourished," he said.
Going backwards
Each of the 17 goals contains targets, with 169 overall, but the Secretary-General warned that currently only 15 per cent are on track, while many are going in reverse.
The political declaration "can be a game-changer in accelerating SDG progress," he said.
It includes a commitment to financing for developing countries and clear support for his proposal for an SDG Stimulus of at least $500 billion annually, as well as an effective debt-relief mechanism.
It further calls for changing the business model of multilateral development banks to offer private finance at more affordable rates for developing countries, and endorses reform of the international finance architecture which he has labelled "outdated, dysfunctional and unfair."
Millions still starving
The UN chief highlighted the need for action in six critical areas, starting with addressing hunger, which he called “a shocking stain on humanity, and an epic human rights violation.”
“It is an indictment of every one of us that millions of people are starving in this day and age,” he added.
The Secretary-General said the transition to renewable energy isn’t happening fast enough, while the benefits and opportunities of digitalization are not being spread widely enough.
United Nations The 2023 SDG Summit
Education cannot wait
At the same time, too many children and young people worldwide are victims of poor quality education, or no education at all, he continued, before shining a spotlight on the need for decent work and social protection.
Finally, he called for an end to the war on nature and “the triple planetary crisis” characterized by climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.
Ensure gender equality
“Cutting across all of these transitions is the need to ensure full gender equality,” he said. “It’s long past time to end discrimination, ensure a place at every table for women and girls, and to end the scourge of gender-based violence. “
Mr. Guterres highlighted UN response to each area, including initiatives to transform global food systems so everyone can have access to a healthy diet.
Other efforts focus on boosting investment in the renewable energy transition, promoting internet access for all, creating 400 million new “decent jobs”, and extending social protection to over four million people.
Testament to commitment
The President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Paula Narváez, was heartened by the adoption of the declaration, calling it a testament to leaders’ unwavering commitment towards implementing the SDGs.
ECOSOC is at the core of the UN system’s work on all three pillars of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental – and provides a platform for follow-up and review of the goals.
The two-day SDG Summit is the centrepiece of the UN General Assembly’s high-level week, the annual gathering of Heads of State and Government, and Ms. Narváez also pointed to two other events on the agenda.
Seize the moment
She said the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development will address the need for an international financial architecture that can respond to current needs and emerging challenges.
Meanwhile, the Climate Ambition Summit presents an opportunity for decisive progress on climate action and to raise the bar for more timely and targeted efforts.
“This week should serve as a turning point to rescue the SDGs,” she said. “We must not let this moment slip away.”
2023年9月18日
The President of the United Nations General Assembly opening of the 2023 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (SDG Summit) under the auspices of the General Assembly.
What is the importance of the SDG Summit:
Scheduled for Monday, September 18th and Tuesday, September 19th, 2023, this summit holds significant importance as it represents the midpoint in the execution of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, offering a crucial opportunity to expedite our collective efforts.
The SDG Summit stands as the focal point of the High-level Week of the General Assembly, serving as a response to multifaceted crises affecting the global community. It is anticipated to rekindle a sense of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm for the 2030 Agenda amidst challenging circumstances.
This summit provides nations, both individually and collaboratively, a unique platform to set the world on a trajectory of sustainable development. The international community is poised to capitalize on this moment, effecting meaningful shifts in the integrated implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and altering patterns of production, consumption, and equitable distribution of benefits and risks, ensuring inclusivity for all.
The Summit is envisioned to be proactive and purpose-driven, with the objective of expediting global actions to enhance the well-being of people and revitalizing the initial optimism and hope that characterized the adoption of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda. It is anticipated to conclude with a succinct, action-oriented political declaration, encapsulating its outcomes.
聯合國大會透過加速實現永續發展目標的宣言