Speech by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, 18 September 2023

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President of the General Assembly,

Heads of State and Government,

Secretary-General,

Excellencies,

A chairde,

As we stand here today, halfway to our deadline of 2030, there is no hiding the fact we are not where we would wish to be.

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are an urgent and universal call to action; to end poverty, to protect the planet, and to improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere.

And yet, at this midpoint, we know that only about 15 per cent of our targets are being met.

Yes, our efforts have been pushed off track by a global pandemic; by conflict, including Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine; by food and energy crises; and by the increasing pace and intensity of extreme weather events.

But we should also accept that progress had stalled before the pandemic hit.

As Leaders our drive to achieve the Goals has not been as strong or as focussed as it should have been.

We have lost time, but I, for one, have not lost hope.

Saying that we have not made as much progress as we should have, is not the same as saying that we have not made progress.

As the 2023 SDG Report says, more than 800 million people have been connected to electricity since 2015.

146 countries have already met or are on track to meeting the under-5 mortality target.

Effective HIV treatment has halved global AIDS-related deaths since 2010.

And, as the Secretary General said earlier this year, this progress shows that change is possible; that back-sliding is not inevitable; that poverty, pollution and gender-inequality are not pre-ordained.

They are trends that can be reversed, problems that can be solved, tragedies that can be averted.

But only if we act now with the urgency that the situation demands.

As the Political Declaration states, the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, represent our best hope for humanity and the planet.

In it, we, the world’s Leaders, commit ourselves to bold, accelerated, just and transformative actions. Actions anchored in international solidarity and effective cooperation, to create a sustainable future for all.

It must become more than a piece of paper – as Leaders it is our solemn responsibility to breathe life into it.

Mr President,

Ireland was proud to play a role in co-facilitating drafting of our Declaration with Qatar.

The negotiations were not easy, because the stakes are so high and the implications for the world so profound.

And, on Ireland’s behalf, I am also proud to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the 2030 Agenda and to achievement of the Goals.

We will play our part in ensuring that the world’s poorest and most vulnerable are not forgotten or left behind.

We are committed to providing Official Development Assistance to the most vulnerable people. We have consistently increased our ODA in recent years, against an increasingly difficult backdrop for international development budgets.

Since the SDGs were adopted in 2015 our Official Development Assistance has trebled when you include the assistance we are offering to those fleeing war in Ukraine. We are committed to continuing this trend.

We are on track to meet our pledge to provide at least €225 million annually in climate finance for developing countries within two years. This year alone, we will provide €149 million in climate finance.

To deal with the scandalous food security and nutrition crisis globally, Ireland will provide almost €300 million towards food, agriculture, and nutrition this year. We do so recalling our own great famine of the 19th century.

And we will increase that further next year.

Mr President,

Ireland is a small country, but we have always dared to think big.

The challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is undoubtedly big, but, with effort and persistence, we can and we will succeed.

Thank you.