Ingrid Brocková: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals depends on effective multilateralism which is now more important than ever - SlovakAid

Ingrid Brocková: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals depends on effective multilateralism which is now more important than ever

On 4 and 5 September 2023, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Ingrid Brocková, attended an informal meeting of the Development Segment of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Cádiz, Spain.In the evening of the first day of the meeting, the ministers held talks with the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Amina J. Mohammed.

The subject of the meeting was the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which took place shortly before the planned September United Nations Summit in New York whose goal it is to review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at its halfway point. 

With regards to this topic, the State Secretary Brocková said: "When in 2015, the UN Member States adopted Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, it was unprecedented in its scope and ambition. Halfway through its implementation, it is clear that countries working together is the only way to address global challenges, whether they be climate change, conflict or possible future pandemics."

The central theme of the second day was the topic of the “triple transition” –  social, green and digital. Regarding this topic, the ministers also followed up on the 2030 Agenda, focusing particularly on the social dimension.

"We agree that the social, green and digital transition are closely interlinked and important in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals as well as in addressing inequalities. The area of human development is very important for Slovakia. Good health and quality education are one of the sectoral priorities of our medium-term development cooperation strategy," stated Ingrid Brocková.

Development Ministers further discussed the reform of the global financial architecture and international development banks, which has been raised in several forums this year.

“The accumulating crises in the form of pandemics, the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, and the long-term challenges posed by climate change are having much more significant impacts in the developing world, affecting the basic needs of its populations which have much more limited tools to deal with them,” added State Secretary Brocková.

The meeting also focused on the situation in Niger as it pertains to EU development cooperation, following the military coup in July. They also discussed the forthcoming instrument of the EU, Ukraine Facility, which is designed to respond to immediate financial needs, reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine.

Source: MFEA SR