Spanish PM To Co-Chair SDG Advocates Group

United Nations, New York City

Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali

Today, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, announced the appointment of Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain, as Co-Chair of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocacy Group.

With a combined 17 advocates representing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the appointment of the Spanish Prime Minister has been met with widespread applause, revered for his Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party commitment to directly impacting the lives of the Spanish people. The Prime Minister will be working alongside 16 other respected leaders, including Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of the SDG Advocates.

“The decision,” according to Secretary-General Guterres, comes at an “urgent” time, where “accelerating progress” on the SDGs is paramount to both their implementation and global credibility.

“The Sustainable Development Goals are at risk of slipping out of reach. Our mission is clear: to accelerate progress at scale and speed. I welcome Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez joining Prime Minister Mia Mottley to strengthen advocacy and drive the urgent action needed to deliver the SDGs,” said UN Secretary-General Guterres.

Echoing the Secretary-General’s pressing sentiment, Pedro Sanchez stated, “The 2030 Agenda is the roadmap that enables us to tackle the major challenges of our time and contribute to shared global development. As Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals, I am committed to continuing to work to ensure that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda translates into opportunities, well-being, and prosperity for all people, leaving no one behind, while caring for our planet for present and future generations. We need to accelerate action and appeal to our collective responsibility to move forward. The Decade of Action is not lost—it is in our hands, and we must act.”