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Key Points

The UN Secretary-General has issued a urgent call to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. He emphasized that reforming global finance and making climate action a priority are essential steps. The situation is critical, with new data showing the vast majority of goals are off-track. World leaders are being urged to combine efforts and show greater solidarity to meet the 2030 deadline.

Key Points: Guterres Urges Intensified Action on Lagging UN Development Goals

  • Guterres outlines three key paths: reforming the global financial architecture and prioritizing climate action
  • UNGA President reveals stark data with only 35% of SDGs on track
  • Global military spending is 13 times higher than official development assistance
  • Baerbock stresses development must be fair and include often-ignored voices
2 min read

UN chief calls for intensified efforts to achieve SDGs

UN chief Antonio Guterres calls for financial reform and climate action as new data shows only 35% of Sustainable Development Goals are on track for 2030.

"We are not moving as fast as we should on the foundational promise of the Sustainable Development Goals - Annalena Baerbock"

United Nations, Sep 23

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for intensified efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the SDG Moment event held at UN headquarters.

At the event, hosted during the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), Guterres outlined the path to reach the SDGs: reform the global financial architecture, climate action must take center stage, and prepare for technological transformation.

"In all we do, we must make peace a priority," he said, stressing that in 2024 global military spending was 13 times official development assistance, Xinhua news agency reported.

With five years to go until 2030, only 35 per cent of the SDGs are on track, 47 per cent are seeing insufficient progress, and 18 per cent have gone into reverse, UNGA President Annalena Baerbock said at the event.

"The financial picture is equally stark. At a moment of rising need, net official development assistance fell by 7.1 per cent last year," she said.

"We are not moving as fast as we should on the foundational promise of the Sustainable Development Goals," Baerbock said.

She added that "development will only be fair and sustainable if it makes space for voices too often ignored and if we combine our efforts and show solidarity with each other."

With 17 SDGs at its core, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September 2015, which is committed to eradicating poverty, promoting equality, addressing climate change, and more by 2030.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Military spending 13 times development assistance? This shows where our priorities lie. In India, we're making good progress on sanitation and renewable energy, but global cooperation is essential. Developed nations must step up their funding commitments.
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Aditya G
While I appreciate the UN's efforts, I feel these summits often become talking shops. We need measurable targets and accountability mechanisms. India has shown leadership in solar energy - other countries should follow suit.
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Sarah B
The statistic about only 35% of SDGs being on track is alarming. As an expat living in Delhi, I've seen both progress and challenges. Technological transformation could be a game-changer if implemented equitably across developing nations.
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Karthik V
Baerbock is right about including ignored voices. In India, tribal communities and rural women often get left out of development conversations. Local participation is key to sustainable progress. 🙏
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Michael C
The 7.1% drop in development assistance during rising need is concerning. Countries like India are making significant domestic investments in SDGs, but global solidarity is crucial. Climate action cannot wait another 5 years.

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