Long-Term, Forward-Looking Solutions Paramount to Overcoming Interlinked Crises That Hinder Sustainable Development Goals Progress, High-Level Segment Hears
In order to overcome the interlinked crises that have hindered progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and have pushed the international community off track, long-term and forward-looking thinking and solutions are paramount and must be brought to the fore in all future initiatives, speakers stressed, as the High-Level Segment — held under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council — concluded its discussion today.
“The world has the knowledge, the science and technology, and the financial resources to reverse the trajectories that taken us off course,” said Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, who introduced the Secretary-General’s reports on accelerating the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic (document E/2023/78) and on long-term trends towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (document E/2023/89).
He emphasized that countries need to step up their efforts to combat climate change by increasing their investment in clean energy infrastructure and renewable energy sources. He further pointed out that, while great progress has been made in closing digital gaps in terms of Internet access in many parts of the world, new digital gaps have opened up as new technology infrastructures — such as artificial intelligence — are being built.
Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Chair of the Committee on Development Policy, introducing the report on the Committee’s twenty-fifth session (document E/2023/33), addressed the escalating external debt distress and financial constraints many developing countries are facing, calling on States to urgently improve the method and speed of debt relief to developing countries. Additionally, she underlined the need for an efficient allocation of different financing sources, including compensation for losses and damages and provision of concessional financing for both climate adaptation and mitigation.
Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, presented highlights from the Secretary-General’s reports on demographics and other scenarios and future trends (documents E/2023/78 and E/2023/89). The global population surpassed 8 billion in November 2022 and is expected to continue growing, but at a decelerating rate, reaching 9 billion people by the late 2030s and 10 billion sometime in the late 2050s, she noted. Moreover, the regional distribution will continue to change over the next few decades, with sub-Saharan Africa projected to host the largest population by 2070.
Panels were also held throughout the day, including “Strengthening UN system institutions for resilient sustainable development” and “Overcoming ‘short-termism’ to secure a better future”, with speakers exploring ways to build capacity for more reliable, accountable and inclusive institutions at the country level that can deliver progress for sustainable development.
“We are at the crossroads of necessity,” said Afshan Khan, United Nations Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, stressing that the COVID-19 pandemic harshly illuminated some of the flaws of the international system, especially the severity of food insecurity. Further, he highlighted that global hunger levels rose alarmingly in 2022, reaching 9.2 per cent of the world’s population, with hundreds of millions of people facing food insecurity worldwide.
In the same vein, Shonali Pachauri, Leader of the Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions Research Group of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis of Austria, emphasized: “We cannot live in the short term anymore.” While all may be guilty of short-termism, every culture and every society inherently have empathy for their descendants, she said, highlighting “an inherent need in all of us to leave a better place for our children than what we inherited from our parents”.
Along similar lines, Yasmin Kumi, Founder and Executive Director of the Africa Foresight Group of Ghana, described capitalism as the biggest driver of short-termism, noting that much-needed investment-attention on Africa looks mostly at commercial short-term returns. “We need a new definition of ROI [return on investment] for funding African growth if we want long-term thinking,” she said, stressing the need for unification of Africa as “a block of nations that sticks together”.
“Our response to the multiple and interlocking challenges of today will serve as a pivotal moment in our collective ability to secure a better future for those who come after us,” said Lenora Qereqeretabua, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs of Fiji. Unless the current generation drastically alters its consumption patterns, future generations stand to inherit a planet that is in worse condition, she said, calling for greater participation of young people in this journey to a resilient future.
Delivering closing remarks, Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, underlined that young people “will inherit the progress — or lack of progress — we achieve today”, and their voices must be integrated into United Nations work. Today's global challenges demand a holistic approach, as well as looking to the long-term impacts of the Organization’s work, which requires investing in comprehensive research and robust data analysis. “Let’s give our leaders the clear and unambiguous expectations that we have of them and the solutions they will need to deliver on the promises of the 2030 Agenda,” she said.
