Wednesday, 17 July 2024
 

Madam Chair,

In his address to the General Assembly in 2015, Pope Francis called the adoption of the 2030 Agenda “an important sign of hope.”[1] This Agenda embodies the collective aspiration for a world in which the inherent, God-given dignity of every single human being is upheld, through the overarching goal of eradicating poverty and hunger in all their forms and dimensions.

The commitment of States to implement this Agenda and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 was reaffirmed at the SDG Summit held last year. The forthcoming Summit of the Future provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress made towards the achievement of the SDGs and to recalibrate efforts in the light of new challenges. While significant strides have been made, much remains to be accomplished. It is imperative that efforts be intensified and that attention be focused on how to attain integral human development for all.

It would be remiss to assume that the current circumstances allow for a sense of complacency or a tendency to deviate from the commitments that have been made. The Summit of the Future must serve as a pivotal moment to reaffirm the fundamental principles that underpin the collective efforts of the international community: the promotion of human dignity, the pursuit of the common good, and the stewardship of our planet. These should guide our actions and policies with a view to achieving a more sustainable, just, and peaceful society.

Pope Francis has cautioned that “the time to find global solutions is running out. We can find suitable solutions only if we act together and in agreement.”[2] These words resonate profoundly in the context of today’s meeting and especially in light of the dramatic and persistent challenges we face, including poverty, which is the greatest challenge of all,[3] hunger, climate change, and conflict. In order to address these challenges, it is necessary to implement collaborative and concerted action, strengthened international cooperation, reinvigorated multilateralism, and effective partnerships that transcend borders and ideologies.

Madam Chair,

The Summit of the Future should not serve to reshape the 2030 Agenda. Rather, it must serve to reaffirm the guiding framework for the shared commitment set out in the 2030 Agenda, namely to people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. The advancement of the Agenda must be expedited in a spirit of solidarity and with the resolve to deliver a sustainable and prosperous future for all.

Thank you.

[1] Pope Francis, Address to the United Nations General Assembly, 25 September 2015.

[2] Pope Francis, Message on the Occasion of the 20th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC, 1-12 December 2014.

[3] Cf. United Nations, Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 2015.