Do More to Address Capacity Constraints, Promote Investment in Governments, Deputy Secretary-General Urges at Bretton Woods Institutions Event

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the event “One Year of the Sustainable Development Goals:  Country Action and Progress”, in the context of the 2016 meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, in Washington, D.C., today:

It is encouraging and inspiring to see how, in their very first year, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a key reference point for global action.

During the just-concluded opening of the new session of the General Assembly, there was great excitement among delegates, civil society and private-sector representatives about the immense potential of the new Goals.  There was hardly a speech that did not mention them.

The SDGs have become a central pillar of our work at the United Nations.  They are — together with the other historic achievements of 2015 — pushing the entire system to improve the way we work.  We have seen the benefits of working “horizontally” between United Nations entities both at Headquarters and in the United Nations country teams.

We have also seen how the cross-cutting and mutually reinforcing character of the Goals has influenced the Member States to positively adapt to the new Goals.  The first round of voluntary national reviews, presented by 22 countries at the meeting of the High-level Political Forum in July, offered additional testimony to the commitment of national Governments to the SDGs.

The reviews show that Governments are establishing their priorities.  They show that they are integrating the SDGs into national development plans.  They show that they are identifying areas where they need to do more and determine how they can support others. 

Local governments are also engaged.  This is critical, as they play a critical role in delivering education, energy, health care, water and sanitation, and in reaching out to the most vulnerable.

But of course, all of this is only just a beginning.  Many countries are tackling this ambitious Agenda against difficult odds, including conflict and post-conflict situations, epidemics, disasters, extreme poverty or severe financial constraints.

These factors can stand in the way of implementation even when there is full political commitment.  More needs to be done to address resource and capacity constraints.  More needs to be done to promote investments in national and local governments.  The role and potential role of the World Bank Group is unique and crucial in this respect.

So in closing, let us continue to do everything we can, in this extraordinarily important first year of implementation, to get off to a vigorous start in bringing the 2030 Agenda to life.