Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), speaks during the third Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 19, 2022.(Xinhua/Wang Ying)
"Key transitions need to happen. Just to name a few, a transition to a renewable energy base and to green, inclusive and digital economies, where food systems must also be transformed," says Csaba Korosi.
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said on Monday that with the world facing multiple crises, it is more necessary than ever to prioritize the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which should serve as a "to-do list" for all leaders.
Korosi told the third SDG Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, that "the 17 Global Goals are our to-do-list. They must be the to-do-list of all leaders in this room. We are the people who can get this, the to-do-list of the World done."
The UNGA president noted that the COVID-19 pandemic slowed global development but cannot be "an excuse for inaction."
"We must now regain the speed lost to the pandemic and to our inaction," he stressed.
"In the coming year, we will reach critical milestones in the sustainability calendar, with important conferences on climate change, biodiversity, water, and disaster risk reduction," he said.
The UNGA president called for "unlocking new commitments and spurring the adoption of innovative policies and partnerships based on scientific inputs."
Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), speaks during the third Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment, a high-level event that serves to place an annual spotlight on the SDGs, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 19, 2022.(Xinhua/Wang Ying)
"Key transitions need to happen. Just to name a few, a transition to a renewable energy base and to green, inclusive and digital economies, where food systems must also be transformed," he said.
For these transitions to take place in a just way, Korosi said that "we need a collective effort 'directed intelligently towards global goals.'"
The UNGA president also urged renewing "our multilateral commitment on establishing a science support mechanism," adding that "it can assist member states in their efforts by means of providing transparent scientific indicators and validation for sustainable development."
On development financing, he said that "we cannot neglect the critical issue of financing in our discussions," adding that that is why the High-level Meeting on Financing for Development will take place at the same time as the SDG Summit.
Korosi called attention to "the linkage between climate change and water holistically," noting that "part of the solution we need to scale up is the action plan of the Water and Climate Leaders."
Finally, he said: "We need initiatives from civil society, the voice and passion of youth, the support of the private sector but, most importantly, you, the member states to deliver on promises made."
The annual SDG Moment aims to provide a snapshot of progress, highlight actions that show change is possible, and advance the transformations needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It was created by the political declaration adopted at the first SDG Summit in 2019, which mandated the UN secretary-general to convene the event as part of every high-level week of the General Assembly from 2020 to 2030. ■