经济及社会理事会高级别会议，第38次全体会议 - 1）从基层开始转型：在地方层面采取行动；2）通过部长宣言；3）高级别会议闭幕
经济及社会理事会
Date: 16 July 2026
Language: English
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/zh/ecosoc/2026/38?lang=en
Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations.

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ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [17:18]:

Muy buenas tardes.

Se declara abierta la sesión.

The Economic and Social Council at its 2026 session is called to order. I would like to ask for silence, please, to commence the session. I invite the Council to continue its consideration of sub-item B of agenda item 5, high-level policy dialogue including future trends and scenarios related to the council theme and the long-term impact of current trends. I welcome all of you to this afternoon's panel discussion on the transformation from the ground up, acting at local level. As we approach the 2030 deadline, accelerating SDG progress requires stronger whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches Local and regional governments are central to this effort, driving implementation on the ground and advancing solutions across key SDG transitions. This session will highlight successful local actions, discuss the enabling conditions necessary to scale them, and explore how strengthened multi-level governance can help accelerate progress across all 17 SDGs. I'm now pleased to welcome our distinguished guest speakers as well as our moderator, Mr. Matthew Back, Director of ICLEA Local Governments for Sustainability. I now hand over the conduct of the discussion to the moderator.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [19:11]:

Thank you very much. Hello everyone. Your Excellency, Mr. Hector Gomez Hernandez, Permanent Representative of Spain and Vice President of ECOSOC. Ministers, ambassadors, and delegates of member states, governors, mayors, and representatives of local and regional governments, members of major groups in civil society, ladies and gentlemen. As you may have heard, more than 65% of SDG targets sit with local and regional governments, and in this sense, the gap to 2030 closes from the ground up. In parallel with the name of this session today. We have with us today a panel representing 4 very different territories: a megacity, Tokyo; a national municipal association from Ecuador; a metropolitan area; a data-driven region. In all of these, we look at how localization actually moves the needle in achieving the goals that we've set ourselves moving towards 2030. And we ask an overarching question in doing so. We ask, in what ways have initiatives to localize the SDGs, such as aligning local development planning, preparing voluntary local reviews or voluntary subnational reviews, contributed to tangible progress in sustainable development implementation in their communities? And how these efforts have helped to address economic, social, and environmental challenges. I kindly ask our panelists to share concrete examples, including measurable outcomes and demonstrated improvements. And in this sense, I'd first like to welcome Her Excellency the Governor of Tokyo, Governor Koike, to tell us how then they are approaching this question. Thank you.


Japan · Governor · Yuriko Koike [21:12]:

Thank you very much for introducing me. I'm Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, and as you know, and as all feel, that international order, climate change, technological innovation, Dizzying waves of change are surging across the globe. The world can no longer afford even a single nation's delay in strengthening international cooperation to tackle these shared challenges. The 21st century is often called the age of cities. Every challenge ultimately manifests itself in cities, and this is why leadership by cities is indispensable. Now, I would like to highlight 2 points today. First, resilience. Due to climate change, damage from torrential rainfall is increasing in many parts of the world. And Tokyo has been developing massive underground regulation— regulating reservoirs by temporarily storing rainfall or rainwater in underground tunnels and releasing it in a controlled manner according to conditions. And we prevent As a result, the total amount of damage from water-related disasters has been cut in half over the past decade. Regarding earthquakes, my deepest condolences to those who lost their lives and to all who have been affected by the earthquake in Venezuela. As for Tokyo, we have strengthened the seismic resistance of our water and sewer pipes. It's very flexible and the earthquake resistance rate of housing now exceeds 90%. As you might know that Tokyo has a population of 14 million. Yes, it's a megacity, and it has approximately 170,000 high-rise and mid-rise buildings and 1.9 million detached houses. For a city of this scale, resilience is absolutely essential. And by developing such robust urban infrastructure, Turkey has built a safe, secure, and resilient city. Second, I would like to talk about energy. Ensuring access to sustainable energy is one of the goals of the SDGs. Due to the harsh and worse situation, I should say, and the Middle East, we are now facing a fundamental challenge in securing energy resources. And Japan relies on Gulf countries for 90% of its oil and 93% of it linked to the Strait of Hormuz, which makes the current turmoil a matter of crisis for us, and we are therefore working to diversify our supply sources and rapidly promote innovation. Technological innovation is essential to open up new pathways toward a sustainable society. In Tokyo, we are calling on residents to collect used cooking oil from each household. And in a metropolis of 14 million people, small individual actions can grow into something as large as a mountain. So Tokyo has no crude oil fields, but this used oil is turned into biodiesel fuel. So it can also be refined into what is known as SAF, sustainable aviation fuel, which can power aircraft. We call this campaign Tokyo Oilfield, Tokyo Uden. In addition, we support businesses that are developing alternative materials to petroleum, such as biomass plastics. At the same time, Tokyo has another kind of resource vein, which we call the Tokyo Mine, Tokyo Kozan, and this consists of old mobile phones and home appliances, which are veritable treasure trove. By extracting rare metals from these discarded electronic devices, we produced the gold, silver, and bronze medals for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. I asked friends around the world to donate their old mobile phones before the 2020 Games. Some of them, some of their countries went on to bring home medals with wonderful results, with wonderful athletes. I feel it turned out to be a very good investment. Resources are buried all around us as untapped mountains of treasure in our every lives. Climate change shows no sign of slowing down, as seen in the recent heat waves across Europe and the Eastern seaboard— sorry, seaboard of the United States, and even New York and Washington, D.C. recently. Before becoming governor, I served as Minister of the Environment, and decarbonization has been a key challenge since that time. Take green hydrogen as one example. We are promoting the development of production hubs and working to establish a new business model for local production and local consumption hydrogen stations that integrate both hydrogen production and supply. We are also expanding the development of lightweight, ultra-thin, and flexible solar cells. A technology originated in Japan and have made the installation of solar power generation equipment mandatory for newly built homes. Beyond technology and regulatory frameworks, I advocate creating an environment that enables people to live, work, and and dress comfortably throughout the year. And this approach transforms lifestyle as a whole from new work styles to energy-efficient housing and promotes the simultaneous achievement of smart energy savings and a high level of comfort. Thank you very much.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [29:51]:

Thank you very much, Governor. And as we can see, Tokyo keeps redefining what a city can do in the face of global crises, and we see with your engagement, including with Sushi Tech in Tokyo, with GNets, with other initiatives, that you really help cities internationally move forward on these questions. Thank you. Now, Tokyo builds links between cities, And now we have with us also Mayor Colorado from Ecuador, who carries with her the presidency of the Association of Municipalities, 222 municipalities if I'm not mistaken.

The floor is yours.


Ecuador · Mayor; President of National Association of Municipalities · Julie Colorado [30:36]:

Muchas gracias.

Thank you very much. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, everybody, and an affectionate greeting from Ecuador. I'm Julie Colorado. I'm a mayor of Wismay where there are 42,000 inhabitants and president of the National Association with 122 members throughout the country. I'm the first woman in 60 years of democracy to have won an election in Wismay and the first in 87 years to win an election as president of the National Association. I'd like to say that When I came to Muzne with 42,000 inhabitants of which— of whom 99% are lacking basic needs. By this I mean no drinking water, no sanitation, no streets, parks, etc. And now, thanks to the national government of President Amil Nouvar, and international cooperation from multilateral associations, we have achieved having $23 million non-reimbursable dollars by means of credit transactions and these are being invested in water and sanitation. We have, as I said, 42,000 in our city. In this very year, 50% of the population is going to have drinking water 7 days— 24/7. I'm 42 years old. My father is 80 years old. My grandfather died aged 100. I've got 2 sons and they did not have access to such a basic service. How have we achieved this? By shared citizen responsibility, the will of the government and a policy resolved to bridge this gulf of the lack of water. So we reiterate our commitment of the 222 groups to work hand in hand with the national government and bring Drinking water to each of our members. Now, how has this been possible? Thanks to good economic management and the policies carried out in Ecuador, $480 million additional have come into our model for territorial equality. Money is going to all the different members.


