STORY: Renewed commitment, redoubled efforts on SDGs urgently needed, says ECOSOC president
DATELINE: July 14, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:09
LOCATION: UN Headquarters
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of President of UN ECOSOC Lachezara Stoeva
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): LACHEZARA STOEVA, President of UN ECOSOC
3. various of Stoeva
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): LACHEZARA STOEVA, President of UN ECOSOC
5. various of SDG pin
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): LACHEZARA STOEVA, President of UN ECOSOC
7. various of Stoeva
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): LACHEZARA STOEVA, President of UN ECOSOC
9. various of Stoeva
 
STORYLINE:

Against the sobering state of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with only 12 percent of them on track, a UN official called for a "reaffirmation of commitment," a "refocusing" on the SDGs, and a "redoubling of efforts."

Lachezara Stoeva, the president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), made the remarks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua on Wednesday, highlighting the significance of maintaining optimism in the face of sobering facts.

Optimism can only be grounded in reality when certain vital factors, such as solidarity, political will, and unwavering commitment, are ensured, she said.

Stoeva referred to the statistics unveiled by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in April, which indicated that only 12 percent of the SDG targets are currently on track. She emphasized the pressing need for the international community to come together and mobilize at all levels to actively pursue the 2030 Agenda.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): LACHEZARA STOEVA, President of ECOSOC
"Yes we are off track. Statistics are depressing, but this is the only framework we have for development and we should stick to it, and we have seven more years, we are at the midpoint now. So the good news is that we still have seven more years to catch up. So if there is enough political will, and we join forces, there is a strong chance we'll be very close to achieving the goals by 2030. So I think we need to mobilize as an international community at all levels. So we need a strong commitment on behalf of our leaders to the SDGs and for the next seven years."

Stoeva spoke to Xinhua amidst a demanding schedule at the ongoing High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), where the progress of the SDGs in critical areas such as clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, among others, is being diligently reviewed.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): LACHEZARA STOEVA, President of ECOSOC
"Obviously, 15 years is a lot of time, it's also not a lot of time. But of all because we are faced every day with so many new crises that hit. There is a bit of fatigue of things that sound familiar. So that's why we do need to refocus again where the agenda is, and to make sure that we accomplish what we have set for ourselves in 2015 when we adopted to Agenda 2030. Let's not forget that Agenda 2030, unlike the Millennium Development Goals, is a program, it's an agenda for everybody. It's not just for developing countries, it's for the whole world. It's equally important for developed and developing countries. So we are in this together."

Stoeva underscored the significance of solidarity in the journey towards achieving the SDGs.

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): LACHEZARA STOEVA, President of ECOSOC
"We have to improve solidarity, but I think that we've started working together and we can feel it despite many challenges and despite the obvious divisions that we can probably sense politically, I still think that there is solidarity in terms of development. We are talking about the holistic approach to sustainable development goals. It's also a whole of society approach. This means that we, as member states have to accept and have to be willing to work with all stakeholders. The agenda belongs to everybody in order for us to implement it. We do need stakeholders. Local level is where we need to start and that's how you have to act locally in order to change things globally, so every country and all of us individually have to ask ourselves, what's our role."

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): LACHEZARA STOEVA, President of ECOSOC
"When we talk about financing, we know that there is money, there are resources, there are many resources, there is liquidity. We just need to make sure that this liquidity is being channeled into the Sustainable Development Goals implementation, and the private sector can be a great partner. They know how to make money. So we need to see how we can get them on board and work together with them, again, the inclusion of all stakeholders. Across the board, we are not doing too well, but we still are at the midpoint, so we do still have time. The game is usually decided in the second half, not in the first, as we know in soccer."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from the UN Headquarters.
(XHTV)