Statement by India at the 5th intersessional meeting for dialogue and cooperation on Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on ‘Overcoming multiple crises: realising the SDGs through a human rights enhancing economy’ delivered by Ambassador Priyanka Chauhan, Deputy Permanent Representative of India, Geneva(19 January 2023)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We welcome the organisation of this intersessional meeting and thank the Chilean Minister for Foreign Affairs for her keynote address and the other speakers, including High Commissioner Türk, and the panellists, for their remarks.
Mr. Chair,
India has always believed that the achievement of sustainable development goals contributes to the realisation and enjoyment of human rights. Unfortunately, as the world struggles with simultaneous challenges posed by the pandemic, climate change, ongoing conflicts, socio-economic issues including the increasing cost of living, tightening financial conditions and the unsustainable debt burdens in many countries from the Global South, the progress on SDGs has been hampered significantly. Higher prices of imported energy and fertilizers in the past year have drastically increased the cost of importing agricultural inputs.
We are strongly of the view that achieving the SDGs requires scaled-up international cooperation, focused on finding lasting solutions leaving no one behind, as well as financing, capacity-building, and sharing of technologies to support transformative transitions in developing countries.
Mr. Chair,
India has made rapid strides in achieving SDGs, tracked through our SDG India Index and Dashboard, developed in collaboration with the UN in India, that ranks the progress made by Indian States and Union Territories. Our score has consistently improved, from 57 in 2018-19 to 60 in 2019-20 and 66 in 2020-21. It is largely driven by exemplary country-wide performance under Goals 6 and 7. The recently launched Mission LiFE, a worldwide programme to promote a climate-friendly lifestyle, is another testament to our commitment in this regard.
Not only is India steadfast in its commitment to achieving SDGs in the national context but it has always shared the knowledge, experience and expertise acquired along its developmental journey with partner countries through South-South cooperation. Accelerating progress on SDGs reflecting the perspectives and priorities of the Global South is also one of the key priorities of our G20 Presidency.
Mr. Chair,
We urge the Council and its mechanisms to redouble their efforts.
I thank you.
