Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the fifth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union, Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms, in Nairobi today:

With a third of the Sustainable Development Goals stalled or in reverse, high-level political action and strengthened national plans must be implemented to achieve the 2030 Agenda, senior United Nations officials warned today at the opening of the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council and the ministerial segment of the high-level political forum on sustainable development.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, in New York today:

The following statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:

The United Nations Development Programme, launching their policy brief, “The Human Cost of Inaction: Poverty, Social Protection and Debt Servicing, 2020–2023”, and noting that an 165 million additional people fell into poverty as a result of the cumulative crisis, proposed a “debt-poverty pause” for developing economies.

With only 15 per cent of the Global Goals’ targets on track, a vibrant civil society is crucial to push Governments towards more ambitious efforts and ensure the participation of marginalized and vulnerable communities, speakers stressed, as the high-level political forum on sustainable development — held under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council — continued its discussion today.

With gang rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence used as tactics of war amid rising militarization and weapons proliferation, the Security Council must close the gap between its commitments to address conflict-related sexual violence and the shocking realities for victims and survivors, delegates heard today during the 15-nation organ’s open debate on sexual violence in conflict situations.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) until 15 July 2024, deciding that its police and corrections unit will include up to 70 civilian and seconded personnel serving as police and corrections advisers to scale up its strategic and advisory support to the training and investigation capacities of the Haitian National Police, and that its human rights unit will include dedicated capacity to address sexual and gender-based violence including the identification of women’s protection advisers.

As cities grow exponentially, Governments, the private sector and civil society will have to urgently work together to ensure that urban communities of the not-so-far-future are sustainable, resilient and inclusive for all, speakers stressed, as the high-level political forum on sustainable development — held under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council — continued its discussion today.

The United Nations team in the Federated States of Micronesia has launched a new joint programme, financed by a $3.8 million grant from the UN Joint SDG Fund, to help small island developing States in the Pacific pool resources, expertise and networks, spur economic activities and strengthen climate change resilience.