Speaker 6 [33:26]:

Thank you.


Ecuador · Mayor; President of National Association of Municipalities · Julie Colorado [33:27]:

constituencies, these are not extra to— these are extra to the 300 or so that we were given before. It means more drinking water, better streets, more dignity for people. And I would like at this juncture to congratulate my companions on the panel and say that I see that women are driving change everywhere. I would like to encourage women to continue to participate in policy and to ask men to continue to support us. I firmly believe that education and discipline will lead to our achieving the SDGs, but we have the responsibility as well of ensuring that those who have no voice may speak. I had a bursary. I believe firmly that education is a tool for development in the whole world. Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [34:31]:

Thank you very much, Mayor. Now we turn to the City of Milan, Ms. Davoli, who is the Head of Sustainable Development for the Metropolitan City of Milan.


Italy · Head of Sustainable Development · Davoli [34:42]:

Thank you, Vice President, to invite me here, and thank you, Moderator, for the challenging question. It's a true honor. I'm deeply moved to be here in a place so important for the entire world. I'm just a technician. A few days ago, I was in our— in one of our construction sites in a small town near Milan, and being here today is incredible. It's an incredible emotion. In Metropolitan City of Milan, sustainable development is not just a written plan. It's our everyday working method for localizing SDGs. We are a public body that coordinates 123 municipalities, including the municipality of Milan. To make this work in all our different towns and cities, we had to build true multi-level governance. Since 2019, we signed agreements first with the Ministry of Environment, then Lombardy Region, and the other metropolitan cities. These are not just formal papers. Thanks to the coordination of the ministry, they allow us to align our policies, share our tools, learn from each other. By 2022, we approved our Metropolitan Agenda for Sustainable Development and proudly present our first voluntary review. But when, thanks to the Ministry Network, we looked at the VLRs of other territories, we saw a great opportunity to improve. Our action and goal were strong: circular economy, resilience, reduced energy consumption in the public buildings, cycle highways. But We wanted to build a closer dialogue with our young generations, so we decided to change completely our perspective. We significantly expanded our School of Sustainability, tucking it directly into our high schools, involving 2,500 students from the academic center of Milan to the vocational schools in the smallest municipality. We asked them to help us design real solutions that could also become concrete professional opportunities for their future. We always, we always say that young people will be the leaders of tomorrow. I do not agree. They will be leaders, obviously, but they will also be bakers, architects, and farmers. We must involve all of them in our work and give everyone a voice. But involving everyone is the hardest part. Our 2026 Voluntary Local Review tells exactly this story. How we are transforming our physical territory while also transforming the culture in our territory. Our experience proves a simple thing: listening to those who work differently from us helps us to improve what we have to do. And when we invest in our young people, We are building together not only the future, their future, but the future of our city. Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [38:38]:

Thank you very much, Ms. Tauli, and indeed Milan is also doing many great things, including the Food Pact and so many other activities which are an inspiration to cities the world throughout. We turn now to our 4th and final panelist, Mr. Ibrahim. He is from the city of Madinah and is going to tell us a little bit more from his perspective.


Saudi Arabia · Mr. Ibrahim [38:58]:

Thank you.

Your Excellencies, it's an honor being part of this distinguished panel and addressing your overarching question, Matthew. Last year, Madinah published its Atlas of Sustainable Development on neighborhood level. This year we've published our second voluntary local review. Our VLR reported 87% public water coverage, strong in international standards, but an honest aggregate does not tell us where to dig. The atlas found 4 neighborhoods with 0 to 27% coverage. The VLR told us what we achieved. The Atlas tells us where exactly to act. Socially, the Atlas methodology combines quantitative government data with qualitative resident surveys. What we measure versus what people live. Environmentally, the VLR showed us the flood city average. The atlas showed us which blocks, and we are fixing them now. Economically, ISO 37120 serial certification through the World Council on City Data, WCCD, gave us investor language, attracting ESG-linked capital. Great insights mean nothing without execution. That is why Madinah synchronized its VLR with Saudi Arabia's VNR, So neighborhood findings feed directly to national reporting and national planning every cycle. So Medina recommends first to convene an annual peer learning roundtable on spatial VLR/VNR synchronization. That brings together national and local SDG focal points, including the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning and UCLG, commencing in 2027. Second, to contribute Medina's neighborhood diagnostic methodologies for global adaptation to 2 channels: the partnership platform between UN-Habitat and the Italian Ministry, and to the Global Alliance for Sustainable Development in Fuzhou, China. From Medina, Saudi Arabia, to east and west, so any city can map its own last mile block by block.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [42:29]:

Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Ibrahim, and it's an important part of the puzzle, the question of data, but also the question of implementation and the links also of finance as well, so thank you for that. We're going to go through a quick round of second questions. We'll need to stick to shorter times here, and we'll start again with Mr. Ibrahim and work our other way back, and I think the question at the top of my mind is looking at how Madinah is addressing the local constraints that it has, what are the concrete lessons that are drawn from these experiences, And how can these be transmitted to other local and regional governments?


Saudi Arabia · Mr. Ibrahim [43:22]:

Well, Matthew, our constraint was not data scarcity. It was data fragmentation. The building blocks of Medina's approach to overcome this challenge are standards First, ISO 37120 series through the WCCD Medina Center of Excellence created a common language before creating a common platform. Technology, second. Our Manara Urban Data Platform connects geospatial data evidence-based decision-making. Diagnostics, third. The Atlas maps SDG indicators on a granular level— government data and resident surveys combined. And fourth, the integration with national planning in every step. A tested sequence any city can adapt. Again, from Medina, Saudi Arabia to the Global South. But a tested sequence in one city is not enough. Across the world, VLRs and VNRs speak different languages. The gap is in governance. For national governments, the lesson is institutional. National governments must institutionalize subnational reviews as standard practice, not voluntary effort. On the other hand, for local governments, the lesson is methodological. Open source tools, community verified data, no proprietary lock-in. Any city with basic GIS capabilities can replicate the neighborhood diagnostic layer, but it must start with standards. So Medina recommends its 3rd recommendation to co-develop with UN-Habitat and WCCD a ministerial protocol on streamlined city reporting to shift city capacity from reporting compliance to SDG implementation on the ground.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [46:14]:

Thank you very much.


Saudi Arabia · Mr. Ibrahim [46:15]:

For— sorry, for member state consideration at HLPF 2027. Hence, no city is absent from national reviews and no neighborhood is lost in the city averages. The 2030 Agenda has no shortage of the willing. It requires a coalition of the doers, and Medina stands ready. Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [46:41]:

Thank you very much. And from there, in talking about partnerships, for example, the one between UN-Habitat with Italy, we come back to Italy, to Ms. Daboli, and with you we could hear a little bit about the enabling conditions that you see in terms of governance, finance, partnerships, community engagement, and how these are essential in sustaining, scaling, and replicating the solutions in different contexts. Thank you.


