[Title] G20 Chair's Summary on Multilateralism for Sustainable Development Goals (G20 Development Ministerial Meeting)
We, the G20 Development Ministers, gathered in Belitung, Indonesia on 8 September 2022 to renew our commitment to reinvigorate a more inclusive multilateralism, including through reform of the multilateral system, for implementing the 2030 Agenda and achieving its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by building on the works, consensus, and achievements made under the Indonesian G20 Presidency and previous presidencies.
Part I
1. Members agreed that global economic recovery has slowed and is facing major setbacks as a result of the climate, biodiversity and pollution crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other crises in many parts of the world. Many expressed condemnation on Russia's war against Ukraine. Others viewed that the Development Working Group (DWG) is not the proper forum to discuss geopolitical issues. Members called for peace, cessation of hostilities, dialogue and respect of the UN Charter and international law.
2. Members noted that these have further exacerbated efforts to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by producing serious consequences across the world, including disrupting global supply chains, increased energy and food insecurity and malnutrition, as well as other humanitarian and economic challenges. Members recognized that these have disproportionately affected countries most vulnerable to global disruptions, particularly developing countries. Members therefore reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen multilateralism to achieve the SDGs, by building on the works, consensus, and achievements made under the Indonesian G20 Presidency and previous presidencies.
Part II
There is agreement on the following points:
3. In line with the G20 theme for 2022 of "Recover Together, Recover Stronger", we welcome the three priorities of the Indonesian G20 Presidency of strengthening global health architecture, enabling an inclusive digital transformation, and accelerating sustainable energy transitions. The work undertaken by the G20 DWG and its deliverables contributes to the aforementioned priorities in addressing development challenges and accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and achievement of the SDGs with a pledge to leave no one behind.
4. We express our unwavering commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achievement of its SDGs, which remains as a blueprint for a sustainable future for all. We committed to put sustainable development at the center of the international cooperation agenda and leave no one behind. The world currently has less than a decade to ensure a timely realization of the 2030 Agenda. However, the international community is collectively off track in the delivery of SDGs due to multiple crises and challenges as well as lack of access to adequate and affordable finance and technology. Furthermore, the adverse public health and socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased pressure on health systems, deepening education crisis, global value chains disruption as well as risk debt distress, and further exacerbated by delivery challenges, misinformation and inequitable access to COVID-19 and other vaccines, medical, and non-medical countermeasures, further derailed progress towards achieving the SDGs. The alarming situation is also amplified by the multiple crises comprising of worsening food and energy insecurity, climate crisis, gender inequality, and tightening financing conditions.
5. We also take note of the United Nations Global Crisis Response Group brief on the multiple crises that severely threatened SDGs achievements, including disruption in food and energy supplies and increased cost of living. We are deeply concerned by the current global food security crisis. Recognizing the need for a swift, efficient and strong multilateral answer showing our solidarity to the affected countries and populations in the short and long-term, we are committed to support operational responses.*1* As G20, we must work together to make global agriculture and food systems more sustainable and resilient. Hence, building on from the Matera Declaration on Food Security, Nutrition, and Food Systems, we reaffirm our commitment to mobilize and maintain voluntary contributions to achieve global food security and nutrition in all regions, which demands an urgent and coordinated response in supporting innovative policies and responsible investment in sustainable agriculture, promoting local food systems, territorial development and sustainable and resilient food systems. Moreover, current global energy demands and volatility in the energy markets underline the need for partnership based on trust and long- term goals, in order to achieve affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. We stress the importance of focusing on concrete and practical actions for accelerating clean, sustainable, just, affordable, and inclusive energy transitions that leave no one behind as we are recovering together and recovering stronger.
6. Noting the urgency to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in a timely manner and addressing the multiple alarming crises that directly impact SDGs achievement, we reaffirm our commitment to accelerate the delivery progress of the SDGs by mobilizing resources, including technology and affordable financing.*2* We strongly emphasize the imperative to realize collective and concrete actions of G20 under the Indonesian Presidency on the achievements of SDGs, as enshrined in the 2022 G20 Bali Update. In doing so, we will also work collaboratively across the G20 Finance Track and Sherpa Track on mainstreaming the SDGs and further aligning the G20 work with the 2030 Agenda and strengthening coordination and policy coherence.
7. Taking into account the abovementioned development challenges in fulfilment of the mandate to narrow the development gap, we put forward concrete actions to support Developing Countries in fostering inclusive, resilient, gender-responsive, and socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable recovery efforts. We therefore welcome the work done by the Development Working Group on the G20 Roadmap for Stronger Recovery and Resilience in Developing Countries, including Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The roadmap aims to help accelerating recovery in Developing Countries, including LDCs and SIDS. The roadmap includes three key focus areas, which are micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), adaptive social protection, and green economy, including blue economy through low GHG emissions/low carbon and climate resilient development.
