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Launching the first-ever Sustainable Development Goals report on the new global development agenda adopted in 2015, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the 15-year undertaking was “off to a good start” but would require all parts of the UN family and its partners to work together.
“We have embarked on a monumental and historic journey,” the Secretary-General told the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which opened on 11 July and ended on 20 July 2016, at the UN Headquarters in New York.
“We must all learn, in national governments, in local authorities, in business and civil society, and also at the United Nations, to think differently,” he said, also underscoring the need to break down silos, not only between the economic, social and environmental aspects of development, but also between government institutions, between different levels of government and between the public and private sectors.
With his speech, Mr. Ban launched the first SDG report, which would serve as a benchmark for the 15-year implementation period of the 2030 Agenda.
“It provides an accurate evaluation of where the world stands on the 17 Goals, using data currently available to highlight the most significant gaps and challenges,” he said.
“We are off to a good start,” he added, calling on the international community to “pledge never to rest until we have achieved a world of peace, dignity and opportunity for all.”
The latest data showed that about one in eight people still lived in extreme poverty and nearly 800 million people suffered from hunger, the top UN official said. The births of nearly a quarter of children under 5 had not been recorded, and 1.1 billion people were living without electricity, and water scarcity affected more than 2 billion.
The data also underscored the imperative of targeted action in support of the furthest behind, he said, stressing the importance of data and indicators on all groups, especially those that are often unaccounted for.
“The SDGs address the critical challenges of our time,” he said, including immediate action on climate change.
“Ensuring progress in achieving the SDGs will be greatly enhanced by making sure that lessons are shared and best practices are replicated,” he explained, calling on Member States to intensify efforts at follow-up and review through a participatory process, with the full engagement of the business sector and civil society.
