Indonesia calls on G20 nations to speed up realisation of SGDs

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo has called on the G20 countries to make efforts in accelerating the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In his speech at the G20 Summit in Rome, Italy, on October 31, Widodo said a number of joint efforts by the G20 need to be made to ensure that the SDGs are achieved in the next nine years.

According to the President, several important steps can be taken through the debt service suspension initiative and an additional allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) worth 650 billion USD, which are seen as providing policy space for low- and middle-income countries to focus on fighting the pandemic.

He proposed strengthening global partnerships to help developing countries’ access to finance and technology. Special attention should be paid to the financial gap, which has increased from 2.5 trillion USD in the past to 4.2 trillion USD per year today, the President added.

Widodo noted there is also a need to increase the adaptability and resilience to future shocks and uncertainties, particular regarding health care capacity, fiscal capacity, and the capacity to plan and implement development projects./.