Italy · Head of Sustainable Development · Davoli [47:11]:

Yes, I want to give you an example about how we achieve the climate change, or better, the climate crisis that was our starting point. Since 2016, we have studied our territory using satellite and local data. This helped us to understand how and exactly where the planetary crisis affects our specific location, and where and how to take action to achieve the greatest impact. Addressing the threat of climate crisis is mandatory and urgent, especially in a dense area like Milan. Almost our entire territory is sealed, urbanized, with high traffic volumes, and climate pressure is rising with important urban heat island, dangerous local flooding, and poor air quality. But thanks to the work done for our Agenda 2030 and the action we plan in it, when the financial resources from the European Commission arrived, in 2022-2023, we were ready with ideas, partnerships, and administrative tools. This governance model has mobilized more than $500 million from European, national, and local funds. Let me give you 2 quick examples for what we did over the last— only the last 3 years. First, our Sponge Metropolitan City strategy. We regenerated 88 urban areas in 32 municipalities. We brought life back to unused space by creating sport fields, new kind of parking areas, and new public squares. There are not just spaces to use, They are designed to adapt to climate change. Thanks to nature-based solutions, we manage rainwater locally and reduce the urban heat island, incrementing biodiversity. Second, our urban and peri-urban forestation project. We planted 72,000 native trees to restore land biodiversity and reduce pollution. But building these is not the finish line. We trained citizens, students, municipal experts, the maintenance and cleaning teams together to take care of these spaces because they provide essential services for us. We have not just to maintain them when something breaks. How did we achieve all of this? We proved that sustainability is not an extra cost, is not an option. It is simply the only way we must design all our squares, sports centers, and parking areas.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [50:32]:

Thank you, Ms. D'Amelio. Can you wrap up? Thank you very much. I think that's an excellent point, and the question of design is absolutely critical if we look at the city level. Coming back then to Mayor Colorado from Ecuador, it would be interesting to hear with your— both as your experience as mayor, but as president of IMA, how do you scale then successful local initiatives into nationwide SDG strategies? And I apologize, but we have to keep the remarks short, otherwise we'll run out of time.


Speaker 19 [51:23]:

The speaker has no microphone. The speaker is inaudible to the interpreters. Her microphone is not on.


Ecuador · Mayor; President of National Association of Municipalities · Julie Colorado [51:39]:

Being mayor of Mulca with our 42,000 inhabitants and being president of the Association of 20 mayoral constituencies shows us that needs have no color, no ideology, and when we win elections, we win for everybody. How can we scale our achievements up to a national area? With planning. It's planning that has enabled us to bring forward projects to various multilateral bodies, IHEC, CAF, etc. These have been important partners to help us to move forward. And work hand in hand with the national government as well for technical assistance by means of the development bank so that our municipalities are able to come up with projects, to submit them, and have very clearly established priorities so that we can provide basic services to our citizens— drinking water, sanitation today. After building 20 kilometers of pipes and putting an end to a lax here, we are recovering our areas with parks, with sports grounds so that our young people can find areas where they can play and carry out sports and so that we don't have anything hampering us in life. In daily life so that living in a city is enjoyable and so that I can say that after 24 years I am very honored to be here and I should like to thank those who have put me here. We can show that if we do things well we can achieve our dreams. Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [53:54]:

Thank you very much. And then moving back to the megacity scale, to Tokyo, Governor Koike, how then are you approaching the upscaling of SDG local actions into nationwide multilevel approaches for localization and implementation?


Japan · Governor · Yuriko Koike [54:14]:

Thank you, Matthew, for asking me such an important question. The challenges we face today are becoming increasingly complex and diverse, and no single country or city can resolve them alone. That is why successful solutions developed by cities should not remain confined to a single locality, and they should be shared across cities and scaled up through collaboration with national governments and international organizations. The foremost role of cities is to protect the lives and livelihoods of their residents, and drawing on the knowledge, experience, and practical solutions they have accumulated through serving people, cities have much to contribute to addressing global challenges. With this in mind, I have been advocating for multi-city lateral cooperation. Through G-NETs, the international network launched by Tokyo, we held a city leaders' conference this April under the themes of urban resilience to climate change and natural disasters. And well-being in cities. Leaders from 55 cities around the world engaged in discussions and shared practical solutions. We also launched the first meeting of Tokyo SEEDS, a new framework for strengthening cooperation among Southeast Asian capitals. And this year, I assumed the role of the Chair of the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth. And this network brings together city leaders committed to tackling inequalities and promoting more inclusive economic growth. As Chair, I am spearheading collaboration among cities by passing on the voices of cities working on the front lines to protect residents' livelihoods and letting the international community know about their vital roles. By working together, cities can help tackle global challenges and create a society where everyone can live with peace of mind and shine as their true selves. As the leader of a global city network, I will prove this to the world. Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [57:11]:

Thank you very much, Governor. We now turn to our lead discussant, Ms. Luisa Beatriz de Oliveira Santi, who is the Global Coordinator of Latinas por el Clima and Migration Youth and Children Platform. The floor is yours.


MGCY · Global Coordinator · Luisa Beatriz de Oliveira Santi [57:31]:

Thank you, Chair.

Good afternoon. My name is Luisa Santi from Migration, Youth and Children Platform, and I'm honored to be speaking on behalf of the Major Group for Children and Youth. It's already a consensus that sustainable development happens at the global— at the local level, in our communities, neighborhoods, and territories. It is there that young people on the move experience the promise or failure of SDGs. Cities determine whether young migrants, refugees, or internally displaced youth can access safe housing, receive healthcare, move safely, find decent jobs, and participate in public life. However, this reality raises an important question: who is shaping the localization of SDGs? If global commitments are translated into action at the local level, those most affected by local policies must have a meaningful role in designing them. Otherwise, bringing decision-making closer to communities falls short on genuine participation. I would like to highlight 5 priorities. First, even though migration shapes cities every day, it remains largely invisible in local SDG strategies. If we are committed to the principle of leaving no one behind, Migration must become a cross-cutting dimension of local sustainable development, recognizing migrants not only as beneficiaries but as active contributors to resilient communities. Second, we must institutionalize intentional and meaningful youth participation of young migrants in local policy through permanent governance mechanisms that enable them to co-design, monitor, and evaluate local SDG implementation, beyond electoral cycles. Meaningful participation requires adequate support, accountability, and truly sharing power. Third, local authorities should work to integrate climate mobility into urban planning. Cities must prepare for increasing climate-related migration through clear adaptation planning, resilient infrastructure, and inclusive public services. Fourth, municipalities need practicable financing, technical capacities, and disaggregated data by age and migration status to implement evidence-based policies. At the same time, data systems must be used to ensure better protection, not surveillance or exclusion. Finally, we should recognize and scale the promising local practices and networks that offer hope in increasing hostile contexts for migrant inclusion. Young migrants are already shaping the transformation from the ground up. Local governments must match this leadership by embedding migrant rights across all policy areas and backing this commitment with sustained political will. Only then can policies be shaped with, rather than simply for, the people they affect. Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [1:00:22]:

Thank you very much, Ms. de Oliveira-Santi. And I think what we've heard just now from the speakers, from the discussants, is the wide range of topics that the local governments and regional governments are pushing forward, the importance of these agendas, whether we talk about governance, about data, about implementation, about finance, it's all geared towards moving forwards and filling and closing the gap in implementing the SDGs. And what's also clear is that we all very much count then on the national governments to scale and accelerate these efforts. Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:01:04]:

I would like to thank the moderator for conducting the panel discussion. We will now proceed to the interactive part of the discussion. Delegations wishing to intervene are invited to request the floor by pressing the microphone button. I remind participants that the time limit for interventions from the floor is 2 to 3 minutes. Please bear in mind that this limit may need to be adjusted downwards depending on the number of requests for the floor. Please also note that the light on the microphone will start blinking 30 seconds before the time limit is up to alert speakers when it is time to conclude their statements. If speakers exceed their time limit, the microphone may be automatically deactivated. I apologize in advance. If speakers are cut off. This measure is being taken to ensure that all speakers can deliver their statements in the limited time available for the discussion. To ensure proper interpretation, delegations are asked to speak at a normal pace and to provide a written copy of their statements by email to estatements@un.org. I first give the floor to the ministerial respondent and I invite Her Excellency Cariño Moya, Minister of the Economy of Ecuador, to take the floor. You have the floor, madam.


