World leaders will convene in New York to assess SDG progress next week

Addis Ababa, September 15, 2023 (FBC) – At the midpoint of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, world leaders will converge in New York to assess the Sustainable Development Goals progress next week.

The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly marks a crucial milestone in the journey towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and the urgent need to put the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track.

World leaders gather to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” Heads of State and Government and ministers explore solutions to the intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.

On 18-19 September 2023, Heads of State and Government will gather at UN Headquarters in New York to review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provide high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to the target year of 2030 for achieving the Goals. The outcome will be a negotiated political declaration.

With almost half of the goals off track, the United Nations underlined that it is time for a radical shift in SDG implementation with a strong political declaration and higher ambitions.

On September 20, 2023, the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development will take place on the heels of the SDG Summit. It is expected to provide political leadership and guidance on the implementation of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda – a UN framework for mobilizing resources to achieve the SDGs – as well as identify progress and emerging challenges and mobilize further action.

The UNGA 78 schedule indicates that alongside the SDG Summit, on 20 September, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will convene the Climate Ambition Summit, with a call on every leader from Governments, business, cities and regions, civil society, and financial institutions to step up. The UN chief urges individuals or organizations participating in the event to present credible, serious and new climate action and nature-based solutions that will move the needle forward and respond to the urgency of the climate crisis.

On the same day, the President of the General Assembly, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, will convene Heads of State and Government for a one-day meeting to adopt a political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

Moreover, a ministerial meeting will take place on 21 September to prepare for the September 2024 Summit of the Future, which marks a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance global cooperation to tackle critical challenges, address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments, including to the SDGs and the United Nations Charter, and make a multilateral system better positioned to positively impact people’s lives.

The High-Level Meeting Universal Health Coverage will be held on 21 September. It is said to be an opportunity for countries and stakeholders to renew efforts and accelerate progress toward achieving health for all. This will serve as the foundation for executing policies and ensuring responsibility for strengthening health systems for the future, building on the 2019 Political Declaration.

In addition, it is learned that the UN General Assembly will hold the second high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis on 22 September 2023, under the theme, “Advancing science, finance and innovation, and their benefits, to urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in particular, by ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing, treatment and care.”