8. In the same spirit, we also stress the role of innovative financing mechanisms, including blended finance, to unlock new sources of finance to close the SDG financing gap, taking note of the importance of transparency and mutual accountability. We recognize the contribution of Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) as one of the voluntary statistical frameworks to measure progress in achieving the 2030 Agenda. In view of the rising levels of debt globally, we acknowledge the ongoing work in the G20 Finance Track to address debt distress. Building on past achievements and premises of the 2020 Saudi Presidency and 2021 Italian Presidency, we welcome the work done by the Development Working Group on the G20 Principles to Scale Up Blended Finance in Developing Countries, including Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States. The G20 Principles set out a set of voluntary principles that reflect our common strategic direction and aspiration for scaling up blended finance implementation.
9. We also believe that the lack of a universal and equitable access to quality, safe, effective and affordable health products, including vaccination, is not only a global health issue, but also a development one. A more equitable manufacturing, access, and delivery of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, complemented with financing for vaccine absorption and delivery, and surge capacity of resources to deploy these vaccines, is prerequisite for a recovery that is universal, sustainable and resilient. Such recovery is the prerequisite to bring the SDGs achievements back on track. In this regard, we acknowledge the Ministerial Declaration on the response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics and of the Ministerial Decision of the TRIPS Agreement recently agreed at the World Trade Organization 12th Ministerial Conference. G20 has contributed on strengthening global health and tackling development challenges, including through the G20 Support to COVID-19 Response and Recovery in Developing Countries endorsed under the Saudi Presidency in 2020, but more needs to be done. To put these recovery efforts forward and achieve universal health coverage (UHC), we reaffirm our support for the strategies for global vaccinations led by WHO, and continue to advance efforts to ensure equitable and universal access to vaccination and other countermeasures, including therapeutics, diagnostics, and anti-virus while taking into account local needs and national vaccination plans. Furthermore, we commit to strengthening health systems and stepping up efforts under the One Health approach, as previously fostered under Matera Declaration, and investing in health system performance will be crucial for crisis response and prevention. We aim to work in partnership for equitable access to health systems globally.
10. We recognize that global health is a global development challenge. Its provision is aimed to accelerate progress towards the SDGs that support low-income and developing countries. In this context, recalling the G20 Rome Leaders Declaration, we reaffirm our commitment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, including through extensive COVID-19 immunization that is a global public good. We also reaffirm our commitment to global solidarity, equity, and multilateral cooperation; to effective governance; to put people at the center of preparedness. Furthermore, we are committed to strengthening global health governance and supporting ongoing discussions and works at WHO to develop an instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPR), including the identification of financing mechanisms to promote sustainable financing for pandemic PPR, as well as the establishment of Financial Intermediary Fund for pandemic PPR hosted by the World Bank. Also, we acknowledge the establishment of the G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force for pandemic PPR with the central coordination role of the WHO in the designing phase. Recognizing that WHO plays a leading role in international health, PPR should be pursued to strengthen and ensure the capabilities of the global, regional and national health systems which are more inclusive, resilient and better prepared to prevent and contain future disease outbreaks in a timely manner in order to keep them from turning into global pandemics, thus preventing another significant setback to achieve the SDGs.
11.These essential initiatives could only proceed with stronger multilateral cooperation. However, our world is currently threatened by division amidst the multiple crises and mutually reinforcing global challenges. This challenging reality indicates a high time to bring the call for a reinvigorated multilateralism, as multilateralism is not an option but a necessity for realizing the 2030 Agenda for a more equitable, more resilient, and more sustainable world. We recall our commitments in the UN 75th Anniversary Declaration that contains a call to reinvigorate multilateralism and support multilateral cooperation in ensuring timely delivery for the achievement of the SDGs. We remain guided by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter that is the cornerstone of international law, cooperation, and global solidarity.
12. We, the G20 Development Ministers, convened in Belitung to declare our commitment to reinvigorate multilateralism for SDGs and affirm that the Vision Statement embodies such efforts and commitments for the timely realization of the 2030 Agenda. In doing so, we should promote the achievement of the SDGs in all work in partnership with the G20 workstreams and work in partnership with partner countries, international organizations, multilateral development banks, and relevant stakeholders to push the agenda forward.
Closing
The Ministers welcome the work done by the Development Working Group on the following documents: "G20 Roadmap for Stronger Recovery and Resilience in Developing Countries, including Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States" and "G20 Principles to Scale Up Blended Finance in Developing Countries, including Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States", as attached.
We thank participating international organizations for their contributions during Indonesia's Presidency of the G20 DWG. We thank Indonesia's Presidency for stewarding our agenda. We will submit our outcome documents to the G20 Leaders' Summit to be held in Bali on 15-16 November 2022. We welcome progress and further initiatives during India's G20 Presidency in 2023.
{*1* Such as the work undertaken by the FAO, the IFAD, the WFP and other relevant organizations' initiatives.
{*2* While emphasizing the importance of G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment.}