Ecuador · Minister of the Economy · Cariño Moya [1:02:29]:

Change from the ground up requires local leadership but also national institutions in a position to create those conditions so that such leadership can lead to sustainable results. The local level of SDGs means turning national and global objectives and commitments into real achievements on the ground so that citizens can see what it means in terms of housing services areas. As Minister of the Economy, I would like to highlight 3 fundamental points. Firstly, funding— subnational funding must be predictable and equitable and aimed at outcomes. Local governments need certainty if they are to plan so that financing mechanisms should also consider the areas where local governments act— territorial gulfs, and sustainable fiscal sustainability. In our government, 2 years ago, we had a 6-month debt— worth of debt from the previous government. We introduced a plan gradually to cut this, and now we are just lagging a month behind, and we are planning to get rid of this debt totally. We have, moreover, driven a reform to the 2011 law, stated that the distribution of national to local governments involved a 70% investment which was not complied with. We need to review this. It's also essentially necessary to ensure that we can build infrastructure and have lasting events over time with this investment. Then thirdly, we need to improve our data. The averages show great inequalities. We need better information so that we can target our resources to create a greater economic and environmental impact. Thirdly, international cooperation must be more accessible for local governments. Multilateral banks and the UN system can extend their support to prepare projects. Technical assistance and financial instruments can go— be designed to go to vulnerable municipalities and citizens. We think that when Investment is properly planned at a local level and we have the corresponding investment, we can improve matters and also improve citizen confidence in institutions. We move towards 2030 measuring progress in each community. Our responsibility from a national level is to ensure that local municipalities can keep up and that no one be left behind. Thank you.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:05:09]:

I should like to I'd like to thank the Minister of the Economy of Ecuador and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mexico.


Mexico [1:05:20]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. Mexico firmly believes that the real implementation of the 2030 Agenda starts at a local level with subnational governments and local communities turning global commitments into public policies that can improve people's lives. In this country, we— in our country, we have a national development plan which is fully in line with the SDGs. This was built up by means of a participatory process looking at what happens on the ground. This has strengthened cooperation between the various levels of governance and has enabled us to move forward in a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable fashion. We have tangible results. More than 3.4 million people are no longer in We have housing, social protection, territorial improvement. We've extended rights and strengthened resilience of communities while also driving forward for action for energy, sustainable use of water, and climate change. The SDGs have been a core in this. We have voluntary committees and also technical aid And in this way, we have strengthened the capacities of local government, made responsibility and accountability forefront, and have greater cooperation between civil society, academia, and at the local level. We have also provided more money for the SDGs, and sustainable financial instruments are being used, such as green bonds, to provide a real social and environmental impact in the future. we will have to further deepen multi-level cooperation, strengthen the technical abilities of local governments, improve availability on the ground and funding so that initiatives born on the ground can be fulfilled as we move towards the 2030 Agenda. Thank you very much.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:07:15]:

I should like to thank very much the distinguished representative of Mexico and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China.


China [1:07:25]:

Thank you, President. I'd like to thank the panelists for their presentations. President, when implementing the 2030 Agenda, local level is the last mile, and local action is vital to giving the people a better life by localizing and delivering on the SDGs. We wish to share our thoughts and inputs based on China's development experience. First, local ownership. Is important in designing the approach to implementing SDGs. There's no one-size-fits-all paradigm of modernization that trumps all other paths and models. Local governments should leverage their respective advantages, pursue differentiated development strategies within the framework of the national master plan, and each blaze a path that is suited to the availability of local resources and conditions for development. Second, balance should be maintained across 3 pillars, namely development, the environment, and society. Acting at the local level means pursuing balanced, high-quality development with an eye to the long-term future. In particular, green transition presents an opportunity that mustn't be missed, so local actors can be actively involved in the associated industrial chain and value chain to benefit the economy, the environment, energy security, and people's well-being. Third, development reforms. Should be piloted locally and scaled up afterwards. For this purpose, much space is available at local and grassroots levels. National experience and UN policy recommendations can inform the effort to explore and implement effective reform measures. Following the pilot stage, these measures can be rolled out to generate dividends for the broader populations. China is more than happy to share our experience in local-level development. So together, we can achieve the 2030 Agenda and march on towards modernization. Thank you, President.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:09:15]:

I thank China and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization.


FAO [1:09:25]:

Thank you, Mr. Vice President, Excellency, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. Accelerating the 2030 Agenda requires empowering local and regional governments to deliver integrated solutions that respond to communities' realities. Experience from voluntary local reviews demonstrate that local action is most effective when agri-food systems act as an integrator connecting health, climate, social inclusion, economic development, and spatial planning and policies within a common vision for sustainable development. Cities are increasingly recognizing agri-food systems as a strategic entry point for achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals simultaneously. To scale these efforts, national and subnational authorities should strengthen multilevel governance, ensuring that local priorities are reflected in national planning while enabling local innovation and implementation. Territorial approaches, such as the FAO's flagship Hand in Hand initiative, that strengthen the urban-rural continuum, improve food security and access to healthy diets, create decent employment, increase resilience to shocks, reduce food loss and waste, and support more sustainable management of natural resources. Evidence from local SDG implementation also highlights the importance of data, inclusive governance, and predictable finance. Stronger context-specific evidence allows governments to identify priorities, manage trade-offs, and measure progress, while sustained investment enables successful local solutions to move beyond the pilot initiatives and achieve lasting impact. Acting from the ground up means recognizing local governments as essential partners in delivering integrated agrifood systems transformation and accelerating progress across the entire 2030 Agenda. Thank you very much.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:11:07]:

I thank FAO and now give the floor to the representative of the Indigenous Peoples International Center for Policy Research and Education.


Indigenous Peoples International Center for Policy Research and Education [1:11:22]:

Aportaremos contexto. Let us provide a context. We continue to suffer from colonialism, racism, violence, and child poverty. We live in areas where we suffer climate change, environmental crises, etc. We are amongst the most vulnerable. In people. Our plans don't respect our ancestral beliefs and we have more and more progress of extractive industries, loss of labor rights and the social support of the state. We're facing poverty, disability and the marginalization of indigenous peoples. If we look at the constitution of my country, water is a right. The state should by law provide drinkable water. SDG 16, it doesn't fulfill this. We do not have water that can be drunk. We have to have drinking water. We have privatization of the water. We have polluting industries affecting the water. The crisis continues for the people and the environment. We indigenous people facing climate change are starting ecological kitchen gardens to defend our rights and provide survival. We have more traditional modes When we have silicon recipients and plastic, we see people affecting affected on their plots. We want to use vegetable containers, making them out of gourds in our own communities. If we fulfill The SDGs, if we are to do this, we need participation. We mustn't be marginalized. We have a lot of knowledge and we have a lot of hope that we can offer.


Speaker 36 [1:13:42]:

Thank you very much, Marie-Pierre. Just— and we wish you every blessing.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:13:46]:

I thank you and give the floor to the distinguished representative of Italy.


