Deputy Secretary-General Highlights Need for Local Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks to the Local 2030 Coalition side event on the occasion of the Summit of the Future’s Action Days, held in New York today:

I extend my appreciation to the Governments of Spain and Brazil for their invaluable collaboration with UN-Habitat, the Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments, and other members of the Local 2030 Steering Committee for organizing this event during the Summit of the Future Action Days.

Coinciding with the International Day of Peace, we should recognize how local and regional governments often serve as defenders of peace and mediators of peace, protecting people in the context of conflict and providing invaluable support to people on the move.

It is no secret that we have a lot of work to do between now and 2030.  With only 17 per cent of the SDG targets on track to 2030, urgent and transformative action is imperative.  It is also our commitment following the 2023 SDG Summit, when we agreed on transformative and accelerated actions for the SDGs.

And this is exactly the spirit that guided the creation of the Local 2030 Coalition, brings together the UN systems with partners for SDG localization.  Under our Coalition, a combined set of actors are championing the SDGs at the local level. We are witnessing a diverse range of actors co-creating, incubating and investing in scalable solutions.

With a projected increase in the global population of 2.4 billion people by 2050, and urban populations reaching 6.5 billion, our capacities to deliver require effective multi-level governance to help us manage the demand for public services, with the financing to ratchet the pace of acceleration.

As we look ahead to pave the way for a better future, let me stress four points.  First, work across your networks and with national Governments and parliaments to anchor the potential for growth and inclusion around key and urgent transitions — from renewable energy, to green and blue economies, to sustainable food systems.

Use the Local 2030 Coalition to unlock new opportunities for change. Through the UN Joint SDG Fund, supported by the Government of Spain, 30 UN country teams are already integrating SDG transitions.

Second, include local leadership, including local governments, and youth in decision-making processes and SDG implementation to drive impact, with measures for accountability.  Yesterday’s youth Action Day provided tangible opportunities to advance our shared goals, and they spoke extensively about that inclusion and what that meant

Third, create frameworks for collaboration, innovation and investment, ensuring that we measure progress across social, environmental and economic indicators.  The Local 2030 Coalition Knowledge and Scientific Network is pioneering evidence-based strategies and capacity-building to support such learning.

Fourth, advance the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments.  A new social contract that is people-centred must foster dialogue, intergenerational conversations and create the space for voices to be heard and acted upon.

At the Summit of the Future Action Days, youth and civil society activists challenged conventional thinking and spoke for change that leaves no one behind.  Next year, the second World Social Summit and the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development will demonstrate the power of local transformations aligned to the SDGs.

COP29 and COP30 will also offer invaluable opportunities to respond to the aspirations of local actors and communities on the frontline of socio-economic and ecological crises.  The G20 Summit in Rio will also provide a platform this year to champion further reforms, as well as a connection to the urban agenda through the U20.

The success of the 2030 Agenda will also depend on our collective actions.  Together, we know we can achieve the SDGs; ensuring that all communities thrive in a future that is just, equitable and sustainable.