Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to be here with you as we celebrate Nelson Mandela International Day. To begin, I will deliver remarks on behalf of the Secretary-General.
Nelson Mandela showed us the extraordinary difference one person can make in building a better world.
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And as the theme of this years Nelson Mandela International Day reminds us combatting poverty and inequality is in our hands.
Our world is unequal and divided.
Hunger and poverty are rife.
The richest one per cent are responsible for the same quantity of planet-wrecking greenhouse gases as two-thirds of humanity.
These are not natural facts. They are the result of humanitys choices. And we can decide to do things differently.
We can choose to eradicate poverty.
We can choose to end inequality.
We can choose to transform the international economic and financial system in the name of equity.
We can choose to fight racism, respect human rights, combat climate change, and create a world that works for all humanity.泭
Every one of us can contribute through actions large and small.
I join the Nelson Mandela Foundation in urging everyone to perform 67 minutes of public service on Nelson Mandela International Day one minute for each year he fought for justice.泭
Together, lets honour Madibas legacy and turn our hands towards building a better world for all.
(SGs message ends)
Dear friends,
What strikes me in the Secretary-Generals message is the focus on choices.
But the challenges today are because of choices that were made yesterday and the freedom to reverse them.
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Of the challenges humanity faces at this moment in time, none are greater than the eradication of poverty, the right to justice and a life of dignity.
Nelson Mandela wrote in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom that poverty is not an accident. Like slavery and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings. 泭But perhaps I can add something to this he did say man-made. So, with more women in leadership, perhaps we really can make a difference.
Yet our actions until now have not been enough.
According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report, just released weeks ago, an additional 23 million people were pushed into extreme poverty in 2022 - and over 100 million people more were suffering from hunger than just five years ago.
For the first time this century, per-capita GDP growth in the worlds most vulnerable nations is slower than in advanced economies.
In many ways, inequality is deepening.
The news is not all bad.
We are making strides on boosting renewable energy.
We are getting more people online.
More and more girls are completing school.泭
Yet overall, we are failing to deliver on the promise and hope of the Sustainable Development Goals.泭泭泭
We can blame the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and growing climate chaos.
But if we look deeper, it is our choices that have led us here.
It is a fitting coincidence that we are marking Nelson Mandela International Day at the same time as we meet for the High-level Political Forum.
The focus this year is on reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises.
As we look to the Summit of the Future, this HLPF will support the work of the political declaration and other outcomes of the SDG Summit that many of us here participated in last September.
I am asking the ministers and everyone here to recommit to the Sustainable Development Goals and the promises made at the national levels.
Let us match our words with our collective actions.泭
Let us have the long overdue intergenerational partnerships that go beyond the conversations.
Let us follow the path set by Nelson Mandela.
The choice is still in our hands.
Thank you.
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