A decade ago, world leaders gathered at the United Nations and made a historic pledge: to leave no one behind and to transform our world by 2030. Today, with only five years remaining, progress toward that vision remains far behind expectations. Conflicts, geopolitical rivalries, trade wars, and overlapping crises have diverted attention and weakened the collective momentum behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Beyond these headwinds, SDG financing is on shaky ground. Heavy reliance on a few big donors makes progress vulnerable, as shown by the 2025 suspension of USAID’s Demographic and Health Surveys, which disrupted data for 39 indicators in health, gender, and nutrition. Without steady funding and reliable data, the world cannot track progress or sustain momentum toward 2030.

This session will ask how the world can reprioritize its commitments to sustainable development in the face of intensifying global challenges. The discussion will highlight urgent imperatives—eradicating poverty, strengthening inclusive governance, accelerating the energy transition, and building resilience—while ensuring that the most vulnerable and marginalized remain at the center of the development agenda. In the end, the SDGs must not be seen as an afterthought in geopolitics, but as a common project that unites humanity.