Speech

The Sustainable Development Goals are humankind's most important to-do list

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon delivers the UK national statement at the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

UN General Assembly

Excellencies, colleagues, friends.

The Sustainable Development Goals remain the most important to-do list in the history of humankind.

Yet President Putin’s illegal and senseless invasion of Ukraine has pushed the SDGs further from our reach. He has caused a humanitarian catastrophe and sent global food and energy prices rocketing, impeding the global recovery from COVID and pushing the most vulnerable to the cliff edge.

Despite these setbacks, the UK Government remains committed to meeting the SDGs by 2030, as we have set out in our new International Development Strategy.

We will continue to prioritise humanitarian need, committing $3.7 billion in humanitarian assistance over the next 3 years.

This will allow us to help the people in greatest need and most at risk, as we have this year with our commitment of $352 million to support over 4.4 million Afghans.

With our partners we will anticipate and prevent future shocks, tackling the underlying drivers of crises, instability and extreme food insecurity.

Our investments in research, innovation and access to vaccines will reduce threats to global health, and drive breakthroughs in health systems and health security.

To broaden economic growth, enhance peace and security, and advance equality, we are putting women and girls at the heart of our foreign and development policy.

We are leading global efforts to give all girls access to 12 years of quality education. The Transforming Education Summit must help make this a reality.

We are empowering women and girls by unlocking their social, economic, and political potential, and by standing up for their bodily autonomy.

And we are championing action to end all forms of gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence.

Climate change and nature loss remain urgent, existential threats. Our security and prosperity rely on a transition to Net Zero.

Our planet needs us to deliver on the commitments made at COP26. The window to keep 1.5 degrees alive is closing fast.

Everyone must step up to implement the Glasgow Climate Pact ahead of COP27. This means revisiting and strengthening NDCs; Long Term Strategies aligned to Net Zero; and developed countries doubling their adaptation finance by 2025.

We need an ambitious and transformative global biodiversity framework at CBD this December, including the global 30 by 30 goal, stronger accountability and the finance needed for implementation.

The UK Government will also deliver over $9.5 billion of development investment a year by 2025, through British International Investment - our new development finance institution.

This will support countries to build green, secure and open thriving economies as part of our British Investment Partnerships offer.

Collaboration between government and the private sector will unlock enormous advances in our efforts to finance the SDGs.

We cannot afford to lose focus from Agenda 2030 and the SDGs.

So let’s work together, and all play our part in ensuring no one is left behind.

Published 12 July 2022