Echoing that, Lachezara Stoeva (Bulgaria), President of the Economic and Social Council pledged to ensure that the key messages heard in the High-Level Segment feed into the upcoming SDG Summit, which represents a moment for recommitment to action. “We must unite to turn the tide for a new, accelerated and transformational drive for SDG achievement. The SDGs are not just an option, they are our only option,” she emphasized.
High-Level Segment: Introduction of Reports
LI JUNHUA, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, introduced the Secretary-General’s reports “Accelerating the recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (document E/2023/78) and “Long-term future trends and scenarios — impacts on the realization of the SDGs” (document E/2023/89). The first report emphasized that countries need to set ambitious national benchmarks to reduce poverty and inequality. Further, countries need to step up their efforts to combat the threat of climate change by increasing their investment in clean energy infrastructure and renewable energy sources. Developing countries, at the early stage of their demographic transition, need to increase investment in education and skills development of young people entering the labour market. The report also spotlights the need to advance economic and structural reforms so that their economies can attract foreign direct investment and technological diffusion. Effective debt-relief calls for an improved multilateral initiative to support debt repayment suspension for vulnerable countries, he said, noting that the report outlines steps towards the creation of a permanent mechanism to address sovereign debt distress.
The second report looks beyond current crises and emergencies to reflect on long-term trends and scenarios towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change objectives, he continued. It shows that scientific and technological breakthroughs could become “game-changers” to accelerate sustainability. However, to achieve that, unprecedented levels of global cooperation will be needed, he said, adding that digitalization, in particular, has become a pervasive force across all sectors and countries. While great progress has been made in closing digital gaps in terms of simple Internet and Web access in many parts of the world, new digital gaps have continuously opened up as new technology infrastructures — such as artificial intelligence — are being built on top of basic connectivity infrastructure. “The world has the knowledge, the science and technology, and the financial resources to reverse the trajectories that taken us off course,” he stressed.
SAKIKO FUKUDA-PARR, Chair of the Committee on Development Policy, introducing the report on the Committee’s twenty-fifth session (document E/2023/33), stressed that fulfilling the potential of the Goals requires transformative action through coherent, integrated and inclusive strategies and policies that address the root causes of inequality, poverty and environmental degradation. This transformation must advance the world towards low-carbon and environmentally sustainable economies while also fulfilling the pledge to leave no one behind, an essential component of the 2030 Agenda. Leaving no one behind also implies pushing no one — neither people nor countries — behind. In making recommendations for a just transition, the Committee highlighted key elements, including the need for inclusive processes of social and political dialogue, as well as financing, technological and intellectual property rights frameworks that work for developing countries, she noted.
The Committee also addressed the escalating external debt distress and financial constraints many developing countries are facing, she continued, recommending that the Economic and Social Council call upon Member States and the international community to urgently improve the method, process and speed of debt relief to developing countries. In addition, the Committee called for an efficient allocation of different financing sources, including compensation for losses and damages and provision of concessional financing for both climate adaptation and mitigation. The Committee also recommended launching a new generation of the voluntary national review process to refocus the reports towards evidence-based analysis of progress, policy successes and failures. Other improvements include ensuring greater space for the contributions of civil society. She also reported that the Committee has started its preparations for the 2024 triennial review of the list of least developed countries, including refining the composition of the group criteria and their application procedure to enable use of best available information when making recommendations for graduation from the category.
Panel: Strengthening United Nations System Institutions
Moderating the panel discussion “Strengthening UN system institutions for resilient sustainable development” was Eddy Maloka, Chief Executive Officer of the African Peer Review Mechanism of the African Union. The panellists included: Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Afshan Khan, Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement; and Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children. The lead discussant was Dorothy Davis, Board Member of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations and United Nations representative of the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute.
