Resident Coordinator's speech: SDG Summit 2023 - Sarawak Region

It is a genuine honour to speak on behalf of the United Nations at the opening of the SDG Summit 2023 -  Sarawak Region.

I had the privilege to join the illustrious celebrations of Malaysia Day here in Kuching two weeks ago and I am delighted to be back in Sarawak. I extend my deepest gratitude to our gracious hosts for the exceptional hospitality and remarkable engagement with the United Nations.

We hold our relationship with both the federal and state governments in the highest regard, and today’s event exemplifies the profound spirit of cooperation and our shared commitment to the people’s welfare and Malaysia’s prosperity.

2023 is pivotal year, marking the halfway point to 2030, and a vital way point to appraise and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. I pay tribute to the State Government of Sarawak for hosting this Summit closely after the global SDG summit held at the UN Headquarters in September.  The calibre of the program and the expertise of the speakers, panellists, and moderators, combined with the comprehensive, SDG-centred approach, will leave a lasting impression on us. 

Alongside other initiatives which translate the leadership's vision and ambition, most notably the 10-year recovery masterplan, the Post Covid Development Strategy 2030, the strong determination to effectively localize the SDGs mark Sarawak out as a sustainable development champion. 

This Summit amplifies the global call to get SDG progress back on track.

The world is finally climbing back from the traumatic years of the pandemic, which has disrupted and, in some cases, reversed SDG progress. Amid multiple global crises, many countries face the risk of prolonged periods of low growth, and across all continents and territories, climate change is an immediate existential threat.

In my scene-setting intervention, I will address the SDG directions for Malaysia and Sarawak in particular, but prior to that, allow me to offer some reflections on the rationale and outcomes of the recent Global SDG Summit, and the momentum this provides, and then provide a summary account of SDG progress at global, regional, and national levels.

This year’s global gathering under the auspices of the UN General Assembly was a watershed moment, purposefully billed by the Secretary General as a last chance to save the SDGs.  This is far from a hyperbole. Extensive data at multiple levels, taken from authoritative sources, show that the World is seriously off track, and that decisive action is urgently needed.

Just to quote some of the headline findings of the 2023 special edition of the SDG Progress Report, only 10 goals showed any positive change whatsoever. Of the 140 targets for which data were available, only 15% are on track; almost half are off-track; and 37 per cent actually show stagnation or regression.    

While this situation reflects the impacts of Covid-19, directly on poverty, health, educational attainment, employment and livelihoods, and indirectly on many other domains, including social cohesion, gender equality and women’s empowerment, SDG deficits had been evident even prior to the pandemic.  Clear examples include shortcomings in addressing the triple planetary crisis (climate, nature and pollution), or reducing inequalities between and within countries.

It is important to recognize though that SDG data also tell us some positive stories.  In several, albeit limited areas, we have seen some progress. Notably on several health indicators (HIV/Aids and other communicable diseases), the diffusion of technology, access to energy, and on some SDG17 targets (data, partnerships, finance and trade). 

If nothing else, these silver linings also show us what is possible with the right policies, technical solutions, financing, and the requisite political will.

The global SDG Summit rightly focused on proposing urgent solutions to turbo-charge progress and deliver a rescue plan, made up both of collective global efforts and concrete measures to be taken at national and sub-national levels.   

I underline that if the goals are to be achieved, we cannot succeed without actions at every level and by everyone.  We heard this clearly in Malaysia’s statement during the SDG Summit Leaders’ Dialogues, and in the tenor, content, and tone of the summit’s political declaration.

Real momentum was demonstrated, and crucially, political will was secured. The declaration included commitments to new metrics going beyond GDP, additional finance and improved international liquidity, new partnerships with the private sector, a focus on promoting trade for development, and reforms to the governance of multilateral institutions.

Six key sets of investments to support transformational change were identified.  These six transitions, developed to offer synergies and multiplier effects across SDGs, include: rapid upgrading of food systems; step changes in the level of access to affordable energy; diffusion of digital connectivity across member states; a drive to ensure quality education for all; efforts to ensure decent jobs and social protection; and decisively tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

We note that these transitions are highly relevant in the Malaysia Madani framework and run through the Summit’s programme.

In the second part of my remarks, I want to go deeper and offer a summary of the more significant SDG challenges faced and I do this at global, regional, and national levels.  It is worth observing that while there are major variations in scale between regions and countries, there are also commonalities in the pattern of challenges faced.

I refer to each of these for each of these challenges under four headings your are all familiar with: People, Planet, Prosperity, and Peace. These headings are also the foundations upon which stands the UN-Malaysia cooperation framework.

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Referring to People, the scourge of poverty stands out as an enduring global issue. The pandemic reversed a 30-year trend of falling poverty, and improvements since the end of pandemic have been uneven and incomplete, due largely to the global instabilities stemming from the war in Ukraine and resulting high prices of basic staples. Current trends suggest some 7% of the global population (575 million people) could still be living in extreme poverty in 2030.

The regional trends are somewhat better, but ASEAN and Asia Pacific’s long-term march towards eliminating absolute poverty is now in doubt.

For Malaysia, the position is generally better, but we still see strong echoes of these pressures.  Poverty has fallen back since the height of the pandemic from 8.4 to 6.2 per cent, but it this still above the pre-Covid level. And in contrast to some neighbouring countries, the allied phenomenon of income inequality has seen little to no improvement.

Hunger and food insecurity are also highly significant issues. The pandemic and recent price rises events have accelerated a longstanding SDG weakness. Projections suggest that by 2030, absent of decisive actions, the proportion in hunger/food insecure could be the same as 2015. The data also show – somewhat surprisingly– that this is also an issue for ASEAN and for Malaysia, although the challenge is a more nuanced one, with alarming malnutrition trends, both undernutrition and overnutrition, among children.

Gender equality and women’s empowerment merit special mention with this category. SDG5 has long been a defining feature of overall SDG progress, with the potential to accelerate or obstruct country performance.

Across ASEAN, we note some progress, but there remain major bottlenecks, and these are specifically important for Malaysia.  These range from enabling women’s economic inclusion in the labour market to ensuring their improved representation in business and political life, and most problematically, addressing social norms.

We will hear tomorrow from my colleagues on how progress has stalled and on the urgency to invest more in women and girls and protect their rights.

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I come now to Prosperity, and given the interconnectedness across all pillars and SDGs, we see many common themes.  As noted, the post-Covid recovery has been patchy and uneven. New challenges have also emerged due to trade tensions and difficult geopolitics. Unemployment and under-employment have not returned to pre-pandemic levels and economic informality has risen. Absent of action to change the core economic model, inclusive growth, pivotal to other SDGs, may not be realized.

Disorderly migration and displacement have seen dramatic increases and the policy responses to facilitate safe, orderly and regular migration have been lagging.

Overall, the recovery has not been sufficiently green, and trends in emissions and pollution are major sources of concern, with NDCs timeframes and deadlines just around the corner.

These features are echoed at the regional level.  Nevertheless, this is a traditionally strong area for Asia-Pacific and the ASEAN subregion. There are several promising outcomes; for example, on industrialization and efforts to transform the energy sector and develop clean and affordable energy for all. 

Despite ongoing challenges associated with the recovery, specifically inequalities, this more mixed pattern of progress applies to Malaysia too, and it is important that the way forward capitalizes on areas of progress and tackles weaknesses.  

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Turning to the Planet-related SDGs, the prognosis at all levels is considerably darker.  Unsurprisingly, progress on climate action is severely off-track. The target of a 1.5% increase in temperatures above pre-industrial levels is in doubt. Temperatures are already up an average of 1.1 per cent. Without transformative changes, the future is potentially catastrophic.

This patten of weaknesses is also true for our region generally, including for Malaysia. Greater and more urgent actions are needed to both mitigate and adapt. Indeed, we are already seeing the impacts of climate change nationally – in the guise of extreme weather conditions with far-reaching consequences, particularly on the most vulnerable.

Progress on other environmental goals is also in question and the “war on nature” has impacted most of the environmental SDG targets. Regionally, the oceans stand out as especially problematic. Fish stocks are in decline, acidification and eutrophication are raising, and plastic pollution continues unabated. These are also national challenges for Malaysia.

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Fourth, I come to SDG 16 under the Peace heading, which refers to stability, justice, and the quality of institutions. Troublingly, the world has seen major increases in violent conflict and serious threats to democratic values and institutions. In 2022, around one quarter of humanity lived in conflict affected areas. This year, and for the first time, the number of displaced persons has exceeded 110 million. 

