UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 22 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for ambitious approaches to reposition the UN development system as required by the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
"The 2030 Agenda -- our boldest agenda for humanity -- represents an imperative for profound change and our contribution to a fair globalization. Business-as-usual approaches simply will not provide countries with the support they need to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals or meet the Paris commitments on climate change," Guterres told UN member states in presenting the second report on the repositioning of the UN development system.
"In a rapidly changing world, we cannot afford to have a slowly reforming UN development system. We must recognize this in an honest way. And we must act. And so in the end, ambition isn't really a choice. It is our only option."
He proposed seven key reforms aimed at better coordination, transparency and accountability. The proposed reforms include a new generation of UN country teams, a reinvigorated resident coordinator system, a stronger UN institutional response and system-wide approach to partnerships for the 2030 Agenda, and more effective funding.
Sustainable development is a fundamental human right. It is also humanity's best chance for a future of peace and prosperity. It must be in the center of UN activities, said Guterres.