Director-General's remarks at the Closing of the 8th UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

Closing of the 8th UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

Thursday, 14 March 2024, at 5.30 p.m.
  Room XIX, Palais des Nations 

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me begin by extending my congratulations to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and its Executive Secretary Ms. Tatiana Molcean on the successful organization of the 8^th UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, here at the Palais des Nations. 

The UNECE region is very dynamic and diverse. Encompassing 17% of world population, it has been at the forefront of promoting economic development and regional integration. It boasts a rich tapestry of nations, ranging from the world’s most affluent to those striving for development.

At the same time, the region is facing complex challenges and many threats, including several conflicts. Recently released UNECE SDG progress report, shows that only 17% of measurable targets will be met by 2030, based on current trends.

As we stand more than halfway to the deadline of the 2030 Agenda, it is clear that the SDGs are severely off-track, both globally and within the UNECE region[1]. To reignite our progress and fulfill the promises of the 2030 Agenda, we must prioritize greater solidarity and public-private cooperation in sustainable financing. The Political Declaration adopted at the 2023 Summit serves as a beacon of hope, outlining our collective commitment to the SDGs and calling for transformative reforms in the global financial architecture. 

Multistakeholder cooperation is the lifeblood of International Geneva. I am pleased that this Forum discussed the regional implementation of the SDGs in an inclusive and networked manner, where multiple stakeholders were given room to voice their concerns and table their recommendations, in particular civil society and youth organisations. 

Moving forward, our focus must be on accelerating action across key areas, including energy, education, climate, and digitalization. Agreements, such as the High Seas Treaty and the establishment of a High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, have already been demonstrating our ongoing work to address pressing global challenges. The upcoming Summit of the Future presents a crucial opportunity to realign our efforts, reaffirm existing commitments, and strengthen the multilateral system.

Ladies and gentlemen,

International Geneva – as a multilateral hub and world-renowned financial centre – is the perfect ecosystem for enabling the SDGs. Over the past years, the SDG Lab in my Office has played an instrumental role in incubating partnerships for the SDGs, including on key enablers of the Goals like sustainable finance. 

Today, as a multi-stakeholder social innovation space for long-term sustainability, UN Geneva’s own “think and act tank”, the SDG Lab champions out-of-the box thinking and solutions to help tackle the systemic solutions that promote deep structural change for achieving the SDGs and shaping a vision of Beyond 2030 agenda. 

With a focus on long-term sustainability, future generations, inter-generational impact and the ‘beyonds’ such as going beyond 2030 and beyond GDP, the work of the Lab is aligned with the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda and his call for a more inclusive and networked multilateralism.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Everyone has a role to play in the realization of the 2030 Agenda and its central promise of leaving no one behind. But it is only through working together, in Geneva and across the world, can we make our planet more sustainable for present and future generations. 

I sincerely hope that the discussions and solutions stemming from this Regional Forum will bring positive impact and insights to the implementation of the SDGs in the ECE region and beyond.

Thank you.