UN Summit of the Future: A Call for Global Action on Sustainable Development

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at the Summit of the Future Action Day - "A Sustainable Future for All" [as prepared for delivery] | United Nations Secretary-General

Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Dear Colleagues, Welcome to the Summit of the Future Action Days and thank you for joining us for this session devoted to sustainable development, intergenerational solidarity and the future we can build together. We meet at a pivotal time. With only six years to go, the rallying cry of Agenda 2030 - leaving no one behind - has fallen abysmally short. Only 17 percent of our SDG targets are on track. Hunger is rising. Fossil fuel use and global temperatures are soaring. Conflicts are spreading. And the fight for gender equality is floundering. Worst of all, our commitment to leave no-one behind - the rallying cry of Agenda 2030 - has fallen short. In 2015, the world's poorest countries were converging on incomes in the richest countries, albeit slowly. Today, economic fortunes around the world are diverging. Of the world's poorest 75 countries, a third are poorer today than they were five years ago. This simply cannot go on. Over the last 9 months, Member States have been negotiating the Pact for the Future and the state of development today has been at the heart of the discussions; Indeed, a Summit that asked Member States to think about emerging and future challenges, from artificial intelligence, to modern weapons, and humans' forays into space, has prompted reflections on the state of development today: How new technologies might supercharge development progress, or create new and lasting inequalities; How delivering on our sustainable development goals can renew a sense of trust and build a foundation of global solidarity. that can help us confront new threats together; How the need for strong multilateral cooperation to deliver sustainable development in a world increasingly shaped by global shocks and risks. Delivering the SDGs is vital, but will require deeper cooperation, especially when it comes to finance. Finance is the engine for the SDGs. Yet the SDG financing gap has ballooned over the last several years - and is now estimated at between 3 and 5 trillion dollars a year. We need bold investments in all areas including food security, green energy and digital connectivity. But the challenge goes beyond a simple problem of dollars and cents. The international financial system cannot provide the safety net that many countries - particularly developing countries - need today to pursue the SDGs. On this issue, the Pact of the Future sends an unequivocal message: it's time for an urgent reform of the international finance architecture. To strengthen the voice and representation of developing countries; To mobilize far greater levels of financing for the SDGs, and direct that financing to countries most in need; To enable countries to borrow sustainably, and with confidence, to invest in their long-term development; To provide effective and equal support to countries during systemic shocks; And to meet the urgent challenge of climate change. Over the next few hours, we will hear about some of the exciting developments already underway, such as reforms to make our multilateral development banks bigger, better and bolder. Or proposals for global solidarity levies to help finance underfunded global investments in a way that is fair and transparent. And new ways to boost private investment in the SDGs. With bold goals we need bold new ideas. Today's event is a platform for the brilliant minds on this topic, from stakeholders to experts, to share their ideas. We will hear from academics developing new proposals; civil society members working directly with communities; and policymakers navigating policy and regulatory hurdles. The ambition and the momentum doesn't stop today. At next year's Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, we must take forward this momentum to deliver a new financing framework that can deliver the goals and carry us into the next decade. So today, I hope you will join me in a commitment to invest in hope, invest in sustainable development, and invest in a better future for all.

Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at the Closing Session of the 2nd Summit of the Future Action Day [as prepared for delivery]

H.E Ms. Mia Motley, Prime Minister of Barbados H.E Mr. Nangolo Mbumba President of Namibia President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Dear friends, These Action Days have showcased the power of inclusive and networked multilateralism. They have demonstrated the potential and power of partnership. They have reminded us of the immense potential of collaboration - of what we can achieve when we come together, united in purpose, across sectors, generations, and continents. And your diverse contributions reflect the richness of what can be achieved when everyone is brought to the table in an inclusive dialogue. Yesterday, youth-led conversations forced us to face our collective responsibilities to deal with present challenges and in doing so, take action also to secure a brighter future. They showed what meaningful youth engagement looks like in action; and underscored the indispensable role young people play in improving our world, and bringing and informing concrete solutions. Today, we focused on the core issues to be resolved to allow financing to flow for sustainable development - climate finance, taxes, debt. We also addressed the need to take profit of the potential of technology while managing its risks, and to bring peace to a more complex and interconnected world. The discussions throughout the day have explored innovative tax cooperation schemes, solutions to global debt challenges, options for the expansion of climate financing and for increased representation of developing countries in the global financial architecture. The relevance of intergenerational approaches, dismantling patriarchal power structures and putting young people at the forefront of discussions about the future featured strongly in the conversations under the Peace and Security Pillar. You have also spoken about putting an end to terrorism, protecting civilians in armed conflict, and addressing new and emerging threats, including in the digital sphere. And you have insisted that a secure future depends on our ability to build trust, solidarity, and collective action. Finally, we heard how cutting-edge technology solutions like satellite internet, blockchain, and artificial intelligence are advancing the SDGs, yet much work needs to be done to bridge the digital divide. Personal stories from women and girls across Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America demonstrate what is possible by scaling-up access and capacities around digital technologies. All this while bearing in mind our responsibility toward future generations - the 10 billion people who will inhabit our planet by the end of this century. What I can promise you is that we will carry your insights and ideas forward to the Summit of the Future - starting tomorrow. Because your input is central to building a better world. Friends, Four years ago, we began the process that brings us here today. The Secretary-General called for a more inclusive and networked multilateral system to increase our collective effectiveness. This call was rooted in a recognition of how the world was changing: In the fact that the power and the ideas to solve global problems lies in many different hands. And in the fact that our world is in desperate need of transformation. Changes that will allow us to accelerate action to deliver the promised of the Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve the SDGs, countries will need to invest. So we must wrestle with our financial architecture that is no longer fit for purpose. We need to take this opportunity to pivot. Since this process began, the United Nations has provided a platform for the broadest possible engagement, inclusion and collaboration. And you have responded - putting forward ideas, announcements, initiatives and coalitions. Countless civil society networks and groups, including the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders and the Impact Coalitions from the UN Civil Society Conference, have all been mobilized, heard, and have shaped outcome of the Summit of the Future. All of you - and the constituencies you represent - have participated in every step of the process in different formats. You have pushed for ambition in the three new texts we are hopeful Member States will soon adopt - the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations. Over these past two days alone, over 8,000 individuals came to the UN Headquarters. More than 60 events took place inside the UN with an additional 100 more across New York and a further 30 around the world. In short: the UN made the call for inclusive multilateralism and you have delivered. For that, I thank you sincerely. And I ask you to keep it up. We need your continued drive, engagement, commitment and pressure, to implement the new texts and hold us to account. You have proven time and again that you are willing to work together with governments, the United Nations and all other actors to build a better world. And it is essential that we continue: that we keep strengthening the dialogue between political decision-makers and the whole of civil society within the multilateral system. This is vital to rebuilding trust and hope, and restoring legitimacy to international institutions, ensuring that global decisions reflect the concerns, values, and experiences of people worldwide. And, above all, to demonstrating that multilateralism can deliver for everyone - everywhere - and it can leave no one behind, and to shape a better future. Let's keep working together to make that a reality.