Italy [1:14:02]:

Distinguished Chair, thank you for giving us the floor and to the panelists for their insightful remarks. Thank you also for having enlightened how local action can increase trust and contribute to strengthening the whole multilevel governance for sustainability in place, particularly when national and local governments join forces, resources, and operational mechanisms.

citizens.

Co-shared responsibility and collaboration emerged from the session as the keys for delivering SDGs towards peoples and citizens, to make it real, understandable, and achievable. Thank you also for emphasizing the role youth and future generations can have, and the importance of them, each of them, in being drivers for change from the ground up, since now to the future. Thank you finally to Medina City for having raised the importance of voluntary local reviews strategic and programming tools, particularly if they are integrated into VNOS. We welcome the suggestion of enabling institutionalized collaboration for a greater global dialogue. Italy is strongly committed in supporting mutual learning and exchange for SDGs localization at all levels of government, internationally through the Partnership Platform for Localizing the SDGs, domestically in our multi-level sustainable development enabling environment, providing incrementally integrated and collaborative voluntary national and local reviews. We also remain committed to collaborating with all our shareholders. That's how our civil society defined itself into our voluntary national review this year, and particularly with our youth, following the messages and pathway that we define in our first youth voluntary review presented in 2026. I thank you.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:15:39]:

I thank Italy and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Thailand, to be followed by Grain Panthers and Côte d'Ivoire.


Thailand [1:15:49]:

Thank you very much, Mr. President. First of all, we would like to thank the panellists, the mayors, for their valuable insights. For Thailand, one message is clear: SDG implementation must reach the people. National policies set the direction, but delivery happens in local contexts. Thailand has put the SDG localization agenda at the heart of our SDG implementation efforts through multi-stakeholder collaboration. From Thailand's experience, we have identified key factors that strengthen local actions and could accelerate all 17 SDGs. First, local actions must be connected to national planning. In terms of mechanism, in Thailand, we have a clear policy directive established through a cabinet resolution to strengthen links between national policy planning and local priorities. Thailand has taken key steps in localization, including the development of provincial-level SDG profiles in 15 pilot provinces and the voluntary local reviews. These processes serve to connect local strategies with national and global agendas. Second, localization becomes more effective when it is supported by data, financing, and partnerships. The joint SDG Fund project on Partnership to Accelerate SDG Localization in Thailand, which is being implemented by the UNEP and UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior of Thailand, has delivered a suite of scalable tools, models, and frameworks to support provinces and municipalities to better understand community needs, to identify gaps, and to turn SDG data into targeted investment and action to achieve the SDGs. Such tools are also important for scaling local solutions. They help ensure that successful practices at the local level can inform wider policy learning and contribute to national SDG progress. Third, SDG localization is about the people. It is about ensuring that the promise of SDGs is delivered in everyday life. To sustain progress, local ownership is essential. Therefore, communities should not just be recipients of development, but partners in shaping, implementing, and monitoring solutions that respond to their own realities. Mr. Chairman, in closing, Thailand believes that transformation from the ground up requires more than policies. It requires data, financing, partnerships, and most importantly, local ownership. If we are to accelerate the SDGs by 2030, local actors must be empowered not only to implement development but also to help shape it. Thank you very much.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:18:39]:

I thank Thailand and give the floor to the Grain Panthers representative.


SGA · Co-Focal Point · Jack Kupferman [1:18:47]:

Think globally, act locally. My name is Jack Kupferman, and I'm the co-focal point of the Stakeholder Group on Aging. The Stakeholder Group on Aging offers concrete examples where local authorities working with civil society result in programs and policy accelerating the SDGs. Addressing the concerns of older persons is of great importance. Yet progress and understanding is slow. Through an age lens, impactful solutions are currently being created. Here are a few examples. The WHO's Age-Friendly Cities Initiative begins with local authorities working directly with older residents. For example, New York City authorized an Age-Friendly Commission to enact improvements for older people and the panoply of residents, it's been successful. Initiatives such as providing fresh fruits and vegetables to older persons experiencing food insecurity, improving accessible transport, improving public spaces by providing additional street furniture for everyone, encouraging seating for those waiting for prescription drugs, targeting computer training opportunities to older persons, Enacting citywide pedestrian safety initiatives, providing additional lighting and green spaces to enhance security and independence. Second, efforts in the City of Hamilton, Canada provide another example. Increasing tree coverage has been strongly advocated by their Age-Friendly Commission, thereby improving comfort during these increasingly extreme weather conditions. Additional heating and cooling centers address health concerns. Emphasizing sidewalk furniture contributes to a better quality of life for all. A third is Manchester, England's commitment to a work and skills strategy programming, creating a more inclusive and sustainable economy which benefits everyone. With high levels of unemployment among the 50-plus population, this strategy ensures that older persons can access opportunities matching skills to their employment opportunities. Retraining is an essential component of the strategy. The Manchester Digital Survey Strategy supports business growth, employment, and training for older workers. And in Kochi, India, an age-friendly city, where comprehensive community assessment and the participation of older persons results in effective programming, improvements in accessible transport, initiatives seeking to reduce social isolation, addressing access to health and medical opportunities, enhanced green and public spaces, addressing the issues facing older persons, and programs improving the economic situations of older persons. We, the Stakeholder Group on Aging and the constituency of older persons, have solutions. We just need the political will to implement them. Thank you.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:22:03]:

Thank you. Je donne maintenant la parole.

And now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Côte d'Ivoire, to be followed by the Organisation d'Appui aux Gens Opérateurs Économiques pour la Gouvernance.


Speaker 44 [1:22:22]:

local.


Côte d’Ivoire [1:22:23]:

President, while thinking about SDGs is something that comes to life in conference halls, their implementation above all happens from the ground up. It is within the local governments, regions, and communities that the 2030 Agenda will be genuinely won. Under the leadership of His Excellency Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, The idea of bringing them closer to users to ensure a development that is more balanced, inclusive, and sustainable, and benefits all regions. Our approach has already yielded concrete results in the context of the social development program of our government. Over 1,800 localities have been electrified between 2022 and 2024. What's more, over 230,000 vulnerable households benefited from productive social safety nets, and more than 1.25 million delivery kits free of charge have been distributed to bolster the access of the populations to basic social services. We're also working for young people and children. And these achievements show the efficacy of our development policy that is grounded in bringing efforts closer to people, and that shows the progress towards sustainable development is faster and more sustainable when it's conceived and implemented as close as possible to territories and their populations. Our National Development Plan marks a new landmark in terms of localization of the SDGs and making that a strategic thrust. To that end, every region is called upon to support localized data to set development priorities, to mobilize financing adapted to its needs, and to evaluate and contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. The next summit on the SDGs should strengthen the dynamic of localization, fostering sound partnerships among governments, local governments, parliaments, the private sector, universities, civil society, and young people. It must also promote voluntary local reviews, strengthen the capacity of territorial stakeholders, and facilitate the access of collective— local governments, rather, to climate financing and innovative financing, which are vital to delivery of the 2030 Agenda. Finally, the UN system has a key role to play in assisting states with the implementation of integrated local platforms that bring together data, financing, innovation, and local governance. In giving the localities the means to act, we are setting the conditions for more effective, inclusive implementation of the 2030 Agenda to bring it closer to populations.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:25:36]:

Thank you for that, says the Chair. I now give the floor to the representative of the Organisation d'Appui aux Jeunes Opérateurs Économiques pour la Gouvernance Locale, to be followed by Finland.


