Johannesburg, 2 December 2018
I am pleased to join you today and want to thank the SDG Advocates, ably led by Prime Minister Solberg and President Nana Akufo-Addo, for their efforts and commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Global Citizen and the energised network the organization has created, is a good example of the support that the SDGs continue to attract.
This goodwill is welcome, and we need to harness it appropriately. Channelling commitments made through the relevant national, and regional institutions, empowers them and increases accountability and impact.
Our countries also need to continue building the capacity to generate revenues domestically, so that we can entrench a sense of ownership of the SDGs, reduce dependence on ever scarce funding, and ensure sustainability of results.
We are encouraged by the good progress in the institutional reform of the African Union, which is already enhancing self-financing, efficiency and coordination.
Let us take advantage of this momentum to collaborate even more productively with our global partners, and move faster towards attaining the SDGs by 2030.
I thank you and wish you all a very pleasant day.