Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
It is an honour to join you today at the Eighth Meeting of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Development.
We convene at a critical juncture. Global challenges are escalating, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is significantly off track. This Forum offers an important opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to achieving the 2030 Agenda.
The stark realities are: rising tariffs and dwindling aid, coupled with systemic crises in climate change, economic volatility, entrenched inequality, defective architecture, and geopolitical tensions ¨C all threatening to unravel decades of development gains. Growth prospects dim under the shadow of trade barriers and economic uncertainty.
This demands a unified, decisive response. This is not the time to retreat from multilateralism and global collaboration.
We must, with renewed urgency, fortify our collaborative efforts at all levels.
This region¡¯s leadership in sustainable development is undeniable. From pioneering social protection programmes to championing climate resilience, you have demonstrated that bold, people-centered policies are not merely idealistic, but transformative.
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has been instrumental in supporting these efforts, facilitating dialogue, and fostering regional cooperation. I invite the region to generate innovative and inclusive solutions for future actions.
The year ahead presents a series of pivotal moments to reset our trajectory towards the SDGs.
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla is a potential last opportunity to recalibrate SDG financing and reform the international financial architecture.
The Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha must re-center our policies on people, not profit.
And COP30 in Bel¨¦m, in the Amazon Basin, must galvanize decisive climate actions.
These major events must demonstrate our resolve to come together and deliver for people, planet and prosperity. They must prove that multilateralism remains the only solution.
These milestones will not be isolated events. They must be interconnected steps towards an international system that is fit for purpose and responsive to the needs of all. They will serve to turn the ambitious commitments made by Member States in the Pact for the Future into concrete actions.
Excellencies,
Distinguished delegates,
Multilateralism is not a choice, but an imperative.
As we mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations this year, we reaffirm its irreplaceable role in strengthening global cooperation. Its legitimacy and universal convening power remains essential for collective action, norm-setting, and addressing shared challenges ¨C where every Member State has an equal voice.
This Forum is integral to this collective endeavor. By mobilizing regional contributions and amplifying the voices of Latin America and the Caribbean, you are not only shaping your region¡¯s trajectory, but also enriching the global dialogue.
Let us seize this moment. Let us harness the collective wisdom of this Forum to generate scalable, replicable solutions.
Together, we will -- deliver a sustainable, just, and resilient future for all.
Thank you.