The European Parliament has today given the green light to the report on the ‘implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’. The report is of particular importance as it not only calls for a comprehensive and overarching European strategy to achieve the SDG Agenda 2030, but also paves the way towards the high-level meetings of the United Nations in July and September. Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, the war in Ukraine and the climate change crisis, the S&D Group call for renewed commitment by the EU and its partners to prevent any negative spillover effects of EU policies at the expense of the Global South.

Co-rapporteur and S&D coordinator in the development committee, Udo Bullmann, said:

“Time is running out. The pandemic, war and famines threaten to destroy achievements in the fight against global injustices. Countries in the Global South are hit with full force. Hundreds of millions of people are threatened with starvation, entire states are drowning in debt and the gap between rich and poor is widening.

“The UN SDGs are our best bet to approach these multiplying crises. To achieve them, we have to get to work.

“Ahead of the high-level UN meetings in July and September, we call for a reform of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the multilateral development banks in order to tackle massive debt and strengthen public education and health-care systems in the Global South. The Damage and Loss Fund for the consequences of the climate crisis – agreed at COP27 – must be urgently activated.

“Broader economic diversification and integration into international value chains are key for our partner countries. This can only succeed if we prevent tax avoidance and illegal financial outflows through tax evasion.

“We have to align EU Commission initiatives such as Global Gateway more precisely with the SDGs. On top of that, member states must meet their own commitments in development cooperation – if we still want to achieve them.

“For this, we need an EU financing strategy, concrete timetables and full commitment. We have to act now!"