During this forum, progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda is reviewed and actions are established to address global challenges such as climate change and social inequality. In addition to holding numerous bilateral meetings during the three days she attended the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York, the State Secretary for International Cooperation, Pilar Cancela, participated in two side events - on the gender wage gap and food security - and a ministerial roundtable.
"The 2030 Agenda is central to the Government of Spain and, together with the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Agenda, they constitute a coherent and mutually reinforcing framework, as reflected in the approval of the 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy," the SECI recalled at the ministerial roundtable on achieving the SDGs by 2030 in crisis contexts. Cancela explained that this commitment is also “clear and firm in the framework of the European Union, reinforced by the European Teams for the advancement of the multilateral agenda, with exponents such as the new European Consensus on Development or the European Green Pact".
During her intervention in a side event on the gender wage gap, the Secretary of State pointed out the need to “recognize the full equality of women in order to advance social justice". “We need inclusive economic recovery plans focused on women and girls, especially those who suffer discrimination and violence: indigenous women, racial minorities, in rural areas or LGTBI, and more resources in cooperation to implement measures to curb the increase in violence, trafficking and sexual exploitation and feminization of poverty in the world," she added.
The State Secretary also spoke at the ministerial roundtable “Accelerating the achievement of the SDGs by 2030: addressing current crises and overcoming challenges". Here, he urged a focus on the impact of the food crisis; the urgency of unlocking financing for development in Least Developed and Transition Development Countries; continuing to implement measures to achieve gender equality; and the need to support responsible global health management. “In the face of the current triple crisis, especially the food security crisis, it is necessary to act quickly and in a coordinated manner through multilateral channels, avoiding overlaps and duplication. To this end, you can count on the full will, support and action of Spain," concluded Cancela.
During the last day, the State Secretary participated in a side event on food security, in which she focused on the need for “humanitarian food aid in this price crisis that can leave millions of people in a situation of severe malnutrition", indicating the need to respond immediately to the impact of the war on humanitarian aid, supporting the World Food Program and strengthening its local food supply, decoupling as much as possible its dependence on Ukraine-Russia grain, “always in application of the development-humanitarian-peace nexus".
Before attending the UN HLPF in New York, the State Secretary visited Washington on July 11 and 12. During these two days, it held meetings with officials from the Pan American Health Organization, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Organization of American States.