 [1:25:48]:

Thank you.


Côte d’Ivoire [1:26:16]:

Civil society organizations are in communities assisting the most vulnerable. They're championing human rights, and they are providing data on the ground, developing innovative solutions, and working for citizens for social development. These are essential partners for implementation, monitoring, and accountability in terms of the 2030 Agenda. However, challenges are proliferating and local stakeholders continue to face scant resources, insufficient access to financing, and there's shrinking civil civic space in many areas of the world. And too often they have more of an advisory role than an actual role in decision-making. Transformation is needed. Local transformation means recognizing local communities as change agents and not as beneficiaries of public policies. Also, governance— the United Nations, IFIs, development partners— these all need to further invest in building the capacity of local stakeholders. We need financing mechanisms that can ensure efficient participation of civil society. Confidence, solidarity, and multilateralism can be strengthened only with inclusive governance. Furthermore, development financing commitments undertaken need to be implemented through assistance provided to the communities because they're the ones that translate global commitments into local realities. Communities need to be seen as full-fledged partners in the conception and the implementation of sustainable development partners. We need to take the choice for development from the ground up, and we need to build it with civil society, because global transformation starts with local transformation. I thank you.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:28:21]:

I thank you, distinguished representative of Finland, to be followed by Japan and the inclusivity project.


Finland [1:28:32]:

Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, Finland highly values the contributions of local and regional governments to working for sustainable development. In fact, without them, we will not achieve our global goals. Local and regional governments make sustainable development and the SDGs a reality for people, civil society, and local businesses. And we are very impressed by the practical examples heard today in the panel, and I thank all of the panelists and all of the participants in this interactive dialogue for your valuable contributions. SDG localization is also at the heart of Finland's multi-stakeholder approach to sustainable development implementation. All the largest cities in Finland have actually submitted several rounds of voluntary local reviews and they cooperate both nationally with each other and with international partners for SDG implementation. We also have the pleasure of working together with our cities and municipalities when Finland prepared its voluntary national reviews. Mr. Vice President, we really must continue enhancing SDG localization, effective multi-level governance, and inclusive multi-stakeholder cooperation to actually really accelerate SDG implementation so that we can build a future where no one is left behind. And Finland is committed to continuing this work. I thank you.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:30:01]:

I thank Finland and give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan, to be followed by the inclusivity project and then public aid organization.


Japan [1:30:13]:

Thank you, Mr. President. I also thank the moderator and distinguished panelists for their valuable inputs today. Having heard those inputs from the distinguished panelists and moderator, Japan would like to point out 2 elements. First, to accelerate the implementation of SDGs, action at both national and local levels is essential. That, as today's discussion highlighted, local initiatives play a critical role in translating global commitments into tangible results at the community level. As Governor Koike and other panelists presented, the local communities have developed many valuable initiatives and experiences that can be shared with other countries. Second, as the focus of the SDG implementation increasingly shifts toward the local level, we believe the concept of human security is becoming even more relevant. Human security emphasizes empowering individuals to realize their full potential while protecting people from the critical and pervasive threats to their survival, livelihoods, and dignity. The UN can provide— can serve as an inclusive platform to promote implementation discussion, and UN as a multidisciplinary organization can provide strategic nexus solutions. Japan will continue to contribute to actively discuss these issues at the United Nations on advancing SDGs implementation in addressing social challenges through innovative solutions. Thank you.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:32:07]:

Thank you, Ambassador, and I now give the floor to the representative of the Inclusivity Project Incorporation.


Stakeholder Group of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent · Victor [1:32:17]:

Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I speak on behalf of stakeholders group of communities discriminated on work and descent Representing communities including Dalits, Roma, Kilumbula, Palenque, Osu, Oru, Haratin, Burakumin, and many others who continue to face inherited discrimination based on work and descent. Transformation at the local level cannot happen where discrimination remains embedded in the local institutions. For our communities, exclusion is experienced first and foremost at the local level. It is local authority that diverts funds intended for our community to other projects because our settlements are considered a lower priority. Or it is the local official who excludes our neighborhoods from water, sanitation, housing, and infrastructure plans. It is the health worker or doctor who refuses often to treat our people with dignity because of who we are. It is the school principal who often segregates the Roma children across Europe into separate classrooms or lower quality education. And it is the everyday discrimination that tells us children that they are worth less than others simply because of the community they belong from. Localizing the SDGs is therefore not only about developing and devolving resources or strengthening local governance, it is about ensuring that local institutions uphold equality, accountability, and human rights. And it has happened in many countries. We have also done it. We encourage local and regional governments to work in genuine partnership with communities discriminated on work and descent. This means involving a community organization in local planning, budgeting, voluntary local and national reviews, and monitoring SDG implementation. It means collecting disaggregated data to identify who's being left behind. It means ensuring transparency in the allocation of public resources and establishing effective mechanism to report and address discrimination in schools, healthcare facilities, public administration, and local service delivery. Local governments are often the first point of contact between citizens and the state, and they can either reinforce generations of exclusion or become powerful agents of transformation. Communities discriminated on work and descent are asking for equal treatment, equal access to public services, equal participation in decision-making, and equal dignity. Only by confronting discrimination where people live, at the local level, in schools, health centers, municipalities, and local institutions, can we achieve the transformative change envisioned by the 2030 Agenda. Thank you.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:34:51]:

Thank you, Victor.

I thank you and give the floor to the representative of the public aid organization.


 [1:35:10]:

President, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor to take the floor. I'm speaking on behalf of a group in Iraq where the SDGs are no longer implemented, but this is a need that is related to people's need for a better life. The topic of this confidence confronts us with a reality. That is to say, no government can confront all these socioeconomic and environmental challenges alone. So Goal 17 on partnerships for the implementation of the SDGs is not an option. It's the only means of implementing all of the SDGs. As for Iraq, in the area of water, concerning Goal 16, we face a growing problem. This is due to a lack of rain. It's also due to very high temperatures. This is all impacting the quality of water. According to UNICEF, 3 to 5— 3 out of 5 children don't have access to the water services.


Speaker 57 [1:36:24]:

Thank you.


 [1:36:24]:

We need to have clean drinking water sources that are safely managed. In many schools, access to water is below our aspirations. What we need is to strengthen these services. If not, inhabitants are going to leave villages and go into cities. But this will push us into considering, considering SDG 3 and 11 on communities. Turning to SDG 7 on energy, we have strong gas and petroleum reserves. We have a great deal of capacity to produce solar energy. However, we're facing power outages in accordance with the evaluation of the International Energy Agency. Biggest countries to use gas in 2024. But we could have used this gas to generate electricity. We therefore need genuine partnerships— partnerships between the Iraqi government, the private sector, academia, international organizations, and of course civil society. And in SDG 9 on industry, we need much more investment. That's not only true in terms of building new facilities, but we need new strategies too to capture energy, to store energy so we can have energy reserves. We also need to diversify our economy. Many children are facing very high temperatures, and this is having an impact on the lives of these children. We would like to underscore Goal 16. The microphone has been cut off.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:39:27]:

I thank you. I thank you and give now the floor to the representative of Agora Ciudadanos Cambiando México organization.


