UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL HIGH LEVEL POLITICAL FORUM ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL STATEMENT
19 July 2023
Statement by H.E. Dr Fiona Webster, Permanent Representative and Charge d'Affaires, Australian Mission to the United Nations
Australia is a proud champion of the 2030 Agenda, and its Sustainable Development Goals. They represent a roadmap agreed to by 193 countries, all represented here today, to achieve sustainable social, economic and environmental development.
Australia is committed to doing its part at home and in partnership with our region to realise our shared vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
But, half-way into implementing the 2030 Agenda and progressing the SDGs, our world is struggling with interconnected crises. COVID-19, climate change, food security, political instability, and rising costs of energy all threaten the success of the 2030 Agenda.
We need to double down on concrete action and deliver on the commitments we all made.
We need to work together to address the links between climate, environment and disaster risk reduction, and to prepare for increasingly complex, cascading risks.
We were proud to co-facilitate the Political Declaration on the Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction with our friend Indonesia, and thank the Member States for their efforts to secure a text which identifies tangible opportunities to prevent disasters from reversing hard won development gains.
Australia is committed to international climate leadership and supporting partners to meet their own climate goals. Australia is on track to meet its commitment to provide $2 billion in climate finance between 2020 and 2025.
Australia is proud to join the 94 other countries that have endorsed the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature to step up global ambition to tackle the climate crisis, halt biodiversity loss and deliver a nature-positive world by 2030 and we welcome the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the global community’s agreement to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
“Leaving no one behind” means implementing the SDGs in a manner which ensures that the needs and rights of all people are met, and that there is diversity and inclusion at all levels.
Gender equality is a priority objective across Australia’s development program – and we are holding ourselves accountable by setting targets to ensure our investments meet high standards. As another practical demonstration of our commitment to gender equality, Australia is proud to be hosting both the FIFA Women’s World Cup this year as well as the Gender Equality Symposium on its sidelines.
Together with non-government organisations representing the diverse interests of people with disabilities, Australia is developing an international disability equity and rights strategy to guide our international engagement.
And we have recently appointed Australia’s inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People - a practical demonstration of our commitment to ensure the voices, perspectives and practices of First Nations People have a stronger role in international fora.
Sometimes vulnerability is about where you live and your exposure to the impacts of climate. We must ensure the concerns of the most vulnerable countries – such as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) – are genuinely heard and supported. SIDS have long called for development support to better reflect the unique vulnerabilities they face. Australia supports efforts to develop a multidimensional vulnerability index to provide the UN and development partners with an evidence-based tool to better support SIDS.
As we work towards the SDG Summit in November, we must protect the 2030 Agenda and accelerate progress on the SDGs. We must leave no goal behind, because without full implementation every country is worse off.