Ms. GRYNSPAN, via videoconference, said that, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations acted fast and showed real wins. However, the international response could not deliver on its promise, thus impacting the global trust. Nonetheless, the response to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, through the Global Crisis Response Group, set an example for a fast-paced and inter-agency action, she reported, spotlighting the Group’s key role in supporting the Secretary-General in the two Istanbul Agreements, where the United Nations played a convener role. In addition, the Group provided research, analysis and clear action guidelines at the global and country levels, while its adaptable and ahead-of-schedule reports were key. Stressing that resilience is about equality and empowerment, she asserted: “If inequality makes us fragile, closing gaps makes us resilient.” In this regard, capacity and team-building can help countries to access resources and expertise they need, she said, adding: “ECOSOC is the perfect nexus, where the UN can come together to strengthen each other. It needs to be the glue that binds us together on the key issues we all agree on.”
Ms. KHAN said that hundreds of millions of people face food insecurity around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic harshly illuminated some of the flaws of the international system, underscoring the severity of food and nutrition insecurity. Global hunger levels rose alarmingly in 2022, reaching 9.2 per cent of the world’s population. Women and girls are the most vulnerable during food crises, she pointed out. The Economic and Social Council plays an important role in addressing this scourge, but Governments and the United Nations system must directly work with youth, civil society and the private sector. The United Nations system must strengthen its capacity to work on ensuring food security for everyone. “We are at the crossroads of necessity,” she said, also adding: “An almost-perfect storm of factors such as increased conflict, worsening climate change and compounding public debt, are resulting in increased food cost and lower accessibility of all families to a healthy diet.” Everyone must work together — “not just alongside one another”, she stressed.
Ms. MAALLA underscored that sustainable development cannot be achieved without investing in children. Given the intersectional nature of violence against children, the protection of children cuts across all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Accordingly, it is crucial to move away from siloed actions to people-centred development, starting from early childhood, which is embedded in responses to the multiple humanitarian and climate crises. In addition, sustainable and unified United Nations support is key, she emphasized, outlining promising practices, including voluntary national reviews; data-collection; and mobilization of civil society, the private sector and local and faith-based communities. Stressing the need to strengthen the United Nations system response at the country level, she said that due to multiple crises, there is a severe shortage of funding with competing agendas. Challenges also remain due to political instability, external shocks and a lack of State capacities, she observed.
Ms. DAVIS, noting that the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations is commemorating its seventy-fifth anniversary this year, said that the Conference creates and promotes interactions between the United Nations and civil society. It also knows the weaknesses of international organizations and advocates for revitalized and transformed multilateralism. She reiterated her call for enhanced access to the United Nations premises and urged Governments to engage civil society in consultations, emphasizing that non-governmental organizations know the situation on the ground, in communities, villages and rural areas. Their experience, when mobilized, augments the knowledge base available to Governments for decision-making. Further, competent civil society input enhances competent outputs. Moreover, civil society remains available to interpret the diplomatic language into the myriad of native and Indigenous languages to localize follow-up actions. “2030 is around the corner. It behoves us to robustly consult, collaborate and cooperate,” she emphasized.
In the ensuing dialogue, speakers highlighted how their countries are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic while seeking to accelerate implementation of the Goals.
To combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia’s representative described how her country secured vaccines through multilateral diplomacy and introduced socioeconomic recovery measures. The country managed to grow its economy by 3.6 per cent in 2021 and 5.3 per cent in 2022.
The representative of Slovenia highlighted the importance of strengthening the science-policy interface and the vital role played by civil society. To implement the climate agenda, it is vital to provide competent public services, build innovative capacity, and adopt long-term strategic thinking.
In another vein, access to finance is a critical element of sustainable recovery for small island developing States, stressed the representative of Fiji. The SDG Summit in September will serve as a platform that anchors commitments and guarantees for the special circumstances of the small island developing States, including recognition for the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index.
Similarly, the representative of Guatemala, underlining the importance of a preventive approach, called for international and South-South cooperation, robust financial assistance from donor countries and multilateral banks, evidence-based decision-making and better protection of youth and children.
