DSG/SM/1771

Deputy Secretary-General, at Local2030 Coalition Event, Says Mobilizing Resources, Better Monitoring Key for Delivering on Sustainable Development Goals

(Delayed for technical reasons.)

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to the Local2030 Coalition Side Event at the 2022 High-Level Political Forum, held virtually on 11 July:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

I thank the Co-Chairs of the Local2030 Coalition — the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — for hosting this important event.

More than ever, we need local action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals.

Our world faces many challenges — from rising poverty and growing inequalities to the climate emergency, environmental degradation, and unplanned urbanization.  All of these have been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which have severely set back progress on almost all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

But we can turn things around — and local action is key.  The Secretary-General's report on Our Common Agenda calls for strong action at the national and local levels, as the foundation for a reinvigorated, more effective, inclusive, and networked multilateralism. This can only be achieved by working together seamlessly across all levels.

Dear friends, last year, we created the Local2030 Coalition to share solutions, knowledge and experience, inspire action and strengthen our resolve to deliver the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.  This year, we hosted the first Local2030 Steering Committee meeting bringing together an inspiring group of diverse partners to help shape the Coalition's priorities and guide its work.

Three priorities stand out in particular:  first, advocacy to promote knowledge and understanding.  Second, action to mobilize resources and implement activities on the ground.  And third, monitoring to fill data gaps, improve data access, enhance evidence-based policymaking, and boost SDG reporting.

I expect our joint work on these priorities will deepen the United Nations collaboration with all of you — because localization is everybody's business.  Local action must be complemented, supported, and advanced at the regional, national, and international levels, empowering all actors.

Going forward, the Local2030 Coalition will provide a convening space to build on existing initiatives and fill the gaps where necessary.

Today's event is an excellent opportunity to further explore how the Local2030 Coalition can unleash the power of local action to bring sustainability to our communities and enable countries to achieve the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, in keeping with the promise of the New Urban Agenda.

Dear friends, the Local2030 Coalition is a place to reimagine our common future.  I am confident that today will help us shape our work and provide direction for the years to come.  I wish you every success.

Thank you.

For information media. Not an official record.