Salvaging SDGs still possible, but countries must act now: Guterres

Addressing ministers at UN Headquarters in New York, he called for urgent action to rescue lagging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) amid war, inequality and fiscal strain.

“Transformation is not only necessary – it is possible,” he declared, highlighting landmark commitments adopted in recent months: the Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, pledges to expand marine protected areas at the third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, and the new vision for global finance agreed in Sevilla at the fourth International Financing for Development Conference.

“These are not isolated wins, they are signs of momentum and signs that multilateralism can deliver.”

The remarks opened the ministerial segment of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), the UN’s central platform for reviewing the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs.

Get back on track

Mr. Guterres warned that the world remains far off track to meet the 2030 targets.

“Only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress. Nearly half are moving too slowly. And 18 per cent are going backwards,” he said.

He urged governments to act with urgency and ambition.

“The Sustainable Development Goals are not a dream. They are a plan – a plan to keep our promises to the most vulnerable people, to each other, and to future generations.”

Citing gains since 2015, including expanded social protection, declining child marriage and growing women’s representation, he said the SDGs remain “within reach” if world leaders channel resources and political will.

The Secretary-General also linked development and peace, noting ongoing violence in Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine and elsewhere.

“At every step, we know sustainable peace requires sustainable development,” he said, calling for immediate ceasefires and renewed commitment to diplomacy.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

ECOSOC President Bob Rae addresses the ministerial segment of the HLPF.

Double down on multilateralism

Bob Rae, President of the Economic and Social Council, echoed the Secretary‑General’s call, warning that global disruption – from climate change to economic disarray – requires deeper solidarity.

“The SDGs are not optional ideals, but rather essential commitments,” he said.

“Now is not the time for us to abandon our ideals…it is now actually the time to double down on our multilateral obligations to one another.”

Mr. Rae cautioned that shrinking national budgets and rising nationalist politics are undermining progress but insisted that “multilateralism delivers real, tangible benefits for people at every level of society.”

He called for closer partnerships with civil society, local governments, and the private sector, stressing that SDGs must be “integrated into budgets and policies around the world, not as at odds, but as the core of how governments should serve their people.”

I stressed today at the opening of the Ministerial Segment of the #HLPF 2025 that: “We need to reaffirm the UN’s relevance through results—by showing that multilateralism delivers real, tangible benefits for people at every level of society.” #SDGs #GlobalGoals #2030Agenda pic.twitter.com/Vba3ZBeAcC

— UN ECOSOC President (@UNECOSOC) July 21, 2025

Match ambition and delivery

Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, emphasized aligning political commitments with concrete action.

He praised the Compromiso de Sevilla and last year’s Pact for the Future, which aim to reform global financial systems, scale up climate finance, and strengthen international tax cooperation.

“The gap between ambition and delivery can only be closed through solidarity, resources and political will,” he said.

“The deadlines for the 2030 Agenda are fast approaching,” he warned. “Whether we like it or not. And while progress is lagging, we have the tools and ambition to deliver.”

Accountability and partnership

The HLPF, established at the landmark Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, serves as the primary UN platform for monitoring SDG progress, including through Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).

This year’s forum, convened under the auspices of the ECOSOC, runs until 23 July with a focus on five goals: health, gender equality, decent work, life below water, and global partnerships.

More than 150 countries have presented VNRs – with 36 reporting this year – showcasing national efforts and challenges in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

Mr. Guterres praised the reviews as “acts of accountability” and “templates for other countries to follow and learn from.”

With just five years left to meet the global goals, he urged ministers to “transform these sparks of transformation into a blaze of progress – for all countries.”