UN / SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HLPF OPENING

Despite some progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world is struggling to keep on track to meet the 2030 targets, UN leaders warned at the opening of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. UNIFEED

• Video Length: 00:01:56
• Production Date: 14 July 2025
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: AMINA J. MOHAMMED
• Subject Topical: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
• MAMS Id: 3423708
• Parent Id: 3423708
• Alternate Title: unifeed250714a

Description

STORY: UN / SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT HLPF OPENING
TRT: 01:56
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 14 JULY 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, UN headquarters

14 JULY 2025, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, General Assembly
3. Wide shot, Amina Mohammed walks up to the podium
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations:
“We're under pressure, because the truth is, expectations are really high. Trust is eroding and crisis is deepening everywhere as we strive to deliver on the promise of our 2030 agenda. This forum is an important opportunity to reflect, to exchange and to course correct. It is our space to amplify the momentum, share the lessons and good practice, deepen our partnerships, reignite our collective ambition to fulfill the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.”
5. Wide shot, Amina Mohammed leaves the podium
6. Wide shot, Li Junhua walks up to the podium
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations:
“I'm pleased to present the Secretary General's 2025 progress report on sustainable development goals. This report marks a decade of the implementation of transformative 2030 agenda. It reveals that only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress, nearly half are moving too slowly and alarmingly 18 per cent are in reverse. Over the 800 million people remain trapped in extreme poverty. Carbon dioxide levels have reached the highest point in over two million years, with 2024 being the hottest year on the record, surpassing the 1.5-degree threshold. Peace and Security have a deteriorated significantly, with more than 120 million people forcefully displayed from their homes, more than double the number from 2015.”
8. Wide shot, Li Junhua leaves the podium

Storyline

Despite some progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world is not on track to meet the 2030 targets, UN leaders warned at the opening of the 2025 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

“We're under pressure, because the truth is, expectations are really high,” said United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed today (Jul 14). “Trust is eroding and crisis is deepening everywhere as we strive to deliver on the promise of our 2030 agenda.”

While the forum recognized encouraging efforts and innovations across countries, Mohammed emphasized the need “to reflect, to exchange and to course correct.” She called the gathering “our space to amplify the momentum, share the lessons and good practice, deepen our partnerships, reignite our collective ambition to fulfill the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

According to the Secretary-General’s 2025 progress report, presented by Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua, the world is experiencing a mixed picture.

“This report marks a decade of the implementation of transformative 2030 agenda,” said Li. “It reveals that only 35 per cent of SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress, nearly half are moving too slowly and alarmingly 18 per cent are in reverse.”

Li also warned that “over 800 million people remain trapped in extreme poverty,” and noted grave setbacks in climate and conflict. “Carbon dioxide levels have reached the highest point in over two million years, with 2024 being the hottest year on the record, surpassing the 1.5-degree threshold.”
He also said, “Peace and Security have deteriorated significantly, with more than 120 million people forcefully displaced from their homes, more than double the number from 2015.”

This year’s forum highlights the urgent need to unlock new means of implementation, including financing and science, technology, and innovation (STI). While STI continues to drive development and resilience, uneven access and widening digital divides threaten to undermine inclusive progress.

The forum is expected to explore concrete policy, financial, and institutional mechanisms - including public-private partnerships and blended finance - that can help translate high-level commitments into scalable action, particularly in underserved regions.