SDG Moment

Pandemic recovery efforts were described as a “once in a generation chance to set things straight,” with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as potentially a “board to bounce back further and faster” by speakers during the 2020 SDG Moment.

“COVID-19 threatens decades of progress. But it is also an opportunity to do things differently, to imagine better future, to harness humanity’s capacity for change and progress. Now is the time for bold choices,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said during the closing session. Speakers also reiterated the need for global solidarity and the importance of multilateralism.

The SDG Moment was convened virtually by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to identify changes needed to recover better from COVID-19 and deliver the SDGs over the course of the decade. A “reality check” on progress on the SDGs was followed by a session on SDG gaps and plans, with interventions by 21 nominated Heads of State and Government. Contributions from stakeholders then addressed finance for the decade, climate solutions, and inequality.