Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 22nd Feb. UN deputy chief Amina Mohammad on Wednesday said that today’s multilateral arrangements global and regional organizations and major development banks are “not up to the job” of helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The 11th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development kicked off in Bangkok, the participants echoed a compelling plea for nations to swiftly implement urgent actions, fostered by robust and sustained multilateral cooperation.
The strong warning suggested that countries risked lagging behind in their pursuit of sustainable development goals amid recent global crises.
Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, emphasized the indispensability of international cooperation, stressed that the existing multilateral arrangements were inadequate for the task at hand.
“No country or region could achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or navigate contemporary global challenges alone,” she asserted.
She underlined the need for profound changes recognized by world leaders in September.
The forum was organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok from February 20 to 23,.
It serves as a crucial platform uniting key development stakeholders, including senior government and UN officials, the private sector, and representatives from youth and civil society.
The event aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences, mobilize regional action, and devise solutions.
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, identified 6 focal points for transformative actions: food systems, energy access and affordability, digital connectivity, education, jobs and social protection, and climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Paula Narvaéz, President of the UN Economic and Social Council shared data indicated that at the current pace of implementation, the Asia-Pacific region was on track to miss 90 per cent of the 118 measurable SDG targets by 2030.
Forum participants were expected to conduct a thorough review of the region’s progress on specific SDGs, including on ending poverty, zero hunger, climate action, peace, justice, and strong institutions, and partnerships for the goals.
It will contribute to the global High-Level Political Forum in July and the Summit of the Future in September in New York.
ESCAP, the Asian Development Bank and the UNDP jointly launched the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report 2024 titled “People and Planet: Addressing the Interlinked Challenges of Climate Change, Poverty, and Hunger in Asia and the Pacific.”
The report highlighted the interconnected challenges and potential solutions, emphasizing the urgent need for concerted efforts to tackle climate change, poverty, and hunger in the region.
