Your Excellency, Amb. Chatardova, President of the Economic and Social Council,Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the opening of the 2018 high-level political forum on sustainable development – the HLPF.
As we are in the third year for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, we are gathered here not just to take stock of progress and challenges but also to ask ourselves whether our actions are keeping pace with our aspirations.
The momentum around the 2030 Agenda remains strong. The SDGs keep their power to mobilize countries and people.
At the same time, implementation efforts must be urgently scaled up.
Excellencies, let me first highlight the positive trends.
We are continuing to see an unprecedented mobilization towards the SDGs.
Some of this is evident before you: this year, we have forty-seven countries presenting their Voluntary National Reviews, and over 2,000 participants registered for the HLPF.
The voluntary national reviews testify to the many different ways in which countries are adopting ‘whole of government’ approaches; as well as many other critical measures, such as the protection of key biodiversity areas.
Our UN System database of SDG actions, which was launched last May, also showcases the various efforts made by all the entities of the UN.
This year, one of the Special Events associated with the HLPF brings together leading universities from across the world coming to demonstrate how they are integrating the 2030 Agenda into their research, teaching and practices.
Local and regional governments are at the forefront of implementation – across the world, we are seeing how they are transforming this challenge into an opportunity.
You will hear from many of them as well.
The SDG Business Forum and the Partnership Exchange attract increasing numbers of businesses, large and small, to demonstrate their solutions to advancing the SDGs.
All these positive actions are taking place in many different contexts.
And it continues to take place in an economic environment that is broadly favourable.
My Department recently revised its estimates for global economic growth upwards to over 3 percent for 2018 and 2019.
In spite of these positive indications, favourable results continue to elude us in many areas.
The Secretary General’s progress report is the authoritative global assessment, which I will illustrate in a minute.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.
The many excellent and innovative actions that you will hear over the coming days demonstrate our shared commitment to realizing the SDGs.
But the challenges show that this is no time to be complacent.
Indeed we need to strengthen our efforts, share them more broadly and turn them into results.
I believe the HLPF plays a crucial role in this endeavor, bringing together the knowledge and expertise of an impressively diverse range of participants.
I am sure you will all benefit from these exchanges.
But I also want to ensure that the many excellent efforts that are already demonstrating results on the ground are available for learning, adaptation and scaling up.
Towards this end, I would like to launch a global call for evidence-based good practices for the SDGs.
This initiative, to be managed by DESA, will become a valuable hub for assembling and making available the host of practical solutions and inspiring actions that are taking place across the world.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I believe that the growing and widespread commitment to the SDGs sets up a virtuous cycle of inspiration and effort.
This is just what we need as we will enter into the final year of our first quadrennial review cycle, in 2019, in addition to the usual session of HLPF in July, an separate session of HLPF will be held in September under the auspices of the GA, and will bring world leaders together to decide on next steps.
The progress we make at this HLPF, and in the year to come, will be central to informing that process.
Excellencies,
Each day reminds us of the wisdom of our leaders who, in 2015, agreed on this shared vision and commitment for the future.
The HLPF is a time for reflection, but it is also a time for action.
I am confident that your participation and engagement will accelerate our progress on this path.
Thank you.
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the opening of the 2018 high-level political forum on sustainable development – the HLPF.
As we are in the third year for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, we are gathered here not just to take stock of progress and challenges but also to ask ourselves whether our actions are keeping pace with our aspirations.
The momentum around the 2030 Agenda remains strong. The SDGs keep their power to mobilize countries and people.
At the same time, implementation efforts must be urgently scaled up.
Excellencies, let me first highlight the positive trends.
We are continuing to see an unprecedented mobilization towards the SDGs.
Some of this is evident before you: this year, we have forty-seven countries presenting their Voluntary National Reviews, and over 2,000 participants registered for the HLPF.
The voluntary national reviews testify to the many different ways in which countries are adopting ‘whole of government’ approaches; as well as many other critical measures, such as the protection of key biodiversity areas.
Our UN System database of SDG actions, which was launched last May, also showcases the various efforts made by all the entities of the UN.
This year, one of the Special Events associated with the HLPF brings together leading universities from across the world coming to demonstrate how they are integrating the 2030 Agenda into their research, teaching and practices.
Local and regional governments are at the forefront of implementation – across the world, we are seeing how they are transforming this challenge into an opportunity.
You will hear from many of them as well.
The SDG Business Forum and the Partnership Exchange attract increasing numbers of businesses, large and small, to demonstrate their solutions to advancing the SDGs.
All these positive actions are taking place in many different contexts.
And it continues to take place in an economic environment that is broadly favourable.
My Department recently revised its estimates for global economic growth upwards to over 3 percent for 2018 and 2019.
In spite of these positive indications, favourable results continue to elude us in many areas.
The Secretary General’s progress report is the authoritative global assessment, which I will illustrate in a minute.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.
The many excellent and innovative actions that you will hear over the coming days demonstrate our shared commitment to realizing the SDGs.
But the challenges show that this is no time to be complacent.
Indeed we need to strengthen our efforts, share them more broadly and turn them into results.
I believe the HLPF plays a crucial role in this endeavor, bringing together the knowledge and expertise of an impressively diverse range of participants.
I am sure you will all benefit from these exchanges.
But I also want to ensure that the many excellent efforts that are already demonstrating results on the ground are available for learning, adaptation and scaling up.
Towards this end, I would like to launch a global call for evidence-based good practices for the SDGs.
This initiative, to be managed by DESA, will become a valuable hub for assembling and making available the host of practical solutions and inspiring actions that are taking place across the world.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I believe that the growing and widespread commitment to the SDGs sets up a virtuous cycle of inspiration and effort.
This is just what we need as we will enter into the final year of our first quadrennial review cycle, in 2019, in addition to the usual session of HLPF in July, an separate session of HLPF will be held in September under the auspices of the GA, and will bring world leaders together to decide on next steps.
The progress we make at this HLPF, and in the year to come, will be central to informing that process.
Excellencies,
Each day reminds us of the wisdom of our leaders who, in 2015, agreed on this shared vision and commitment for the future.
The HLPF is a time for reflection, but it is also a time for action.
I am confident that your participation and engagement will accelerate our progress on this path.
Thank you.
File date:
Monday, July 9, 2018