UNITED NATIONS, July 20 (Xinhua) -- The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on Thursday endorsed the outcome of the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calling for expeditious implementation of the 17 targets sought for lifting millions out of poverty.
Government ministers and high representatives, who participated in the forum at the UN headquarters in New York, reaffirmed their commitment made in 2015 to "effectively implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, for all people everywhere, ensuring that no one is left behind."
Almost two years of implementation since adoption of the SDGs, "our individual and collective efforts have yielded encouraging results in many areas," the document said, but acknowledged that "the pace of implementation must be accelerated as the tasks facing us are urgent, and decisive action is also imperative for implementing and raising awareness of the targets."
While extreme poverty has fallen globally, progress has been uneven and 1.6 billion people still live in poverty.
While stressing that the agenda is "people-centered, universal and transformative," the document also said it must "balance the three dimensions of sustainable development -- the economic, social and environmental," seeking to "realize the human rights of all."
"Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development," it said.
"The 2030 Agenda is accepted by all countries and is applicable to all, taking into account different national realities, capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities," the document added.
However, there were some disagreements in writing the document as it has so many stakeholders, not just the member states of the United Nations, but also UN agencies, departments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Australia, Canada, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau and the United States opposed a paragraph which called for further effective measures and actions.
Those measures aim to remove obstacles for full realization of the right of self-determination with peoples living under colonial and foreign occupation.
Sponsors of the paragraph said the obstacles adversely affected their economic and social development and the environment.
The paragraph was ultimately upheld by a vote of 104-8.
The United States also objected to a paragraph that said efforts would continue to promote a universal, rules-based, open, transparent, predictable, inclusive, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization (WTO) as well as meaningful trade liberalization.
The paragraph was retained by a voted of 112-1 with 46 abstentions.
The document was approved by the HLPF Wednesday and accepted by the full ECOSOC Thursday without a vote.
