UN General Assembly
2020

The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, adopted four years ago, will play a major role by reducing the consumption of hydrofluorocarbons. Just over half of Member States have ratified the Kigali Amendment, which is now in force, and I call upon the remainder to ratify as soon as possible. Five years ago, the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted, to define our ambitions for integrated global development. Ten years remain before 2030, but let’s not deceive ourselves about how difficult it will be to meet the targets on time. Most countries, especially in Africa, were already off-track before 2020. The pandemic has disrupted growth and revenue collection around the world, most likely for several years to come. These milestones on gender, climate, and development demonstrate the achievements of multilateral action, while also reminding us how much remains to be done. I commend the exceptional work being done by the World Health Organization, led by Dr Tedros Adhanom. We will continue to work to reinforce the W.H.O. and make it more effective.