UN Urges Global Leaders to Redirect Resources to Sustainable Development
By Boniface Ihiasota, USA
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, has sounded a clarion call to global leaders to redirect resources from warfare to peace and sustainable development initiatives.
Speaking on behalf of Secretary-General António Guterres at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on sustainable development, Mohammed emphasized the need for immediate and decisive action to salvage the faltering Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mohammed noted that conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, and beyond are causing devastating loss of life and diverting political attention and scarce resources from the urgent work of ending poverty and averting climate catastrophe.
She expressed concern that only 17 percent of the SDG targets are on track, with the 2030 deadline fast approaching.
“Future generations deserve more than 17 percent of a sustainable future,” Mohammed emphasized, stressing the need for a renewed commitment to achieving the SDGs.
She outlined the urgent need for a four-pronged strategy to accelerate progress, highlighting the importance of establishing peace, advancing green and digital transition, addressing financial challenges, and prioritizing vulnerable populations.
According to Mohammed, redirecting political and financial resources from conflicts to development efforts is crucial to establishing peace.
She also emphasized the need for nations to enhance their climate action plans by 2025 and invest in expanding digital connectivity.
She further called for increased lending capacity, expanded access to contingency financing, and comprehensive debt solutions to address financial challenges.
Mohammed reiterated the SDGs’ promise to “leave no one behind,” emphasizing the need to prioritize vulnerable populations, uphold the rights of persons with disabilities, and combat gender inequality.
“Achieving this agenda means placing vulnerable people and groups at the forefront of national development plans, policies, and budgets,” she said.
General Assembly President Dennis Francis echoed the urgency, highlighting the plight of 1.1 billion people living in multidimensional poverty.
“If we do nothing impactful, 680 million people will still languish in hunger by 2030,” he warned.
Francis underscored the need to address the root causes of poverty and hunger, echoing their interconnectedness with conflict, climate change, and economic shocks.
He expressed optimism for the upcoming Summit of the Future, anticipated to be a transformative event that would reinforce political will and address the global financial system’s inequities.
“The Summit’s anticipated outcome – a Pact for the Future – must be transformative enough to justly telegraph the political will that will usher in a brighter tomorrow for all, everywhere,” he said.
In her remarks, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Paula Narváez reiterated the body’s critical role in steering the implementation of the SDGs.
She emphasized the importance of tailoring policies to meet the diverse needs of people and the planet, considering each country’s concerns.
Narváez highlighted the key Voluntary National Reviews conducted at the HLPF, with 36 countries presenting this year.
The HLPF will conclude on July 18 with the adoption of a ministerial declaration, following a three-day ministerial segment.
The Forum aims to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs, and prepare for the upcoming Summit of the Future.