Regrettably, some of these highly troubling issues are evident in this region.  Human rights concerns and the authoritarian exercise of power remain important challenges.

Positively, the position for Malaysia is markedly better. Yet we still face lagging areas on this pivotal goal, anchored in human rights and good governance, and both an enabler and an accelerator of progress across the SDGs.   

Distinguished audience, Ladies and Gentlemen,

This account draws the contours of a broad picture and underlines the gravity of the situation.  But data analysed at an aggregate level tend to obscure the nuanced realities experienced by different segments of the population. As I have made clear, the focus must move to the national and subnational levels, and specifically in Malaysia’s case, to the state and district level. 

Very few countries can compete with Malaysia in terms of multi-stakeholder engagement and SDG implementation and review at the local level. Voluntary SDG reviews at state and city levels are trending high, raising awareness and engaging local communities in the global journey to sustainable development.

In the third and final part, I come to Sarawak and its SDG priorities and the contribution it can make nationally, and beyond, to the attainment of the goals.

Owing to time and data factors, I will not offer an authoritative account of SDG progress at the state level. A summary review and comparison suggest that the trends mirror national averages and directions.  Like Malaysia as a whole, it is also important to recognize that Sarawak has performed better than the highly problematic global and regional position. Challenges and gaps exist, but so do opportunities and comparative advantages.

Rather than focusing on delivery, I will if I may, highlight two transformative areas with immense potential for Sarawak, and which mark out its position as a SDG expansion exemplar.

First and foremost is its ability to address climate change, given the abundance of green energy potentials, and notably hydro-electric power.  The State Government is to be commended for developing this comparative advantage, realizing the gains to the wider economy, and linking to other sectors, notably electric vehicles, and the production of biofuels, the latter two with UN support and expertise. This will offer win-win outcomes, simultaneously promoting economic growth and environmental sustainability.

This sector also has the potential to deliver energy and other infrastructural improvements to remote and underserved communities, and I am keen to underscore the UN’s contribution to these efforts and the partnerships we have developed in recent years.  Additionally, through the supply of clean energy to Malaysia, and in time, to neighbouring countries, Sarawak has the capacity to make extra-territorial contributions to the 2030 agenda.

Second, I highlight the Sarawak’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030, as a highly positive development which makes the State a first mover, and augurs well for broader SDG progress. Its timeline and seven strategic thrusts have a good fit with the goals.  Developing the green economy offers new high value-added opportunities for Sarawakians, but as the Plan makes clear, it is vital that other efforts secure greater socioeconomic inclusion.

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Distinguished audience, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are encouraged that the Government is working with UN agencies on topics like social protection and health coverage. The State's long running commitment to these public services is also significant and proved extremely important in combating the impacts of the pandemic.  

Equally significant is the State’s long tradition of multiculturalism and maintaining ethnic harmony. This is a credit to Sarawakians and has delivered improved governance alongside stable community relations. These successes need to be built-on as we move forward.

In face of competing priorities, financing pressures and uncertainties, the Plan’s policy agenda might be expanded to additional domains which directly affect people’s lives. The pandemic has cast a long shadow and efforts are still needed to address deficits disproportionately faced by groups at risk of being left behind.

These include migrants and undocumented people, people with disabilities, and indigenous communities living often in remote locations. The wider question of gender biases and discrimination merits specific consideration. Equality of opportunity, a leitmotiv of Malaysia Madani, is vital if the level of aspiration set out in the Plan is to be achieved.

I conclude by re-iterating that now is the time for action. As the world is coming together for the second half of a global endeavour, it is important that all actors seize this momentum. The presence of such a rich and diverse audience today ticks a critical progress factor.

I want very finally to also stress value of employing the SDG framework to develop national and state level plans and to guide implementation and cross-fertilization efforts. The SDGs are more than simply a measurement tool; they offer a guide to ensuring improved development performance, which is integrated and complete. Moreover, the SDGs hardwire fundamental considerations, chiefly environmental sustainability and inclusion, but crucially also they embody human rights commitments.

The UN stands ready to assist and enable delivery of the SDGs in Malaysia and in Sarawak. We will continue to work closely with the Government and the newly established SDG Centre.

I thank you for your attentive presence and wish to reiterate my profound appreciation of the privilege to address this esteemed assembly.