The week-long session, the first full-on meeting of world leaders since the Covid pandemic disrupted travel, has 145 leaders scheduled to speak.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres arrives to the SDG Summit at the United Nations headquarters on Monday
He said the world needs action now – not merely more words – to deal with the worsening climate emergency, escalating conflicts, “dramatic technological disruptions” and a global cost-of-living crisis which is increasing hunger and poverty. This year’s week-long session, the first full-on meeting of world leaders since the Covid pandemic disrupted travel, has 145 leaders scheduled to speak.But for the first time in years, US President Joe Biden, who will speak soon after the UN chief, will be the only leader from the five powerful veto-wielding nations on the UN Security Council to address the 193-member assembly.
The absence of leaders from the four Security Council powers has sparked grumbling from developing countries who want major global players to listen to their demands – including for money to start closing the growing gap between the world’s haves and have-nots.The G77, the major UN group of developing countries that now has 134 members including China, lobbied hard to make this year’s global gathering focus on the 17 UN goals adopted by world leaders in 2015.
At the current rate, the report said, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty and 84 million children will not even be going to elementary school in 2030 – and it will take 286 years to reach equality between men and women. The declaration is short on specifics but Mr Guterres said he was “deeply encouraged” especially by its commitment to improving developing countries’ access to “the fuel required for SDG progress: finance”.He pointed to its support for an SDG stimulus of at least 500 billion US dollars a year, aimed at offsetting challenging market conditions faced by developing countries.
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