10 October 2025
Mr. Chair,
My Delegation would like to extend its congratulations to you and the members of the Bureau on your election, and to assure you of its constructive engagement and full support throughout the work of this session.
The context in which States adopted the 2030 Agenda has undergone significant change. The pursuit of sustainable development has been hindered by a number of factors, including armed conflicts, climate change, economic fragility and a pandemic.
In this regard, my Delegation reaffirms that sustainable development can only be considered authentic when it advances integral development, that is, the development of every person and the whole person.[1] Consequently, development cannot be comprehended exclusively in economic terms; it must also foster the cultural and spiritual development of all people. Integral development is therefore the overarching metric against which the collective efforts of the international community should be measured.
This vision asserts the imperative of eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, a task recognized as the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.[2]
Furthermore, there is a moral imperative for the eradication of poverty. Poverty, in its various forms, represents a significant infringement on the God-given dignity of every human being, impeding the potential of individual and the exclusion from full participation in community life. Therefore, poverty eradication cannot be an afterthought in development; it must remain its central and primary priority.
Mr. Chair,
The Second Committee plays a vital role in ensuring that this central priority remains at the heart of the multilateral agenda. Indeed, the Committee’s work is inextricably linked to people, their needs and aspirations, and about the choices made by the international community, either fostering hope or allowing despair to take root. For this reason, my Delegation urges that poverty eradication remain the touchstone for all discussions in this forum. All too often, other issues – however important – have diverted attention away from this fundamental objective. In the final five years to 2030, it is crucial that poverty eradication lie at the very heart of everything this Committee strives to achieve.
Mr. Chair,
Prior to the exploration of multilateral solutions for sustainable development, it is imperative to reaffirm that multilateralism represents the sole viable avenue for progress. With these considerations in mind and in this final five-year push, it is essential that multilateralism be grounded in a revitalized spirit of human fraternity. This spirit is not merely a sentimental ideal, but rather a practical necessity.
Pope Leo XIV has encouraged the international community to “Continue to nurture the spirituality of fraternity through culture, working relationships and diplomatic action.”[3] Adopting this perspective has the potential to transform our approach to global challenges, moving us from a logic of indifference and isolation to one of shared responsibility and cooperative action.
The United Nations continues to serve as a beacon of hope for multilateralism. In a world increasingly fractured by conflict and division, this institution represents the conviction that dialogue and cooperation are the only lasting paths to peace and development. This cooperation is considered to be “the path to which the entire international community should be committed, according to an adequate notion of the common good in relation to the whole human family.”[4]
Indeed, “The attainment of this common good has become a goal that is beyond the reach of individual States.” Such an understanding for a broader vision of solidarity in the pursuit of integral development, transcends the limitations of short-term national interests.
Mr. Chair,
The vision of multilateralism for the common good is at odds with the current context of rising military expenditure and falling Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitments. While military budgets surged to $2.7 trillion in 2024, the annual financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is estimated to be $4 trillion.
Every increase in military spending represents resources that could have been used to meet people’s basic needs and to establish a lasting peace. Rather than being invested in healthcare, education and food systems, these resources are being diverted towards weapons that destroy lives and livelihoods.
As Pope Leo XIV has lamented, “money that could be used to build new hospitals and schools is instead being used to destroy those that already exist”.[5] This paradox undermines the spirit of fraternity on which multilateralism depends, making the goal of sustainable development increasingly unattainable.
Mr. Chair,
In the final five years leading up to 2030, it is evident that a renewed commitment to multilateralism provides the most reliable basis for lasting-solutions. By embracing multilateralism rooted in solidarity, the international community can still protect human dignity, foster hope and achieve integral development for all.
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[1] Pope Paul VI, Populorum Pogressio, 14.
[2] A/RES/70/1
[3] Pope Leo XIV, Address to the Participants in the 3rd World Meeting on Human Fraternity, 2025.
[4] Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, 448.
[5] Pope Leo XIV, Address to Participants in the Plenary Session of the “Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO)”, 2025.
