Convening immediately following the Summit of the Future (SoF), the SDG Moment 2024 aimed to highlight the role of political leadership, SDG investment, and partnerships in advancing three key transitions: food systems transformation; the renewable energy revolution; and digital connectivity.

According to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary of the event, its was organized around a series of inspirational talks and informal conversations, bringing together a diverse mix of speakers from government, international organizations, women, youth, academia, business, and the arts.

Lilly Singh, UN Secretary-General’s SDG Advocate, emphasized that in the face of slow SDG progress, the response should not be to lower expectations, but to bring more resources, attention, and innovation to tackle remaining gaps.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the just-adopted Pact for the Future recognizes the need for an annual USD 500 million SDG Stimulus, as called for by the 2023 SDG Summit.

Calling attention to the strong political declaration adopted by the 2023 SDG Summit, UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Philémon Yang said the main challenge today is to maintain focus. He highlighted the Pact for the Future as a dynamic framework for strengthening international cooperation towards this end.

In a conversation with Lilly Singh, Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Co-Chair of the SDG Advocates, discussed key priorities to get the SDGs back on track – climate action and the empowerment of women and youth.

Discussion segments conducted an “SDG Stocktake,” and highlighted SDG bright spots such as HIV/AIDS treatment and remaining gaps such as hunger and poverty. Several Heads of State and Government discussed key levers to accelerate the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Achim Steiner, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, underscored the importance of making good political choices to achieve the SDGs.

Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of Samoa, described a multifaceted approach to the existential threat of climate change for her country, including by building financial and technical capacity. Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, called for a reform of the international financial system. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of Senegal, said connectivity should be a universal right enshrined in our constitutions. 

In final reflections, Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), called for unlocking catalytic investments in developing countries and for focusing these investments on areas that unleash the most synergies, such as education and gender.

The event closed with an intergenerational discussion, with speakers calling for young people to use their “seat at the table” to foster greater inclusion of other young people who are unrepresented.  

The fourth annual SDG Moment was convened by the UN Secretary-General on 24 September 2024 in New York, US. [ENB Coverage of SDG Moment 2024] [SDG Knowledge Hub Stories on Third, Second, and First SDG Moments]