Opening of the dialogues on global action
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Colleagues,
I am pleased to address this opening session of the Global Action Dialogue.
This Forum, marking ten years since the historic adoption of the 2030 Agenda, uniquely integrates global, regional and national action dialogues.
This integration across all levels is crucial for fostering innovative solutions to our sustainable development challenges, especially within today¡¯s extraordinarily complex global landscape.
Simply put, the world is in a sustainable development crisis.
The staggering $4 trillion SDG financing gap, coupled with the widening financing divide between developed and developing economies, signals a rapidly closing window for us to rescue the SDGs and avert catastrophic climate change.
Multilateralism remains the only solution to navigate these cascading crises. Yet, regrettably, multilateralism is under surging threat.
Three upcoming global summits offer critical moments for the international community to unite, arrest detrimental trends, and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
First, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, Spain.
As the premier international conference of 2025, FfD4 must demonstrate the enduring capacity of multilateralism to deliver for people, planet, and prosperity.
The draft outcome document proposes ambitious actions to bridge the SDG financing gap, through impact-based investment and significant reforms to the international financial architecture.
While acknowledging the challenging global context, it aims for ambitious progress on key global priorities.
On debt, it aims to reduce borrowing costs, support indebted countries, reform debt architecture, improve crisis prevention, and improved methodologies for credit ratings that take into account sustainable development objectives.
For domestic resources, it advocates for sustainable fiscal systems, international tax cooperation and support for capacity building, and strengthened public development banks.
Regarding development cooperation, it calls for increased country-level ODA, tripled MDB financing with special focus on mobilization of private affordable long term private capital, and an inclusive architecture prioritizing country ownership.
Second, the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar.
After three decades of the first summit in Copenhagen, this summit aims to advance global social development, address key challenges, and forge ambitious commitments promoting inclusion, equity and sustainability.
A Food for Thought Paper has been circulated to inform the discussions on the Political Declaration to be adopted in Doha. It highlights critical priorities such as poverty eradication, employment and decent work, social inclusion, digital transformation and climate resilience.
Member States met last week to exchange views on the issues and priority areas highlighted by the Food for Thought paper. Based on the Food for Thought paper and these initial views, the co-facilitators, the Permanent Representatives of Morocco and Belgium, expect to release a zero-draft political declaration in mid-April. This will be our first clear sign of the course Member States may chart, to advance a people- centred normative framework that accelerates social progress and moves us closer to our sustainable development goals.
Third, COP30 ¨C which will be hosted in this region, in Bel¨¦m, Brazil.
As acknowledged by the Brazilian Presidency, the urgency for bold, ambitious climate action cannot be overstated.
This year¡¯s COP will encourage countries to adopt highly ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It will also emphasize climate adaptation, and foster synergies between the climate agenda and the SDGs.
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
2025 will define the trajectory for revitalised global efforts, and decisive regional and local actions. Achieving positive outcomes at these summits will reinforce the strength of multilateralism.
I am confident that your deliberations will enrich these processes and provide valuable recommendations.
Thank you!