The event, which will take place until July 12, coincides with the warning issued about the slow compliance with the goals set by the United Nations for 2030.

The most recent report on the status of the Sustainable Development Goals confirms little progress in areas such as parity of access to education for girls and job opportunities and leadership for women; access to the Internet or the decrease in HIV rates.

It also recognizes the achievements of new vaccines against malaria and the boom in renewable energies, which account for 30 percent of the world’s electricity supply.

However, it finds it alarming that 23 million more people would be pushed into extreme poverty and more than 100 million more suffered from hunger in 2022 compared to 2019.

In addition, there has been a higher number of civilian deaths in armed conflicts, as well as the dramatic rise in temperatures in 2023, the warmest year on record with high temperatures in the oceans as well.

“Our failure to secure peace, tackle climate change and boost international financing is undermining development,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said when stressing the need to step up the pace.

The denial of the basic needs of so many people is scandalous and unforgivable in a world of unprecedented wealth, knowledge and technology, he added.

Other data show that the external debt has reached unprecedented levels in developing countries while 60 percent of low-income nations are at high risk of debt overhang or are already going through it, limiting their ability to finance climate actions.

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