21 September 2022

Minister Balakrishnan, Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the Foreign Minister of Singapore for extending the invitation to speak to you at the 15th Ministerial Meeting of the 3G with the G20 Troika.

Today we are all in a “perfect storm”, where geopolitical risks and our unsustainable practices are reinforcing each other.

The war in Ukraine has deepened the vulnerability of our economies, already fragile after years of COVID. And created food and energy insecurity that, if not addressed, will lead to hunger in many parts of the world.

Meanwhile, temperatures and sea levels continue to rise and our biodiversity and access to safe water dwindles.

We are facing a multidimensional, multifaceted crisis. It is only natural that crisis management will underline my Presidency during the 77th Session of the General Assembly.

Making significant and measurable progress on sustainability transformation and strengthening science-informed decision-shaping will be key as we move forward.

The good news: solutions are at hand, based on the best practices and good experiences, whether in scientific cooperation or in the field of climate diplomacy.

We have a chance to achieve a breakthrough this GA session. But it will require better synergy; partnerships and dialogues are needed for transformative changes.

Your Group provides an excellent platform to facilitate greater engagement between the broader membership of the UN and coalitions, such as the G20.

I commend the successes of the Indonesian G20 Presidency andwish you a very successful Bali Summit this November.

A few areas where I see our cooperation succeeding.

First, on integrating water and climate action.

In 2023 we will assess SDG 6 in the first UN Conference on Water since 1977 with the preparatory meetings this October setting the stage.  

We can establish transparent information systems through the Water and Climate Coalition to create trust and to leverage the benefits of cooperation.

Second, on ensuring actionable, solution-oriented results in the upcoming landmark summits.

This session will prepare the SDG Summit in September 2023 and shape the Summit of the Future in 2024.

We will also assess the Sendai Framework and strive to make ourselves more resilient to disasters.

Third, the measurement of growth and development needs another look.

We should have a new economic coordinate system, one that spans between solidarity, science and solutions as axes, a reference system that complements and goes beyond GDP.

Dear Friends, fellow agents of change, I look forward to continuing this journey with you, and with science by our side.

Thank you.