The representative of Mexico proposed recognizing different realities of different locations, bolstering multilateralism, and supporting innovation, science and technology. Her country has introduced inclusive social and economic measures, including the empowerment of women, while taking climate action.
The representative of Viet Nam, reporting her country adopted the “One United Nations” approach in 2006, highlighted the need to strengthen United Nations agencies at the national level by increasing funding for resident coordinators through the United Nations regular budget and by unifying different procedures of United Nations agencies on financial approval.
Responding, Ms. GRYNSPAN said that the issue of nutrition is important, and the food crisis can be addressed only through collective efforts. She also spotlighted speakers touching on the need to reduce debt burden, the importance of engaging youth and children, and the need for the availability of timely information to enable the United Nations and countries to take swift action.
Ms. KHAN said that data and evidence can influence policies by monitoring national budget and financial gaps. Investment of $1 in nutrition reaps $16 in benefits. In “delivering as one”, it is important to include businesses and civil society. The resident coordinator system is pivotal to the “One United Nations” approach.
Ms. MAALLA said that the world had already been lagging in implementation of the Goals before the pandemic, stressing the need for all to engage in strong self-criticism of insufficient progress. The upcoming SDG Summit is critical, and there is a need to see people not as recipient of aid, but as key partners in delivering transformation and to bring children, women and youth on board.
Ms. DAVIS underlined how human rights are crucial to implementing the Goals, and the COVID-19 pandemic revealed interdependent challenges. COVID-19 is not the only pandemic to be concerned about, she said, stressing the urgency to tackle economic pandemic, racial pandemic and the pandemic of violence, to name a few. These, she emphasized, are also real pandemics.
High-Level Segment: Demographic and Future Trends
The Economic and Social Council also heard from MARIA-FRANCESCA SPATOLISANO, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, who presented highlights from the Secretary-General’s reports on demographic and other scenarios and future trends, (documents E/2023/78 and E/2023/89). The global population surpassed 8 billion in November 2022, a milestone that reflects success in improving health conditions and raising survival rates. The world population is expected to continue growing, but at a decelerating rate, reaching 9 billion people by the late 2030s and 10 billion sometime in the late 2050s. The regional distribution will continue to change over the next few decades. Whereas the region of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia counts the most inhabitants today, Central and Southern Asia is projected to become the most populous region in the next few decades. By 2070, sub-Saharan Africa is projected to host the largest population. Further, the number of persons aged 60 or over is projected to almost double by mid-century, rising from 1.1 billion people in 2023 to around 2.1 billion in 2050.
All regions will face a decline of young persons in the coming decades, she continued. However, the proportion of young people will vary greatly, with sub‑Saharan Africa maintaining the youngest population. The drivers of population change differ sharply between the more developed and the less developed regions. Over the next few decades, as the number of deaths progressively exceeds the number of births, a positive net inflow of migrants is expected to become the sole driver of population increase in the more developed regions. From mid-century onward, these regions are expected to experience population decline. Some countries in the Global North will continue to experience population growth, driven mainly by immigration, whereas some countries in the Global South may soon experience population decline, possibly driven by a combination of low fertility and out-migration. Throughout history, populations have encountered and recovered from various crises which created temporary ruptures in long-term, she said, pointing in this regard to a prolonged crisis is the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Southern Africa.
Panel: Overcoming “Short-Termism”
Moderating the panel discussion “Overcoming ‘short-termism’ to secure a better future” was Andrew Revkin, Director of the Initiative on Communication Innovation and Impact, Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, New York. The panellists included: Izabella Teixeira, Co-Chair of the International Resource Panel of Brazil; Jennifer Dixon, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, United Kingdom; Shonali Pachauri, Leader of the Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions Research Group of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria; and Yasmin Kumi, Founder and Executive Director of the Africa Foresight Group, Ghana. Lead discussants were Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, Commissioner of New York City Department for the Ageing; Jerome Bellion-Jourdan, Deputy Secretary General of the International Organization of Employers, Switzerland; and Kehkashan Basu, Founder-President of the Green Hope Foundation, Canada and youth speaker. The ministerial respondents included: André Moz Caldas, Secretary of State for the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of Portugal; and Lenora Qereqeretabua, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs of Fiji.
