UN 
(UNITED NATIONS) By Bünyamin Sürmeli – The 11th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) kicked off in Bangkok, with participants issuing an urgent call for nations to rapidly implement urgent actions backed by strong and sustained multilateral cooperation.
The warning emphasizes that countries risk falling further behind in achieving sustainable development goals due to the recent global crises.
“Emphasis on international cooperation”
Speaking at the meeting, Under-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stressed the importance of international cooperation and noted that existing multilateral arrangements are insufficient to meet the tasks.
“No country or region can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or tackle today’s global challenges alone,” Mohammed said, underlining the need for fundamental changes agreed by world leaders in September.
The Forum, organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and held in the Thai capital from 20 to 23 February, brought together senior government and UN officials, representatives from the private sector, youth and civil society. The event aimed to facilitate the exchange of experiences, promote regional action and generate solutions.
UN Under-Secretary-General and ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana identified 6 focal points for transformative action:
1- Food systems,
2- Energy access and affordability,
3- Digital connection,
4- Education,
5- Jobs and social protection,
6- Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution
In her video address, Paula Narvaéz, President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), shared data showing that at the current pace of implementation, the Asia-Pacific region is on track to miss 90 percent of the 118 measurable Sustainable Development Goals. She said the region is at risk of regressing on specific Sustainable Development Goals, including ending poverty, zero hunger, climate action, peace, justice, strong institutions and partnerships towards the goals.
On the sidelines of the meeting, ESCAP, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the UN Development Program (UNDP) jointly released the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Partnership Report 2024, “People and Planet: Addressing the Interlinked Challenges of Climate Change, Poverty and Hunger”, the Asia-Pacific Sustainable Development Goals Partnership Report 2024.
The report highlights the interconnected challenges and potential solutions, emphasizing the urgent need for concerted efforts to tackle climate change, poverty and hunger in the region.
The APFSD serves as a critical platform for sustainable development, highlighting the importance of urgent action and international cooperation. Of course, it is critical that the region heeds the calls to achieve the 2030 sustainable development goals.
It is also expected to contribute to the global High-Level Political Forum in July and the Future Summit in New York in September.
