Honorable President,
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
The Summit of the Future and its Pact for the Future represent a crucial opportunity to relaunch multilateral action for the SDGs, building on the SDG Summit outcomes and ensuring that the international multilateral system is better equipped to address our common challenges.
Italy is intensifying its multi-dimensional support to global partners, with a special focus on Africa, which has also been at the center of our current G7 Presidency, as well as in support of Small Island States and other Countries in vulnerable situations across all regions.
We continue to be fully committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Policy coherence for sustainable development (PCSD), governance at the multilevel and multi-actor collaboration represent our three main enabling conditions to turn challenges into actions at all levels. These areas deserve appropriate consideration within the outcome documents that will be adopted at the Summit this year.
To this end, under the Italian G7 Presidency, we launched a dedicated Platform on SDG Localisation with the aim to translate this concept into action and practical support at the country level and local level, fostering collaboration in partner countries. We will continue working through this platform in close cooperation with the Local2030 Coalition, the G20 Platform for Intermediary Cities and the work of the Global Task Force.
Distinguished delegates,
It is imperative to accelerate action, including on the foundational SDGs and considering partnerships. Italy attaches particular importance to these 5 SDGs, as demonstrated in the context of the UN Food Systems Summit+2 in Rome and, most recently, on the occasion of the SDG 16 High Level Conference in New York, inaugurated by the President of the Italian Republic.
In terms of environmental cooperation, the Ministry for the Environment is a key actor in the “Italian system”, within the global scenario, in support of the objectives of the “Mattei Plan” and the “Rome Process” on development and migration. The aim of our cooperation activities is to maximize Italy’s contribution in tackling climate change and promoting sustainable development, with a particular emphasis to African countries.
Regarding SDG 13, under the Italian G7 Presidency, Climate, Energy and Environment ministers delivered a clear message on the level of ambition needed to adequately follow-up on the objectives agreed upon at COP 28. Starting from the progressive transition away from fossil fuels, the first stage of which is the phase out of unabated coal power generation in the first half of 2030s, to the creation of the “G7 Hub” to accelerate adaptation actions.
Allow me, finally, Mr. President, to highlight the crucial role of sport in supporting the implementation of the SDGs both as a strong driver in terms of awareness raising and education and as a key economic sector in which sustainable practices can be integrated and promoted at all levels. We are convinced that sports can be a vital contributor to help well-being and social inclusion and how it can empower individuals and communities, in particular reaching the most vulnerable ones.
Thank you