Ms. TEIXEIRA, pointing out that sustainability is still based on the “future designed in the past”, also said that the “nature crisis” has been discussed as a crisis that could happen. However, this crisis is happening today on the global and planetary level, she stressed, while also spotlighting the polycrisis and democracy crises also occurring globally. Noting that the emerging future is different from the future designed in the past, she said that a political response should address risks and uncertainties not experienced before. To this end, she underscored the importance of politically engaging societies around the world and highlighted the need for global solidarity to ensure less risk societies in the future.
Ms. DIXON detailed the many short-term emergency shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that her country experienced, including fiscal debt, inflation and the cost-of-living crisis. She also outlined good progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in the field of climate, health care and education. However, factors, such as ideological views about the role of the State; fiscal prudence being more important than the benefits tomorrow; and a variable sense of moral duty to future generations, among others, are often undermined by political calculations. In this context, legal devices and international commitments are strong binding devices to look into for the future, but they can also be overridden or side-lined in response to immediate political pressures. States need a multiple set of factors to make progress, including strong independent universities and think-tanks, more sophisticated future analysis on the risks and opportunities, powerful stakeholders, media and voters. “We need to make a lot of progress on matrix and transparency,” she stressed, while underscoring the importance of training politicians to make decisions in the light of uncertainty.
Ms. PACHAURI said that, while all may be guilty of short-termism, every culture and every society inherently has empathy for its descendants. “There is an inherent need in all of us to leave a better place for our children than what we inherited from our parents,” she emphasized. Noting her involvement in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change over its sixth assessment cycle, she highlighted that children born today and those born in the future will face a hotter world, along with the impacts and consequences entailed. “We cannot live in the short term anymore,” she stressed, urging all to consider the lives and well-being of those that come today and in the future. Turning to sub-Saharan Africa and South and South-East Asia — the focus of much of her work — she said there is a huge opportunity in terms of infrastructure build-up, such as in housing, energy or transport. Pointing to the opportunities to think about how cities should be built, or food should be provided, she stated: “If we get that infrastructure right, then we are leaving the world with a better future.”
Ms. KUMI said she started her company at the age of 27 to address the crucial need for the African private sector to build long-term plans that position them ahead of the future. Offering three maxims, she underscored that, to reduce short-termism, citizens of the future must be brought to the table. Noting that African youth are rarely present in important round tables, she stressed: “If we do not involve future generations, we cannot know what long-term action to take.” She emphasized that capitalism is the biggest driver of short-termism, noting that much-needed investment attention on Africa looks mostly at commercial short-term returns. “We need a new definition of ROI [return on investment] for funding African growth if we want long-term thinking,” she said. She also noted that short-termism is a function of vulnerability, pointing out that all African markets in combination have a smaller gross domestic product (GDP) than Germany today. “We require more unification and the strengthening of Africa as a bloc of nations that sticks together,” she emphasized, stressing the need to prioritize the further empowerment of the African Union as a vehicle for unification.
Mr. CALDAS said that, in order to overcome the interlinked crises that have hindered progress and set the international community off track, long-term and forward-looking thinking is paramount. To ensure the well-being of people and the planet, it is necessary to learn from past experiences and design a future strategy that contributes to decreasing the impact of future crises. Also, it is crucial to promote the alignment of public policies with the Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring the participation of civil society and other stakeholders. Science and technology — such as artificial intelligence — are tools that can assist in the development of better strategies to address disaster risk reduction, he pointed out.