Ellen Creed Adell [1:39:44]:

Thank you so much, distinguished chair, excellencies, and fellow advocates. My name is Ellen Creed Adell and I represent Agora Mexico. an ECOSOC-accredited NGO. I traveled hundreds of miles to be in these halls today because the decisions made in this room will shape the future that my generation will live in the longest. We're not here merely to be consulted as the leaders of tomorrow. We are the experts, the innovators, and the heartbeat of multilateralism today. When we talk about accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals, we are talking about our physical survival, our safety, and our dignity. But we must confront a sobering reality. We are trying to achieve the 2030 agenda in a world that is becoming deeply datafied before our children even learn to walk. According to UN statistics, 1 in 3 children globally are already datafied before they even reach the school age, often without any legal protection or meaningful consent. Imagine a toddler whose digital footprint is harvested and sold to advertisers before they speak their first word. Or think of a child in a vulnerable community who, during a period of acute food insecurity, must surrender their biometric data just to receive a basic bag of price. They do not know that this permanent digital shadow could create a predictive bias that limits their education, migration path, or career prospects 10 years from now. When we ignore these realities, our digital progress does not uplift, it excludes. This exclusion falls heaviest on underrepresented youth, including young women, persons with disabilities, migrant, low-income, and CDWD youth. If our high-altitude satellites and AI models only view these young people as passive data points rather than active partners, then our technological progress is failing. So to bridge this systemic divide and ensure that technology acts as a catalyst for the SDGs rather than a barrier to human rights, we recommend structuralized reform across 3 critical areas. One, let's democratize emerging technology through practical localized models such as decentralized edge AI and zero-knowledge proofs, allowing a young person to prove that they qualify for life-saving aid or educational scholarships without being forced to surrender their higher digital identity, race, or home address. 2, let's replace symbolic token representation of panels and stages with real decision-making power, establishing youth-led oversight boards that utilize geospatial analytics to visualize and correct biased resource distribution in real time. And lastly, 3, let's ensure that young grassroots innovators are recognized as the compensated owners of their intellectual property, protecting their localized technological solutions from being scraped by large corporations and ensuring youth are active owners of the global AI economy. Excellencies, there is no United Nations without we the people, and strengthening our collaboration on science, technology, and policy is not just an administrative action. It is a profound pathway of hope and commitment to our collective credibility. We have a historic opportunity to build a world where the law is no longer a dense thicket designed to exclude, but a transparent shield held firmly in the hands of the most vulnerable. And by sharing the keys of decision-making with youth, we can ensure human rights for all, young and old, rich and poor, ill or healthy, is directly embedded into the foundations of our global infrastructure. Thank you so much, and let's work together to build a bridge of resilience that ensures that no child's access to justice, health, or their own story is ever out of range again. Thank you.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:43:15]:

I thank you. We have heard from the last speaker on the list. I will now give the floor back to the moderator to hear reflections and key takeaways from the panelists, as well as his own concluding remarks. Mr. Bach, you have the floor.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [1:43:30]:

Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. We've had quite a varied set of speakers today, and thank you also, of course, to all the member states for their contributions and to the stakeholders as well, of course. I think what becomes clear from all these interventions is that localization works when it's system, not a single report, not a single conversation. And in that sense, we have a number of enablers that we've heard about today, and the absolutely key one here is effective multilevel governance. Without this, the best efforts to localize and to spread the work of the SDGs will fail. This requires also trust. It requires multistakeholder collaboration, including also, of course, the private sector. This includes a focus on delivery, so not just making plans but actually implementing them, and this of course requires funding. We know that the funding gap to achieve the SDGs has more than doubled since we launched the SDGs, and this should be a matter of major concern to all of us who are committed to delivering the SDGs. Now, at the global level, the Global Task Force of Local and Regional Governments, which ECLAY is a part of, is very much committed to working with all the member states to ensure that we succeed together and that we work together to shape the structures that we need to deliver. This means creating actual structures for multilevel governance, whether in these halls or outside of them, And there are also good steps being taken. We should absolutely welcome the UN Forum of Mayors and hope that it expands its mandate. We should also welcome the Local 2030 Coalition and similar initiatives which help us to move forward together in this direction. I don't plan on speaking for hours and hours, of course, but I think— because I think the main points have been said, that we need to find how to work together, to decide together, not one about what the other does, but to find how we can move forward effectively in achieving the goals, and now increasingly, as we've heard many times throughout this High-Level Political Forum, in looking past 2030 and ensuring that we have a strong framework so that we continue to address the triple planetary crisis, and the wide range of issues that we face as a community of nations, cities, states, and regions, of course. Mr. Vice President, I don't know, could I give the last word to each one of the panellists?


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:46:10]:

Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [1:46:11]:

In that case, I'll start with you, Governor Koiko.


Japan · Governor · Yuriko Koike [1:46:15]:

Thank you. Thank you very much. We are now living in the most globalized era in history. And energy and resources, people, goods, and capital are increasingly interconnected across our borders. As leaders of cities, we are tasked with solving a complex equation shaped by countless variables. The recent heat waves have reminded us that climate change remains one of the defining challenges The key to addressing these challenges lies in people. The Tokyo Oil Field and Tokyo Mine Initiative, as I told you before, the installation requirements of solar panels and shift towards sustainable lifestyles all depend on the empathy and commitment of our citizens. Citizens' actions for lasting change do not come from top-down directives. They grow from a shared sense of discipline cultivated through education and understanding. Since cities are on the front lines of these challenges, their actions can have a profound impact on the global society. By earning the trust, empathy, and engagement of the people, let us work together to forge a new era. Thank you very much.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [1:47:54]:

Thank you, Governor, and thank you also for your engagement with the OECD Champion Mayors, which also do a lot of this work. Mayor Colorado, would you also like to share some last thoughts?


Ecuador · Mayor; President of National Association of Municipalities · Julie Colorado [1:48:09]:

Thank you very much. Thank you everybody, my colleagues on the panel, the distinguished moderator who carried out his task so well. We very much realize how valuable it is to be here and one of the things I'd like to say is that in my position as President of our National Association, we can work at ground level to see that things really happen. I believe that in Ecuador as a country and in the world, we see that throughout the world there are the same needs and we all have the will to leave a better generation for us as our legacy. Ecuador is committed to play its part in achieving the SDGs so that people really can see better living conditions throughout the whole world. Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [1:49:07]:

Thank you very much, Mayor. Ms. Dalli, the perspective perhaps from Milan?


Italy · Head of Sustainable Development · Davoli [1:49:16]:

A recommendation from the ground. The public administration, I think, that have to create trust and take the responsibility. The process created by the— our Italian Ministry of Environment builds a powerful network connecting the ministry, the regions, and also the small metropolitan cities like us. This network started 10 years ago, and it's based on trust. The trust between institutions, the trust we build every day with our municipality and citizens, taking the responsibility to implement real and useful transformation. We are all proud to be civil servants. This trust is a project itself. It must be cared day by day. It's a long-living process, and we are truly proud to be part of it.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [1:50:18]:

Thank you very much. Mr. Ibrahim?


Saudi Arabia · Mr. Ibrahim [1:50:25]:

Thank you, Matthew. Medina's experience can be distilled to one sentence: an honest aggregate does not tell us where to dig. The VLR told us what we achieved; the Atlas tells us where to act. Block by block. That is the last mile of the 2030 Agenda. We are not here to add reporting burdens on cities. We are here to redirect capacity from compliance to implementation through the ministerial protocol, peer learning, and the UN-Habitat and Italian Ministry partnership platform and the global alliance in food, spanning East and West. We are here, HLPF 2026, to engage; HLPF 2027, to institutionalize. Again, the 2030 Agenda has no shortage of the willing; it requires a coalition of the doers.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [1:51:29]:

Thank you. Thank you very much, and it's good to close then with this note of optimism, and I think it's also clear that local and regional governments are standing ready to do this work in partnership then with the member states. More than 400 voluntary local reviews have been completed. More, many more will come in the years to come, and we build together towards the summit next year, towards the Pact for the Future and beyond, of course. On this note, thank you very much, everyone.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:52:02]:

Thank you.


