14 July 2023 - "We don't have a choice with the SDGs; it is about survival and for future generations", said Navid Hanif, UN DESA¡¯s Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development as he addressed the High-level event on the Sustainable Development Report 2023: Special Edition on 10 July 2023.
Taking place on the sidelines of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, which kicked off that same morning, the event followed on the heels of the press briefing launch of the report by UN DESA¡¯s Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua.
Representing governments, businesses and civil society, several high-level speakers took the floor during the panel discussion, moderated by CBS News UN correspondent Pamela Falk.
¡°We can no longer afford to rest on our laurels,¡± said Prime Minister of Barbados and SDG Advocate Mia Mottley, in her remarks delivered via video message. ¡°The time, yes, is now for decisive action. And we must all, yes, all do what we can to ensure a sustainable future for our children and their children.¡±
Prime Minister of Canada and SDG Advocate Justin Trudeau, also stressed the urgency in his video message, saying that ¡°We all need to be a part of this work. With only 7 years until 2030, we must seize this moment with urgency and excitement.¡±
During the event, panelists homed in on the findings and the new data presented in the report, while also sharing insights and calls to action for accelerating progress towards the SDGs.
They discussed challenges in the process, as well as success stories and best practices.
Alexander D¨ªaz, Senior Manager, AI for Social Good & Crisis Response at Google, shared the experiences of Google in supporting vulnerable communities. ¡°We are firm believers that those who are most proximate to the problem are those who are the most proximate to the solution, and that¡¯s why we work with these non-profit organisations that are on the ground, that know these communities¡±, said Di¨¢z.
Other who took the floor during the event were Isma Yatun, Head of the Board of National Auditor of Indonesia; Jaap Slootmaker, Vice-Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; and Mohammed Ali Loutfy, Co-Chair of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities, and Director for Capacity Building and Advocacy, Global Initiative for Inclusive Information Communication Technologies (G3ICT).
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Hanif said that the upcoming SDG Summit in September will provide a forum for presidents and prime ministers from around the world to review the progress made, as well as the gaps, stressing that ¡°Individual action, national action, collective action should all converge on the SDG summit, and we should focus on the last seven years to make sure that the SDGs become a reality.¡±
Watch the webcast of the event here:
Watch the press briefing with UN DESA Head Li Junhua:
Access the report and learn more about the event: