Note to readers: The below text is a fictional letter from the viewpoint of the SDG Summit as if this UN General Assembly mandated event were a person expressing their thoughts following the conclusion of this two-day gathering. It encapsulates the point of view of the SDG Lab team as observers to this year’s summit that was held between 18-19 September at UN Headquarters in New York.

A letter to 2023 SDG Summit participants

By the SDG Summit

Dear SDG Summit participants—representatives of governments, the United Nations and other international organizations, civil society, the private sector, academia, media, and others:

I wholeheartedly thank you for your intense engagement at my recent gathering in New York where I invited you to come together under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly to achieve two tasks: First, to take stock of where the international community stands in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; and second, to inject new and higher levels of urgency, energy, resources, and ideas to do what’s necessary to turbocharge delivery of the 2030 Agenda.

Now that I have had the occasion to take a moment to reflect on your interventions, statements, and proposals, I would like to offer up insights from where I stand and equally some advice. I do so in the spirit of constructive criticism—and knowing that another four years will pass before we meet again.  

Strong turnout, but not enough

The Summit curtain hadn’t even raised and there was a cacophony of voices calling out the missing voices in the room focused on heads of government from certain countries. While I regret their absence, what alarmed me the most was that only a smattering of observers noted the inadequate presence of marginalized and underrepresented groups, from youth and indigenous peoples to representatives of LGBTIQA+ communities, among others. At the same time, as a constructive optimist, I want to underscore and stress who was in the room and note the strong engagement of delegations from the Global South including those nations most impacted by the reversing and lagging progress on the SDGs. That being said, you must do more to truly embody the people and communities you represent.

The time is now: Yes… and what’s next?

Without running a complex semantic analysis, I can safely say that one of the most-commonly used expressions by leaders at the Summit was ‘The time to act is now’. I could not agree more. However, we know that; in fact, the time to act was yesterday, last month, last year, the last decade, and so on. What I did hear were numerous commitments and too few tangible and concrete projects and actions, as well as limited reflection on the systemic and uncomfortable truths about why action has not been taken. The former point was likewise remarked by the Secretary-General who in his closing statement challenged Member States to use next year’s High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to “…shift the focus of Voluntary National Reviews to advance accountability and catalogue progress made against” the commitments announced at the Summit. Too often, platforms like mine are used for grandstanding with little emphasis on follow through. I applaud Secretary-General Guterres for his leadership and conviction on this essential point.  

“We the peoples” must translate into full intergenerational representation and engagement

Youth representation as tokenism remains a systemic challenge, one that undermines the legitimacy of platforms convened by the UN and other international organizations. In the case of my quadrennial gathering, the fact that young people continue to be largely excluded as equal partners from the formal SDG intergovernmental process is unacceptable. This was displayed in plain view by the single seat in the Trusteeship Council Chamber that was labelled “Children & Youth”, ironically (or not), situated next to “Business & Industry”.

What I did hear from youth that were present was the need to stop ‘pigeonholing’ young people into a youth perspective only. The inputs by youth are cross-generational and must be embraced accordingly. Similarly, youth participants challenged governments, the UN system, and other actors to literally put one’s money where one’s mouth is (pardon the simple expression, but it is quite on point) to provide the needed financial resources and other essential support mechanisms to empower youth engagement in a meaningful and intentional manner.  

Delivering the SDGs means looking beyond 2030

A big question I pondered ahead of your arrival in New York was how the issue of taking a long-term approach to sustainable development would be raised and, if so, how it would be manifested. I anticipated references to next year’s Summit of the Future and its focus on meeting the needs of the present while safeguarding the planet for future generations—but I hoped for more. To my surprise, only a small number of you referenced the 2024 Summit and regrettably, just a minority of Member States even mentioned thinking and acting long term beyond the 2030 deadline of the SDGs.  

This absence represents ‘the elephant in the room’: we all know the SDGs will not be achieved within the remaining seven years. This was spelled out in the 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report and cited by UN leadership, heads of state and government, and other key stakeholders. Even so, the scope of your interventions largely fixated on the immediate future.  

With great respect, I understand the pressing social, economic, and environmental predicaments you are all facing, which was clearly voiced during the six Leaders’ Dialogues. But the existential problems and threats we are experiencing necessitate a prolonged vision paired with sustained collective actions. The 2030 Agenda provides this roadmap, and we must build on its foundation to move forward with future generations in mind.

Constructive hope abounds

Despite the challenges and observations outlined – we all heard that there still a way to go with only 15 per cent of targets on track -  I come away from this cornerstone moment nevertheless feeling pragmatically hopeful about the period ahead. You all noted, with great urgency, the need to act and to do so with higher levels of determination and drive and to channel existing resources and solutions to where they are needed most. Importantly, as remarked by the Deputy Secretary-General during the High-level Week, we must turn the current narrative of gloom and fear into one that is anchored on hope whilst being fully cognizant of the difficult work that lies ahead; a ‘roll up the sleeves’ moment she poignantly affirmed.    

For my part, I will continue to serve as your common platform, providing you, the citizens and other stakeholders you represent a convening space to report on and drive systemic change for the SDGs and long-term sustainability. Such spaces are particularly paramount for accountability and for continuing the multi-stakeholder and multilateral dialogue that remains so essential. And to the best of my abilities, I will use my power to push for greater inclusivity and representation. All voices must be at the table.  

So, until we meet again in 2027, I wish you much success in bringing the Sustainable Development Goals to life. I look forward to seeing you in four years, but do not wait for me to nudge you into action. The ball is in your court.

Yours truly,

2023 SDG Summit