During this forum, organized from July 6 to 15 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), 44 countries will present the measures they are taking to advance the sustainable development goals. The theme of the forum this year is: « A sustainable and resilient recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development ».
United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin urged at the opening of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, member states to take the necessary steps to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ) and make the Paris Climate Agreement a reality.
During this forum, organized from July 6 to 15 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), 44 countries will present the measures they are taking to advance the sustainable development goals. This year, the theme of the forum is: « A sustainable and resilient recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development ».
Liu Zhenmin presented the new UN report, which « paints a worrying picture of the state of the SDGs, six years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. » The report reveals the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which halted, or reversed, years, if not decades, of development progress. Extreme global poverty increased for the first time since 1998. In 2020, more than 100 million people fell into extreme poverty and chronic hunger. And disruptions to essential health services have threatened years of progress in improving maternal and child health, increasing immunization coverage, and reducing communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Despite an economic slowdown linked to the pandemic, the climate crisis continues unabated, he noted the Under-Secretary-General. A temporary reduction in human activities has resulted in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. However, greenhouse gas concentrations continued to rise in 2020, hitting new records.