President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Csaba Kőrösi has made available the text of the political declaration to be adopted at the SDG Summit later this month. While the text “may not address all issues of importance for every delegation,” the draft declaration reflects “a common understanding among Member States to advance transformative actions leading up to 2030.”

Permanent Representative of Ireland Fergal Mythen and Permanent Representative of Qatar Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, who co-facilitated consultations “to develop a political declaration which is ambitious, balanced, forward-looking and action oriented,” informed the UNGA President that the text represents “the broadest possible agreement among Member States ahead of the Summit.”

In a letter dated 1 September 2023, Kőrösi describes the declaration as signaling “the beginning of a new phase of accelerated implementation” of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which, he urges, “will have to be complemented by continuous high-level political guidance.” He highlights the SDG Summit as an opportunity for Member States to engage in a more meaningful dialogue, renew their shared commitment to sustainable transformation, and show the political will to achieve the SDGs.

The ten-page draft political declaration outlines “our shared commitment,” highlights progress and remaining gaps and challenges, and issues a call to action to “turn[] our world towards 2030.”

The declaration reaffirms that the 2030 Agenda is universal and its Goals and targets are “comprehensive, far-reaching, people-centered, indivisible and interlinked,” balancing the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development “in an integrated manner.” It recognizes that the SDGs are in peril and commits Member States to “bold, ambitious, accelerated, just and transformative actions, anchored in international solidarity and effective cooperation.”

The declaration highlights that climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, and pollution, as well as the cost-of-living, water, food security and nutrition, and financial and energy crises, among other challenges, are derailing progress on the SDGs. Noting “positive progress in a limited number of areas,” the declaration acknowledges that without immediate course correction and acceleration of progress towards the Goals, “our world is destined to face continued poverty, prolonged periods of crisis and growing uncertainty.”

The call to action enumerates actions Member States will take to implement the 2030 Agenda and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. Among many others, these include: comprehensive and targeted measures to eradicate poverty; accelerated actions to end hunger, food insecurity, and all forms of malnutrition; removing all legal, social, and economic barriers to achieving gender equality; increasing investment in inclusive and equitable quality education and life-long learning; and bridging the digital divides and spreading the benefits of digitalization. Further actions to scale up financing for sustainable development and improved international debt mechanisms are also among the commitments listed.

The declaration “look[s] forward to the Summit of the Future in 2024 as an important opportunity to … accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.”

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), convening under the auspices of the General Assembly, or the SDG Summit for short, will meet in New York, US, from 18-19 September 2023, “to review progress and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The negotiated political declaration is the outcome of both the SDG Summit and the July session of the HLPF. [SDG Summit: Political Declaration] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Preparations for the SDG Summit]