UN chief calls for more effort to bring SDGs back on track

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (front) speaks at the second SDG Moment, a high-level event to galvanize global action toward the 2030 Agenda in the General Assembly Hall at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 20, 2021. Guterres on Monday called for more effort to bring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track. (Xinhua/Xie E)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for more effort to bring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track.

"Our world is challenged like never before. From climate change, to conflicts, to COVID-19, which is putting the Sustainable Development Goals further out of reach," he told the second SDG Moment, a high-level event to galvanize global action toward the 2030 Agenda.

He called for urgent action in five areas, including recovery from the pandemic, climate action and gender equality.

The top priority for the global community is to end the pandemic, Guterres said, urging the world to join forces to double vaccine production to reach 70 percent of the world's population by the middle of next year.

He also called for efforts to enable a sustainable and equitable global economic recovery to ensure the goal of ending poverty by 2030 is achieved on schedule.

This means making bold investments in education and health care, and reforming the global financial system to tackle debt distress, he noted.

To better address climate change, Guterres said countries across the world have to adopt ambitious climate and biodiversity plans, and give more support to developing countries in their transition to a green economy.

"The pathway is there. The choice is ours. Let's move forward with hope and conviction," he said.