United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Addresses Opening of 2023 SDG Summit at UN General Assembly in New York Sept. 18, 2023. (UN Photo Cia Pak)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
UNITED NATIONS – NEW YORK – World leaders converged on New York City Monday as the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly kicked off. The focus is on Sustainable goals to improve the climate and help alleviate world poverty. At the opening of a high-level forum at UN Headquarters world leaders adopted a political declaration to accelerate action to achieve the 17 goals, which aim to drive economic prosperity and well-being for all people while protecting the environment. UN Secretary-General António Guterres addressed world leaders at the opening of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development SDG Summit that is being held 18-19 during the UNGA high-level week. World leaders adopted the SDGs in 2015, promising to leave no one behind. The UN chief said the goals are woefully off-track halfway towards their 2030 deadline The goals include ending extreme poverty and hunger, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, as well as green energy, and providing quality universal education and lifelong learning opportunities. The UNGA is urging more action to achieve the SDGs. The Secretary-General warned that currently only 15 per cent are on track, while many are going in reverse.
“The SDGs aren’t just a list of goals. They carry the hopes, dreams, rights and expectations of people everywhere. And they provide the surest path to living up to our obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, now in its 75th year,”
-said UN Secretary -General António Guterres
(UN Photo/Cia Pak) The SDG Summit gets underway in the General Assembly hall at UN Headquarters in New York Sept. 18, 2023.
The UN chief highlighted the need for action in six critical areas, starting with addressing hunger, which he called “a shocking stain on humanity, and an epic human rights violation.”
“It is an indictment of every one of us that millions of people are starving in this day and age,” he added.
The Secretary-General said the transition to renewable energy isn’t happening fast enough, while the benefits and opportunities of digitalization are not being spread widely enough.
Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of the Republic of Cuba, addresses the 2023 SDG Summit, on behalf of Group of 77 and China at UN world headquarters in New York Sept. 18, 2023. (UN Photo: Cia Pak)
Education Cannot Wait: UN Secretary-General
“At the same time, too many children and young people worldwide are victims of poor quality education, or no education at all, he continued, before shining a spotlight on the need for decent work and social protection,” the UN Secretary-General stated.
