Source: United Nations secretary general
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I thank the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas for her invitation. It is a pleasure to be back following my participation in this conference in 2022.
Let me begin by congratulating the new EU leadership and welcoming the EU Commissioners. Your leadership comes at a critical juncture, and I look forward to working closely with you to strengthen the vital and strong partnership between our institutions.
Excellencies,
There is no doubt that the world we face today is more complex and uncertain than when we last met in 2022.
We are seeing that geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and a growing climate crisis are reshaping our global landscape. We are seeing key global players redefining their foreign policy and adding uncertainty to what is already a highly volatile political and economic environment.
A few years ago, who would have imagined the war in Ukraine? Yet here we are, still grappling with the aftermath.
I hope that we will be able to restore peace and stability in Ukraine, returning to a state of security that transcends the borders that have been so deeply affected. We must also recognise that the greatest impact of these conflicts is felt by the people— not just in Ukraine but also in Gaza, Sudan, and the Sahel— people who are desperately searching for hope.
The human toll is immeasurable, and this pressure on humanitarian support—where the European Union has been a generous leader—only adds to the challenges we face in achieving our Sustainable Development Goals.
Excellencies,
When we adopted the 2030 Agenda in 2015, we had a vision, but today, with five years to go, the road to realising our SDGs has become much more difficult. However, this does not mean we should abandon these Goals. Quite the opposite – they are now more urgent than ever.
When we look at the poverty agenda, the inclusion agenda, human rights, climate, and the need for stronger institutions to support these goals, it becomes clear that we must intensify our collective efforts.
But to get there, we would need stronger, not weaker, international cooperation reinforced by leadership. In September, our Member States came together to adopt the Pact for the Future, reaffirming our commitment to the 2030 Agenda and highlighting four areas of shared concern.
First, we must tackle the peace and security agenda, recognising the rapid pace of technological advancements and the importance of staying ahead.
Second, there’s the matter of AI and quantum computing—fields where we are making strides and where we must establish clear guardrails and work collaboratively. The European Union has taken commendable steps in this area, and we value the leadership you’ve shown. We look forward to deepening this cooperation.
Third, we must address the urgent need to reform the international financial architecture. Many developing countries are grappling with overwhelming debt burdens and limited fiscal space. The combination of rising interest rates—unexpected, partly due to the war in Ukraine—and the aftermath of COVID-19 has put these countries in a difficult position. They are often forced to choose between funding essential services like education or health and servicing their debt. This is not just about managing a crisis; it is about shifting the conversation toward investment—investing in people, the future, and resilience.
While Official Development Assistance (ODA) is undeniably vital, we must ensure it is strengthened so that it can truly fulfil its promise. ODA alone won’t be enough to meet the scale of the challenges we face. That’s why we must also find innovative ways to harness domestic resources and create an environment that attracts private sector investment.
As many countries prioritise industrialisation and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, it is crucial that we also create the conditions that allow these efforts to flourish. We need to ensure that there is a favourable environment for domestic resources to be better utilised and for private sector investment to flow in. This way, we are giving countries a fair chance at financing their own development and creating sustainable, long-term solutions that go beyond ODA alone.
Last but certainly not least, the Pact for the Future calls upon us to consider the future generations that will inherit the world we shape today. It emphasises the importance of keeping climate action at the centre of our efforts. As we move forward, we must ensure that these future constituencies are included in the decisions we make now.
Excellencies,
The values that underpin our global stability – and on which the UN-EU partnership is rooted are under attack: solidarity, peace, justice, tolerance, human rights, and a rules-based international order.
We see the EU as an indispensable partner in defending these values.
As we look ahead to 2025, this is a crucial moment to reflect on the path ahead. What are the EU’s priorities, and how can it balance work within Europe while nurturing the global partnerships that contribute to a more stable Europe and a more peaceful world?
These partnerships are fundamental, as they not only support Europe’s security and prosperity but also promote the shared values that we all hold dear. This aligns with our UN Charter, which calls for a future built on peace, dignity, and prosperity for all.
Excellencies,
The SDGs offer a valuable framework for engaging with our partners across sectors—civil society, government, academia, business, and beyond. Investing in the SDGs should not be viewed as a burden but as a strategic opportunity—one that will drive future markets, social cohesion, resilience, and security, not least for the European Union itself.
Goals 7 to 15 represent critical areas where economic investments and equality must be prioritized. By addressing these, we unlock dividends for the first six SDGs—providing governments with the resources to fund critical programs such as social protection, education, health, and women’s empowerment.
However, these goals also depend on robust partnerships and strong institutions. Investing in governance and institutions may take longer to yield results, but it is the foundation for lasting change. The work is difficult, but it is vital if we are to secure a future where no one is left behind.
To make this a reality, we must find ways to accelerate action on the SDGs together. That is why we have invested in strengthening our strategic UN-EU partnership, not just at the global level but critically – in countries.
