SANTIAGO, Chile, CMC – Latin America and Caribbean international locations have known as for revitalizing the dedication to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Improvement and fostering renewed and daring insurance policies and actions to step up the tempo in the direction of fulfilling the Sustainable Improvement Objectives (SDGs).
Addressing the seventh assembly of the Discussion board of the International locations of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Improvement that ends right here on Thursday, the Deputy Secretary-Normal of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, mentioned, “Latin America and the C.
“However the SDGs had been born on this area, and with a transparent focus, dedication, and catalyzing motion, the area can rise stronger than ever and ship on the imaginative and prescient of the SDGs,” she added.
She mentioned that on the SDG Summit final September, governments endorsed a daring Political Declaration, renewing the world’s dedication to driving transformative change to ship on the promise of the 2030 Agenda.
“It additionally commits to advancing the Secretary-Normal’s proposal for an annual SDG Stimulus of $500 billion. It lays down a pathway for motion on debt in order that assets are freed for investments in sustainable improvement.”
However Mohammed acknowledged that the Declaration was solely step one, saying it should be adopted by concrete, bold, and transformative motion that may put international locations on the trail to ship on their local weather and SDG commitments by 2030 and past.
“On this regard, it’s important that we zero in on vital transitions and funding pathways that may drive progress throughout the targets, together with sustainable meals programs, power and local weather motion, training, digitalization, jobs, and social safety.
“There are important alternatives right here throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. And in lots of of those areas, you’re already demonstrating how a long-term imaginative and prescient can drive these transitions.”
The UN Deputy Secretary-Normal mentioned digitalization might drive new financial alternatives, construct resilience, and scale back poverty. Nevertheless, the deputy secretary basic famous that at the moment, it reinforces inequalities too usually.
“Broadband reaches lower than twenty p.c of individuals in Latin America and the Caribbean. A 3rd of individuals don’t use the web in any respect. This area urgently wants funding in digital public infrastructure and the enlargement of digital connectivity. “
She spoke of constructive examples in Latin America and the Caribbean, together with making a Ministry of Digital Transformation in Trinidad and Tobago and Chile’s Built-in Platform of Digital Companies and Digital Expertise program to Costa Rica’s Nationwide Telecommunications Improvement Plan.
“In all this, the UN improvement system is your trusted companion. We stand prepared that will help you strengthen establishments and governance and rebuild belief in democracy in a area experiencing large polarization. A conducive atmosphere is crucial to advancing these complicated transitions. “This may also require refined experience to form coverage and regulatory frameworks, harness funding, and safe assist from multilateral and regional improvement banks and personal investments.
She mentioned the area was already coupling local weather motion with delivering a simply and sustainable power transition.
“Whereas the area has achieved practically common power entry, many disparities stay.
As much as 15 p.c of rural populations nonetheless lack electrical energy entry, and two-thirds of the area’s power provide nonetheless comes from fossil fuels.”
Mohammed mentioned practically a 3rd of the power provide comes from renewable sources, although we’re witnessing speedy improvement of photo voltaic, wind, and inexperienced hydrogen.
In 2020, financing for local weather motion within the area amounted to 0.5 p.c of regional gross home product (GDP), far under the estimations that shut to 5 p.c is required to achieve regional commitments.
“With the precise investments, we are able to concurrently obtain the SDGs and ship an inclusive power transition. These two go hand in hand. There isn’t any dichotomy.”
Mohammed mentioned the following spherical of Nationally Decided Contributions, or NDCs, which all governments should submit forward of COP30 in Brazil, is an enormous alternative for international locations to do exactly that.
“If finished proper, these plans can double as transition and funding plans – clearly defining nationwide transition pathways and funding wants, and setting economy-wide, absolute emission discount targets overlaying all greenhouse gases.”
She mentioned that addressing inequalities by way of meals system transformation and reworking the meals programs is an efficient method of tackling vulnerability and revenue disparities.
“Latin America and the Caribbean play a significant function in producing meals that advantages the area and the planet. This area is the world’s largest internet meals exporter, and lots of economies depend on meals exports. But, it has the very best nutritious diet price in comparison with all different areas.”
She mentioned an built-in strategy to meals programs transformation might improve the agricultural sector’s efficiency and tackle structural revenue disparities.
On the difficulty of remodeling training to safe a greater future, Mohammed mentioned because the world seems forward to this 12 months’s Reworking Training Summit Inventory-take and associated conferences, listed here are a number of vital areas for motion.
“Whereas most international locations on this area have practically achieved common main training, progress has stalled in secondary and post-secondary training.
“Now can also be the time to grab the alternatives offered by digitalization and to make sure that lecturers are supported, empowered, and outfitted for these and different important shifts.
Because the world of labor modifications, training programs should be geared to equip college students with the values, abilities, and data wanted right this moment.
“This consists of fundamental digital literacy and the abilities to thrive in a digital economic system, from monetary companies to e-commerce. And with all of this comes the necessity for extra, not much less, funding in training. Public spending on training per pupil in Latin America and the Caribbean area must be greater in comparison with extra developed economies. Spending constraints, whether or not home or worldwide, should be tackled.”
The manager secretary of the Financial Fee for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, warned that simply six years forward of 2030, the goal 12 months for attaining the SDGs, “progress in the direction of their success has not stayed apace with the implacable passage of the times within the calendar.
“Quite the opposite, we’re seeing a powerful misalignment within the indicators being monitored between the mandatory trajectories for success and people at the moment noticed. This demonstrates the urgency of choosing up the tempo,” he mentioned.
ECLAC estimates that 22 p.c of the targets have been achieved or can be achieved by 2030, whereas 46 p.c of them are transferring in the precise path however not on the pace wanted to achieve them, and the remaining 32% usually are not anticipated to be fulfilled.
Salazar-Xirinachs mentioned he trusts that all through the convention, there could be “dialogue, alternate of experiences, finest practices and studying between all stakeholders, the motto of the upcoming Summit of the Future – ‘multilateral options for a greater tomorrow’ – will spur us to revitalize our dedication to the 2030 Agenda”.
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