Mr. Chair,

1. My delegation aligns itself with the statements made by the distinguished representatives of Uganda, the Philippines, and Botswana, on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, ASEAN, and LLDCs, respectively.

 

Mr. Chair,

2. Passing the halfway mark to the 2030 Agenda, the progress globally fell far behind our aim to achieve. Only about 17 percent of SDG targets are on track and the annual investment gap for developing countries to meet the SDGs stands at an alarming $4 trillion, according to the recent assessment in 2024.

 

3. A critical shortcoming in our efforts is the insufficient mobilization of resources necessary to tackle significant development challenges. In this context, we continue to support the Secretary General’s call for the fundamental reforms of international financial architecture and global financial institutions as well as the realization of the SDG Stimulus into tangible deliverables. This will enable the provision of affordable long-term financing and expand contingency financing for countries with pressing needs.

 

Mr. Chair,

4. This year, the Lao PDR successfully presented our VNR for the third time by focusing on Trend and Track Analysis, examining the progress of all 17 SDGs and our national SDG18. The main context of this third VNR reflected the national planning cycle, the assessment of the strategies, policies, and budgets in alignment with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

 

5. With highlights on the key areas to accelerate the SDGs implementation, the VNR found that none of the 18 Goals met the midpoints of the SDG national targets. As for our national SDG 18 entitled “Lives safe from unexploded ordnance (UXO)”, some progress has been recorded. However, UXOs continue to pose major threats to our national development efforts and hinder the progress of other SDGs. Therefore, taking this opportunity, my delegation calls for continued and increased assistance from the international community to address this prolonged development challenge.

 

6. In light of the findings from the third VNR, allow me to outline the following strategic priorities as follows:

• First, we need strong national commitment and ownership to pave the national pathway toward green and sustainable development directory.
• Second, we need targeted interventions and investments coupled with strengthening capacity and resilience to overcome the obstacles that hinder our national development endeavor.
• Third, greater prioritization and more integrated localization are needed, specifically the alignment of SDGs implementation with the national planning process, LDC graduation strategy, in line with the current development trajectory.
• Fourth, we need to put people and community at the heart of the sustainable development agenda through enhancing engagement, inclusivity, and participation of the local community to ensure that no one is left behind.
• Fifth, we need enhanced partnerships for the goals through the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.
• Last but not least, we need support from development partners and international organizations, especially development finance, technical expertise, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and technology transfer.

 

Mr. Chair,

7. To conclude, my delegation firmly believes that renewed multilateral efforts and unwavering commitment of all stakeholders can accelerate the SDG implementation. With this sentiment, we echo the call for the international community to fulfill commitments to support countries in special situations, to attain our development objectives and to leave no country behind.