Let’s Join Forces: It’s Time for Countries to Team Up to Prevent More Hurdles in Sustainable Development
The 11th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) kicked off in Bangkok, with participants echoing a compelling plea for nations to swiftly implement urgent actions, fostered by robust and sustained multilateral cooperation.
The stern warning suggested that countries risked lagging further behind in their pursuit of sustainable development goals amid recent global crises.
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Addressing the gathering, Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, emphasized the indispensability of international cooperation, stressing that the existing multilateral arrangements were inadequate for the task at hand.
“No country or region could achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or navigate contemporary global challenges alone,” she asserted, underlining the need for profound changes recognized by world leaders in September.
Organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and running in the Thai capital from February 20 to 23, the Forum serves as a crucial platform uniting key development stakeholders, including senior government and UN officials, the private sector, and representatives from youth and civil society. The event aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences, mobilize regional action, and devise solutions.
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, identified six focal points for transformative actions: food systems, energy access and affordability, digital connectivity, education, jobs and social protection, and climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
In a video address, Paula Narvaéz, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), shared concerning data indicating that at the current pace of implementation, the Asia-Pacific region was on track to miss 90 per cent of the 118 measurable SDG targets by 2030.
Over the next four days, Forum participants were expected to conduct a thorough review of the region’s progress on specific SDGs, including on ending poverty, zero hunger, climate action, peace, justice, and strong institutions, and partnerships for the goals.
The outcomes would contribute to the global High-Level Political Forum in July and the Summit of the Future in September in New York.
On the sidelines, ESCAP, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) jointly launched the Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report 2024 titled “People and Planet: Addressing the Interlinked Challenges of Climate Change, Poverty, and Hunger in Asia and the Pacific.”
The report highlighted the interconnected challenges and potential solutions, emphasizing the urgent need for concerted efforts to tackle climate change, poverty, and hunger in the region.
ESCAP’s SDG Partnership Report 2024
Simon Blake is an experienced journalist deeply interested in international affairs and global development. Having spent years reporting on humanitarian issues, he offers a unique perspective in his coverage of United Nations news.
It is imperative that nations collaborate now to avoid setbacks in sustainable development. The plea for urgent actions and multilateral cooperation must be heeded to prevent falling behind in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
In my opinion, countries must collaborate and take urgent actions to achieve sustainable development goals. The warning about the risks of falling behind due to lack of cooperation is essential in the current global context.
It’s crucial that countries work together to address the urgent need for sustainable development. Nations must collaborate and implement robust multilateral cooperation to overcome the challenges ahead.
Do you think countries are taking enough urgent actions to prevent hurdles in sustainable development?
Yes, it is crucial for countries to take immediate and decisive actions in order to prevent further obstacles in achieving sustainable development goals. Collaborative efforts and strong international cooperation are essential in facing the challenges posed by the current global situation.
Do you think countries are effectively collaborating enough to address the hurdles in sustainable development as mentioned in the article?
It’s clear from recent global crises that countries must step up their collaboration efforts in order to effectively address the hurdles in sustainable development. International cooperation is the key to overcoming the challenges highlighted in the article.
It’s high time that countries start collaborating more effectively to tackle the hurdles in sustainable development. The recent global crises have clearly shown that individual efforts are not enough to achieve the SDGs. Let’s work together towards a brighter future for all!
Do you think countries are currently doing enough to collaborate and prevent hurdles in sustainable development? What more can be done?
Do you think countries are currently doing enough to cooperate and prevent hurdles in sustainable development? How can they improve their efforts?
Do you think countries are truly ready to work together to overcome the hurdles in sustainable development?
It’s crucial that countries collaborate and unite to overcome the challenges in sustainable development. No nation should be left to tackle these issues alone. Let’s work towards a brighter future together!