Ms. QEREQERETABUA stated: “Our response to the multiple and interlocking challenges of today will serve as a pivotal moment in our collective ability to secure a better future for those who come after us.” She stressed the need to ensure greater participation of young people in this journey to a sustainable and resilient future, pointing out that “they are not only the future we speak about, they are also the present”. The majority of youth will reside in the developing world in the not-too-distant future, she added. Highlighting the clear lack of realization that the profound consequences of decisions taken today will eventually burden upcoming generations, she said that, unless the current generation drastically alters its consumption patterns, future generations stand to inherit a planet that is in worse condition. Turning to the situation in Fiji, she spotlighted issues such as climate-induced displacement, extreme weather patterns and seismic changes in rainfall and drought. Lamenting a lack of finances flowing to small island developing nations, she stressed that some Sustainable Development Goals — such as Goal 14 — continue to be the least funded.
Ms. CORTÉS-VÁZQUEZ spoke of how New York City is creating an “age-inclusive” city, with two “book-end” groups — those under the age of 18 and those over the age of 60 — living together in communities. By 2040, her city will have 1.8 million people over 60. To prepare for the arrival of such era, the Mayor created a cabinet of 20 city agencies to examine the existing gaps holistically. The city is introducing measures, including a universal design for housing that will work for older adults, people with disabilities and families and a plan to make streets safer for pedestrians. A pilot project has been under way at 18 high schools to teach aging and ageism. The last “-ism” is ageism, she said, stressing her city’s intergenerational approach.
Mr. BELLION-JOURDAN said the International Organization of Employers brings voices of businesses to the international stage, engaging with entities, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Group of Seven and the Group of 20. Countering a perception that businesses have a short-term thinking, he said his organization contributed to long-term thinking by encouraging enterprises to make long-term informed decisions. For instance, anticipating a just transition amid climate change, employers can acquire green skills. His organization also brings long-term thinking to the issues of labour migration. It is also critical to create a predictable legal environment based on rule of law, he added.
Ms. BASU said that Kutupalong, the world’s largest refugee camp — home to more than 1 million Rohingya refugees, “suddenly caught the developed world’s attention”, but only for a short-term. This “short-termism” continues to define global public policies as it “hops from one disaster to the next, leaving behind its unfulfilled promises and broken systems”, she stressed. In communities like Ketapang, non-State actors, like the Green Hope Foundation, are trying to “rebuild better brick-by-brick”. In the past four years, the Foundation leveraged solar innovation in these communities to build schools to address education inequality, while also introducing climate-smart agriculture through a clean technology innovation. This provided food and water security to 25,000 farming families. Further, through sexual and reproductive health rights initiatives, the Foundation built toilets and stopped open defecation across these communities. Over time, all these initiatives resulted in a 65 per cent decrease in child marriages and a 42 per cent reduction in malnutrition. “This is a consequence of a decade-long effort, based on a long-term plan of recovery,” she emphasized.
In the ensuing interactive dialogue, speakers discussed ways to overcome “short-termism” and focus on integrating long-term approaches to advance sustainable development.
The youth delegate of Denmark called for ensuring meaningful youth engagement. Recalling her recent participation in the Youth Forum, she expressed disappointment that, during that meeting, decision-makers and diplomats were sitting next door negotiating actual United Nations agendas without youth’s engagement. “It felt like being seated at the children’s table: see the party, but actually not being part of the party,” she stressed, calling for youth empowerment.
Croatia’s delegate said that adequate national policy frameworks with long-term strategies are key. Reporting that her country has risen to the twelfth place among 166 countries, according to the 2023 Sustainable Development Report, she pointed out that this progress was achieved through the adoption of the National Development Strategy.
The representative of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said that the capacity to mobilize financial resources is the main enabler for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Engaging the private sector and enhancing blended finance could help unlock resources of higher order of magnitude, he said, while suggesting granting developing counties the fiscal space to pursue long-term objectives.
Indonesia’s representative said that implementing transformative long-term strategies and policies can be a key in achieving sustainable development beyond 2030. He underscored the importance of long-term planning in delivering long-term goals, while highlighting the need for adequate financing.
