Published on: 2026-07-13
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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July 13, 2026 Sustainable Development Goals
Just over ten years after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, the world is beginning to move through the most difficult stretch of the journey to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was stated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as he opened the ministerial segment of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York on Monday.
According to him, significant progress has been made over the past decade: child and maternal mortality have decreased, access to social protection, clean drinking water, sanitation, electricity, and the internet has expanded. Harmful practices such as child marriage are being eradicated. The use of renewable energy sources has increased many times over. Guterres noted that countries have already submitted 401 voluntary national reviews on the progress of SDG implementation, and another 36 will be presented during the current session.
Crises and conflicts
At the same time, the UN chief acknowledged that in recent years serious obstacles have arisen on this path.
“Conflicts are multiplying. Inequality leads to the concentration of power at the very top levels, while millions of people find themselves trapped in protracted cycles of suffering, instability, and forced displacement,” he said.
The UN chief also emphasized that the conflict in the Middle East – in addition to the obvious consequences for the civilian population and civil infrastructure – has led to a sharp rise in prices for fuel, fertilizers, and food, as well as disrupted global trade, transportation links, and tourism. He called for full respect of ceasefire regimes in Gaza, Lebanon, and the Persian Gulf, and for ensuring the exercise of navigation rights and freedoms in accordance with international law.
Progress Assessment
The Secretary-General reminded that out of 139 tasks within the SDGs, only 36 percent are progressing as planned or showing moderate progress, while the situation has worsened for 15 percent.
“Our mission is clear: to accelerate progress – on a large scale and at a faster pace,” he said.
This year, the forum focuses on five Goals: clean water and sanitation (SDG-6), affordable and clean energy (SDG-7), industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG-9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG-11), as well as partnerships for the goals of sustainable development (SDG-17).
Water and Energy
Guterres reminded that about 2.2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, and 3.5 billion lack adequate sanitation. He warned that freshwater is being used faster than it is replenished, and this is already leading to irreversible consequences. According to him, the upcoming UN Conference on Water Resources will help mobilize collective action in this area.
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The Secretary-General also stated that renewable energy sources have become the cheapest and fastest scalable source of new electricity in most countries, and last year wind and solar energy for the first time fully covered the entire increase in global electricity demand. However, according to Guterres, four out of every five dollars invested in clean energy go to developed economies and China, while Africa receives only 2 percent of global investments in this area, despite the continent having 60 percent of the world’s best solar potential.
Artificial Intelligence and Cities
The UN Chief pointed to the great opportunities that digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, open up for development, emphasizing that innovation must serve humanity, not the other way around. He recalled that in February he called for the creation of a global fund worth 3 billion dollars for these purposes, and earlier this month in Geneva, the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance took place.
The Secretary-General also called for actions to overcome the global housing crisis. According to him, the planned mid-term review of the New Urban Agenda scheduled for this year will be an opportunity to advance this work.
Financial gap
“We need urgent action to close the SDG financing gap, which currently amounts to more than 4 trillion dollars per year,” he said.
Developing countries, according to Guterres, face borrowing costs often several times higher than those of developed economies. Many spend more on debt servicing than on investing in their own populations, and the volume of external development aid has experienced the sharpest decline in modern history.
According to the Secretary-General, the Seville agreement serves as a benchmark for the future, under which countries agreed to more effectively mobilize resources—including combating illicit financial flows—and direct them where the need is greatest.
He called on multilateral development banks to more actively increase investments through expanded lending capabilities. He emphasized that every dollar of public funds should attract significantly more private investment. Guterres also called for accelerating the implementation of new debt management tools, including the Borrowers’ Platform launched this year, and expanding the participation of developing countries in reforming the global financial architecture.
Despite the difficulties, Guterres stated that he does not lose hope: “Even in this era of division, multilateralism yields results.”
The Secretary-General called next year’s SDG Summit an important opportunity to mobilize the efforts needed to achieve the set goals.
“Let’s keep alive the vision of the 2030 Agenda. Let’s make sure that these last years [before 2030] do not go to waste,” he concluded.
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