UN chief urges governments to honor sustainable development pledges

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday urged governments to honor their commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), warning that conflicts, climate change, inequality and mounting debt are undermining global development.

Addressing the SDG Moment at the UN headquarters in New York, Guterres said the goals represented a shared commitment by governments to build healthier, safer and more prosperous societies.

"The promises governments made in adopting the Goals are not being kept. It is time to keep them," he said.

Guterres highlighted progress made since the SDGs were adopted, including reductions in child and maternal mortality, the prevention of millions of HIV infections and expanded access to education, social protection, safe drinking water, sanitation, electricity, renewable energy and the Internet.

But he said the gains had been accompanied by profound setbacks, most notably the global COVID-19 pandemic, which “erased years of progress and exposed deep vulnerabilities.”

“Through every crisis, we adapted. We learned. And we kept moving forward,” he said, emphasizing that development progress had been achieved through the determination of people, communities and countries.

- ‘Development faces powerful headwinds’

Guterres said development now faces “powerful headwinds,” citing conflicts, divisions and mistrust that are weakening international cooperation.

He pointed to continuing crises in the Middle East and elsewhere that are driving economic insecurity and disrupting the flow of food, energy and trade.

The UN chief also raised concerns over threats to the rights of women and girls, as well as the financial pressures facing developing countries.

Guterres outlined four areas where governments should intensify efforts to meet their SDG commitments.

The first is tackling inequality through investment in quality education, food security, decent work, universal health coverage and strong social protection systems.

The second priority is protecting the planet.

He said renewable energy has become the cheapest and fastest-growing source of new power across much of the world and called for countries rich in renewable resources to receive the tools needed to produce clean energy, manufacture clean technologies and create decent jobs.

Guterres identified sustainable development financing as the third priority.

"Countries have pledged to strengthen domestic resource mobilization and channel resources to the areas of greatest need. But much more is needed," he said.

The fourth priority is accelerating progress through better data, strategic foresight, technology and connectivity, Guterres said.

Guterres acknowledged that the SDGs are ambitious because of the scale of the challenges facing the world, but said ambition must be matched by action.

“Commitments must be matched with transformative action,” he said.

“That is the promise governments made. Keeping that promise is an obligation. It’s also our greatest opportunity to build a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.”

The SDGs, adopted by UN member states as a shared global framework, aim to address poverty, hunger, inequality, health, education, climate change and other development challenges while ensuring that no one is left behind.