New York, 18. September 2023

Mr. President of the General Assembly,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are at the midpoint in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

At this year’s SDG Summit we are taking inventory. We are looking at the progress and more importantly where we need to accelerate and scale up action.  Globally, the impacts of the climate emergency, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, a weak global economy, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have laid bare our lack of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. In a world, in which we are approaching tipping points, we cannot afford inaction.

The 2030 Agenda reminds us that we must implement all Sustainable Development Goals at home and abroad if we want to achieve a sustainable future for all.

At the national level, Austria is preparing to present its second Voluntary National Review VNR next year. We will again engage in a whole of government exercise, while ensuring a broad, transparent and participatory stakeholder process.

When it comes to SDG implementation at the global level, Austria is a proud member of the European Union – the biggest donor in development cooperation and of humanitarian aid. On a national level, Austria spends more on bilateral development cooperation and on humanitarian aid than ever before.

The Secretary General’s new SDG report clearly states, that SDG 2 “Zero Hunger” is at risk. Austria has therefore decided to scale up its support for food security and we made a new commitment towards the World Food Programme in the amount of 60 Mio. Euro for the years 2023 to 2025. Ensuring food security not only requires natural resources, but also needs continuous innovation and entrepreneurial drive.

A concrete Austrian initiative, which aims at “scaling up action” in this context is the “Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa”. In 2024 this price will be devoted to SDG 2 “Zero Hunger”. The aim is to promote innovative entrepreneurs whose scalable solutions can counteract the negative impacts on food security.

SDG progress is not just about finance. To achieve urgently needed transformations, Rule of Law is essential. Functioning institutions as outlined in SDG 16 are key for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. They are also a crucial economic factor. Let me just mention, that about 5% of global GDP are lost to corruption annually. These 5% could significantly contribute to bridging the SDG financing gap.

Mr. President,
we know the challenges ahead of us. It is in our hands. Let us make the second half of the 2030 Agenda a success in transformation and delivery.

Thank you.