ICLEI · Director · Matthew Bach [1:52:03]:

Mr. Vice President.


ECOSOC · Vice President · Hector Gomez Hernandez [1:52:07]:

I thank the moderator for expertly guiding the discussion. I also thank our distinguished speakers, discussants, and all participants for their substantive and valuable contribution. I now briefly pause the meeting to allow the podium to be rearranged for the next part of our programme. Please remain seated.


ECOSOC · President [1:57:32]:

Could you please take a seat? We'll start soon. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I will now— I invite the Council to turn to Agenda Item 5, High-level segment on transformative, equitable, innovative, and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Development Goals for a Sustainable Future for All, and the draft ministerial declarations for 2026 on the same theme. The draft ministerial declarations which I am submitting In my capacity as the President of the Council, is the document contained in E/2026/L16 is amended in paragraph 54 through the actions by the High-Level Political Forum on July 15th. I would like to once again express my sincere gratitude to the distinguished co-facilitators, Her Excellency Shuela Janina, Permanent Representative of Albania to the United Nations, and His Excellency Michael Imran Kanu, Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, who expertly facilitated the intensive and challenging consultations on the draft Minister Declarations. I also wish to thank delegations for their constructive participation in the negotiations. I have been informed that the draft Minister Declarations has no programme budget implications. The Council We'll now proceed to take actions on the draft minister declarations contained in document E/2026/L16 as amended in paragraph 54H as a whole. I would encourage any delegations wishing to make statements in connection with the draft minister declarations to deliver these statements after the adoption. Does any delegation wish to make a statement before the adoption of the draft minister declaration? May I take it that the Council wishes to adopt the draft minister declarations contained in Document E A/2026/L16 as amended in paragraph 54. I hear no objections. The draft Ministerial Declaration contained in document A/2026/L16 as amended in paragraph 54 is adopted. I now give the floor to the delegations wishing to make a statement after the adoption of the draft Minister Delegations are kindly requested to limit their statement to no more than 3 minutes. I wish to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Israel.


Israel [2:01:52]:

Mr. President, for the reasons detailed in our statement yesterday before the vote on paragraph 18, of the ministerial declaration during the High-Level Political Forum.

Israel disassociates from paragraph 18. I reiterate here that due to the insistence of few delegations on inserting language supporting narrow political interests, we do not consider this declaration to be a consensual outcome.

We ask this statement to be made part of the proceedings of this meeting.


ECOSOC · President [2:02:23]:

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Israel. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Russian Federation.


Russian Federation [2:02:46]:

Thank you, Mr. President of the Economic and Social Council. The Russian Federation would like to point out the statement delivered in connection with the adoption of the declaration at the Forum on Sustainable Development, and we'd like to note that we reaffirm our position on certain paragraphs, the position expressed at the HLPF also at ECOSOC, including paragraph 5. Thank you.


ECOSOC · President [2:03:22]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Russian Federation. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Paraguay.


Paraguay [2:03:31]:

Thank you very much, sir. I would like to provide an explanation of our national position looking at the Gender 2030 and the SDGs, paragraph 54, Resolution 71 reasserts the voluntary nature of the processes looking at the implementation of this done in accordance with national priorities. Therefore, the national government implemented the development plans respecting and observing our constitutional principles. We also believe that for Paraguay any reference to gender refers solely to the difference between men and women pursuant to the Constitution of Paraguay and our legal provisions which allow for no discrimination. When it comes to the promotion of agriculture, this is a sustainable, and has to take into account our national priorities. Referring to the principle of paragraph 31, safe roads and cultural diversity here has to be respected. The customs of each country have to be observed. Then looking at paragraph 35 again, Our national position here is to the effect that the non-binding provisions will be implemented in accordance with our constitution and current legislation. We do not wish this to be interpreted as limiting in any way our ability to produce food or our productive system when it comes to national development. Looking at 42, we have the Cartagena Protocol on biological diversity, etc. Here we refer to the protocols adopted to which we have not acceded. And then when it comes to the biodiversity Montreal provisions, we refer to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Conference of the Parties, and again here we have national legal binding provisions. Paraguay refers to paragraph five of the document here. Thank you.


ECOSOC · President [2:06:11]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Paraguay, and I I see no other request for the floor. Thus, the Council has concluded its considerations of Agenda Item 5. Now we will have the closing sessions.


Speaker 83 [2:06:37]:

Thank you.


ECOSOC · President [2:06:45]:

So now I give the floor to the Russian Federation.


Russian Federation [2:06:52]:

Mr. President, we're compelled to apologize for a technical mistake and say— and reaffirm that our delegation would like to disassociate itself from paragraph 13, and we don't have any separate position on paragraph 5. We ask that to be reflected in the record. record, and I thank you.

Thank you for giving me that opportunity.


ECOSOC · President [2:07:20]:

Now I will deliver my closing remarks. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, today we conclude the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council held under the theme transformative, equitable, innovative, and coordinated actions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for a sustainable future for all. Earlier this year, we marked the 80th anniversary of ECOSOC. For 8 decades, the world has changed in profound ways. And what has not changed is our shared responsibility to one another. That simple idea has sustained this Council for 80 years, and it remains the foundation of everything we have sought to achieve during this session. I warmly congratulate the Member States on the adoption of the Minister Declaration. This outcome reminds us that even in difficult times, dialogue can build consensus, and multilateral cooperation remains our strongest instrument for advancing sustainable development. Excellencies, over the past days, we have heard. A clear call for action: to translate the Shabia Commitment into investment for sustainable development; to harness science, technology, and innovations, particularly digital transformations, in ways that are inclusive and bridge rather than deepen inequalities; to strengthen resilience through sustainable infrastructure clean energy and climate actions, and to empower cities, local communities, and young people as partners in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. Throughout my presidency, I have sought to focus attention on areas where accelerated actions can have the greatest impact, transforming agri-food systems, advancing inclusive digital transformations, strengthening climate resilience, and mobilizing financing for development. These priorities are different in focus, but united by one objective: accelerating delivery of the 2030 Agenda. With a few years remaining until 2030, the questions before us is no longer whether we know what needs to be done. It is whether we will act with urgency that this moment demands. Before we conclude, I wish to express my sincere heartfelt appreciation to all the member states and delegations. The success of this high-level segment and high-level political forum rests on your dedications, your professionalism, and your tireless efforts. Behind every ministerial statement, every voluntary national review, every panel discussion, and every negotiated paragraph stand countless hours of preparations, coordinations, and dialogue. Much of that work takes place quietly away from this chamber, but it is indispensable to the progress we have made together. I thank you not only for the positions you have advanced, but for the spirit in which you have engaged— with patience, with respect, and most importantly, a willingness to seek common ground. At a time when consensus cannot be taken for granted, your commitment has shown that multilateralism is sustained not only by institutions, but by the daily efforts of those who believe in its value.


Speaker 87 [2:11:55]:

Excellencies, colleagues, Thank you, Mr. President.


ECOSOC · President [2:11:57]:

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, the work of this Council does not end with today's gavel. It continues wherever countries choose cooperation over divisions, where innovations reaches those who need it the most, where opportunity replaces inequality, and where hope is matched by actions. Back and say that when the moment demanded courage, cooperation, and actions, we answered together. I thank you. Held in 2 meetings on July 21st, marking the end of the 26th session of the Council. With that, I hereby declare closed the high-level segment of the Economic and Social Council at its 2026 session.