EU development ministers to discuss ways to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals faster

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend the informal meeting of EU development ministers in Cádiz in Spain in 4–5 September.

EU development ministers and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who leads the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda, will discuss ways for the EU and the UN to give a renewed boost to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015, has reached its halfway point. However, the achievement of the SDGs is lagging badly behind considering the 2030 deadline. Topic will be further discussed in the UN Sustainable Development Goal Summit in New York on 18–19 September.

EU development ministers will also discuss best ways to further incorporate human development aspects into both the achievement of the SDGs and the EU’s global partnerships. Finland’s contribution includes participation in the EU’s education initiatives in Africa and promotion of gender equality in digitalisation, among other efforts.

In addition, the development ministers will continue the discussion from their earlier meetings on reforming the global financial architecture for development. The aim is to amend the system so that it could better meet current development challenges, such as climate change and inequality, in addition to alleviating poverty.

“Bridging the global development finance gap requires that we make more efficient use of existing resources. Finland considers it important to step up private capital and partner countries’ domestic resource mobilization, for example by enhancing taxation,” says Minister Tavio.

The ministers will also exchange views on the situation in Niger, the EU’s support for Ukraine’s reforms and reconstruction and the upcoming Global Gateway Forum, which will gather EU Heads of State or Government to Brussels in October.

Minister Tavio will meet representatives of the European Commission and of other Member States in connection with the informal ministerial meeting.