With only five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, the UN spoke with one voice on 22 September in New York during the “SDG Moment.”
This annual event, established at the 2019 SDG Summit, is held during the United Nations General Assembly to highlight progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by Member States in 2015, with a target year of 2030.
The “SDG Moment” brings together United Nations partners, governments, the private sector, youth, and civil society to amplify the global call to “Keeping The Promise” in the fight against poverty, hunger, inequality, pollution, and inadequate housing, among other issues.
The importance of progress made under the SDGs
The achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals faces major obstacles, including climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, debt burdens, ongoing conflicts and declining official development assistance (ODA). Currently, only 35 per cent of targets are on track or showing moderate progress; nearly half are advancing slowly, and 18 per cent have regressed.
In his introductory remarks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the importance of “every percentage point, every fraction, every decimal” He recalled the significance of the progress that has been made.
“A record number of girls are in school – and graduation rates for all students are rising. Child mortality has declined, as has maternal mortality. HIV infections are falling. Electricity now reaches 92 per cent of the global population, with the Asia Pacific region on track to universal energy access.”
Military spending is 13 times higher than development aid
The Secretary-General also highlighted the fact that in 2024, “global military spending was thirteen times official development assistance. That is equivalent to the entire GDP of the African continent. This is not a question of resources – it is a question of choices. (…)”.
“We have to speak out to those who are trying to get rid of the 17 goals” said Annalena Baerbock, former German Foreign Minister and President of the UN General Assembly for its 80th session.
With official development assistance (ODA) declining by 7.1% in 2024, Annalena Baerbock called for more funding. She cited needs that affect not only least developed countries such as Mozambique, but also vulnerable middle-income nations, small island states such as the Maldives, and landlocked countries such as Mongolia, which are facing climate change, rising sea levels, and desertification.
Discussion between heads of state on the SDGs
Hilda Heine, President of the Marshall Islands, a small island state, spoke with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin about progress towards the SDGs during a panel discussion moderated by Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN.
Hilda Heine stressed the importance of “effective” climate action. At the same time, Micheál Martin spoke of the need to “reassert multilateralism” in the face of current attacks, “which also affect UN bodies.” In its ODA program, Ireland thus seeks to be “a predictable source of finance for countries and to UN agencies” so that they can plan their work accordingly.
“We cannot afford to be defeatist,” says Queen Mathilde of Belgium
The momentum behind the promise to “leave no one behind” is driven by leadership from diverse communities, civil society, business, young people, women, and people with disabilities, who shared their experiences and capacity for innovation on 22 September.
The multi-stakeholder panel brought together change makers and opinion leaders to inspire accelerated action towards the SDGs, which are also guarantors of peace and stability.
“Crises are multiplying and dragging on,” said Queen Mathilde of Belgium, advocate for the SDGs. “Multilateralism is under pressure. Finances are insufficient. Inequalities and poverty keep on increasing. But we cannot afford to be defeatist. It is all the more crucial at a critical time like this to take responsibility and to pull our efforts so as to realize the goals and values we signed up to in 2015.”