The representative of Zimbabwe asked the panellists how to counter “short-termism” and why it is easier to focus on this trend than on long-term policies. Noting that the international community is “15 years off-track” with regard to the Sustainable development Goals, he emphasized: “How much longer should we be thinking?”
The representative of China, citing a Chinese proverb, stated: “Ten years are required to grow trees and a hundred years to grow human capital.” Underscoring the need for preserving the environment and resolving the livelihood issue, he said that tackling hunger and poverty are fundamental. The Sustainable Development Goals should be integrated in national development, he stressed.
Responding to comments, Ms. KUMI said that it is easier to embrace certainty in the short term than uncertainty in the long term. Forums like this must show the way with a bold vision to fill the void. For instance, Africa, which has the lowest industrialization rate, faces a perfect opportunity to build a green economy without a transition, starting from the baseline.
Ms. TEIXEIRA said that she was a member of a team that proposed the 2030 Agenda. There is no lack of vision. The green economy is a solution, but many countries do not have such an alternative, she said, stressing the need for a trade-off. Efficient use of natural resources matters. It is vital to bring a new generation of youth to the table as the speed of change is so fast.
Ms. DIXON said that there are areas in which short-termism is important, such as tackling hunger and bringing justice in the Rohingya crisis. Those need short-term responses. However, long-term thinking is needed in such areas as climate change, food security, resilience and artificial intelligence.
Ms. PACHAURI said knowledge exists to give the present and future generations a decent life. She stressed the importance of science-policy interface and a capacity to think of future repercussions when taking action today.
Closing Remarks
AMINA J. MOHAMED, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that, amid many challenges in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, progress being made gives hope for the future. Individuals, communities, Governments and societies are moving to a more just, sustainable and prosperous future, she observed, noting that the commitment to leaving no one behind and reaching the farthest behind is being turned into concrete policy prescriptions and actions on the ground. The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Goals have embedded themselves into the mainstream, finding their place in the curricula of schools, in boardroom discussions and in Cabinet meetings, she added. “Young people, too, are in a hurry to make a difference. They will inherit the progress — or lack of progress — we achieve today,” she stressed, underscoring that more needs to be done to integrate their voices into United Nations work.
The Economic and Social Council and its various functional commissions can help lead the way, and the Secretary-General is committed to supporting this essential effort, she underscored. Urging continued efforts to build and adequately resource an agile and responsive resident coordinator system, she said: “Only then can it be equipped to help programme countries deal with the multidimensional crises that they each face.” Today's global challenges demand a holistic and integrated approach, as well as looking to the long-term impacts of the Organization’s work, which requires investing in comprehensive research, robust data analysis and strategic foresight. Looking ahead to the SDG Summit, as well as an ambitious draft political declaration that is nearing the finish line, she called on all to move forward with conviction to deliver a better, more sustainable future for every person, everywhere. “Let’s give our leaders the clear and unambiguous expectations that we have of them and the solutions they will need to deliver on the promises of the 2030 Agenda,” she said.
LACHEZARA STOEVA (Bulgaria), President of the Economic and Social Council, said the 2023 High-Level Segment was convened at a critical juncture, with the world facing cascading and interconnected crises. Therefore, it is imperative that the Council continued to address pressing sustainable development challenges. During the Segment, tangible examples were given of how countries are stepping up responses to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Citing the rich experiences and lessons shared by 38 countries and the European Union that presented their national voluntary reviews, as well as key messages during the general debate, she acknowledged the calls for fundamental reforms and the need to boost the capacity of the multilateral system.
There is now access to knowledge, technology and resources that are unprecedented in history, she continued, adding that, if used properly, they can lead to breakthroughs that can become “game-changers”. These are the transformations needed to truly accelerate the Global Goals’ implementation. Outlining key messages that emerged during the broad-spectrum and in-depth substantive discussion, she pledged to ensure that these contributions feed into the upcoming SDG Summit, which represents a moment for recommitment to action. “We must unite to turn the tide for a new, accelerated and transformational drive for SDG achievement. The SDGs are not just an option, they are our only option,” she emphasized.