Over the past years, and with the impulse provided by the Joint Guidance that was shared with you and the UN Resident Coordinators in 2023. We have seen our partnership grow in scope and impact, yielding results in joint advocacy, policy, and programmatic collaboration.
Together, we have engaged in significant reflection on how to sharpen our focus and ensure that our efforts on the ground deliver greater impact. The UN has established a strong presence, but should we aim for even greater coordination and coherence? Absolutely. We continue to strive for that, and with recent policy decisions by some of our larger donors, we need to leverage these efforts to accelerate action on the ground.
This is a crucial moment for us to also focus on the regional level—how we can deploy from HQ to the regions and ensure that the countries most in need can come together. The UN has the expertise, but is it sufficient? Can we deliver at the scale and speed that development demands?
Right now, the answer is no. We need more investment—investment that can drive real change. To do that, we need to work more effectively together with the EU, multilateral development banks, national development banks, and regional institutions so that we can all pull in the same direction. Only by working together can we achieve the progress we need.
Excellencies,
In Guatemala, we jointly support the national digital transformation agenda, leveraging the joint SDG Fund digital track—where the EU is the most significant contributor—to scale up innovation and modernize public services.
In Ghana, our focus is similar, with a special emphasis on empowering women and young people through digital transformation.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, joint UN-EU teams are tackling shared priorities, from energy and green transition to digital transformation, human rights, and gender equality. And we are enhancing our programmatic and policy collaboration.
In Nepal, the focus is on climate resilience, where the melting glaciers are a stark reminder of the climate challenges we face.
In Zambia, we are focusing on human rights, governance, and emergency response—especially in the wake of climate-related events.
These are just a few examples of our growing cooperation at the country level. New areas for collaboration are being identified, and we are looking to scale up the work already being done. For example, in the context of food systems and investments, we are identifying synergies that can create a multiplier effect.
We know that issues like food systems are as important to Europe as they are to Africa, Asia, and SIDS. We are looking at enhancing connectivity and energy access, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. This will help empower women, young people, and the agricultural sector by ensuring that businesses can access energy and financial services.
Trade also plays a key role in this. By improving connectivity and access to e-commerce, we can help women and young people thrive economically. The intersection between education, technology, and the climate agenda is crucial for transforming societies.
The Global Gateway Strategy and EU priorities, such as infrastructure investments, are vital in this regard. We must ensure we’re better aligned and able to deliver scalable, impactful change. The example of the M300 project, which aims to connect 300 million people to power in Africa, shows great promise—but we need to ensure that these connections are linked with other investments to amplify their impact.
Excellencies,
With UN Resident Coordinators and EU Ambassadors in 122 countries where we share presence in partner countries, we can achieve significant development impact that speaks to the ambition of the 2030 Agenda.
You lead Teams Europe, while our Resident Coordinators steer the UN country teams. Each is making a difference. But by working together, we can aim for large-scale transformation.
In most countries, we are already consulting each other on the development of our respective country strategies. But we see scope to expand opportunities for you and Resident Coordinators to co-lead regular strategic dialogues that enable the advancement of shared priorities and investment pathways to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.
Such pathways – or transitions – range from increasing energy access to transforming food systems, to advancing decent jobs, social protection, health and education, to expanding digital connectivity, to tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Excellencies,
Our institutions are transforming rapidly.
Just as the EU is reshaping its development cooperation approach, including through the Global Gateway Strategy and the Team Europe approach, the UN development system is also enhancing its impact, coherence and efficiency.
The UN development system reform spearheaded by the Secretary-General is bearing fruit. The feedback received from developing countries on how the UN is responding to their development needs is very clear.
In 2023, 96 percent of host governments said that UN teams on the ground are effectively responding to national priorities for SDG delivery. And 92 percent of host governments said that UN Resident Coordinators effectively lead the delivery of strategic support for national plans and priorities, compared to 79 percent in 2019.
By leveraging our respective expertise and capacities, we can maximise synergies between Global Gateway priorities and the key transitions required for SDG acceleration.
In complex settings, your leadership, alongside that of the Resident Coordinators, is equally critical to strengthening the coherence between humanitarian, development and peacebuilding action to enable early development investments and to help countries return to a development path.
Together, we can promote development partners’ coordination mechanisms that are adapted to the country’s context and enable alignment of development investments with national priorities and the SDGs.
By leveraging our respective convening power, we can scale up collaboration with governments and the national financing ecosystems, as well as International Financing Institutions and multilateral development banks – using existing tools such as the Integrated National Financing Frameworks.
By challenging business as usual, beyond siloed or project-based models, we can — and we must— develop multistakeholder platforms for innovative financing and policy support.
Excellencies,
The challenges are immense but not insurmountable.
Our strong partnership with the EU gives me hope.
By strengthening our partnership even further, we can turn the Pact for the Future’s ambition for the SDGs into concrete, life-changing results across the globe.
But the time for acceleration is now.
Let us act boldly for a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable future where no one is left behind.
Thank you.
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