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UN chief urges SDG stimulus, debt reform and bigger multilateral capacity to close $4 trillion gap
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Summary
António Guterres told the General Assembly that fewer than one‑fifth of SDG targets are on course and called for an 'SDG stimulus', higher official development assistance, private investment, and reforms to multilateral finance to close an annual financing shortfall he put at $4 trillion.
António Guterres told the General Assembly that progress on the Sustainable Development Goals is lagging and that finance must be mobilized urgently.
Guterres said “5 years to 2030, less than 1 fifth of the targets are on course, aggravated by a $4,000,000,000,000 annual financing gap.” He called for an SDG stimulus, fuller implementation of the Pact for the Future, donors meeting official development assistance commitments, and more private‑sector investment in sustainable development.
The secretary‑general urged reforms to “modernise the institutions of global finance to represent today's economy, not that of 1945,” including increasing the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, deploying concessional finance where vulnerability—not just GDP per capita—requires it, and stepping up support for countries in or near debt distress. He said he has appointed an expert group “to identify practical steps to break out of the morass and galvanize support for action on debt.”
Guterres listed several 2025 multilateral moments he called opportunities to advance the SDGs: the conference on financing for development, the World Summit for Social Development, the G20 Summit under South Africa’s presidency, COP 30 in Brazil, the UN Ocean Conference, and the Beijing+30 review. He said the Pact for the Future includes clear support for an SDG stimulus and stronger social protection, trade that supports development, and fairer taxation.
The speech emphasized financing and governance changes rather than new, detailed programs. Guterres framed finance and debt architecture reform as prerequisites to give developing countries more fiscal space to invest in the SDGs.
