The 2022 SDG Moment, which places an annual spotlight on the 17 Global Goals agreed by nations in December 2015, took place as the world faces a deepening cost-of-living crisis against the backdrop of the Ukraine war and the Covid-19 pandemic, which have halted development, especially in low-income countries.

“The education of our children cannot wait. Dignified jobs cannot wait. Full equality for women and girls cannot wait. Comprehensive healthcare, meaningful climate action, biodiversity protection – these cannot be left for tomorrow,” Guterres underscored, while highlighting that across all these areas, young people and future generations are calling for pressing actions.

“The world has a long ‘to do’ list”, António Guterres told world leaders, asking for more finance and investment from the public and private sectors, to meet growing needs.

Acknowledging the current “moment of great peril” for our world – characterized by conflicts, climate catastrophe, division, unemployment, massive displacement and other challenges – Guterres stated that although “it was tempting” to put long-term priorities to the side, development could not wait.

Csaba Kőrösi, on the other hand, echoed Guterres’ words, and said that it was timely and more necessary than ever to “re-dedicate ourselves to the SDGs” as the world falls behind.

“The pandemic was a postcard from the future, a bleak future of interlocking global crises. One that we want to avoid and that we can avoid. We must now regain the speed lost to the pandemic and to our inaction. Solutions are at hand”, he said.

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