Statement by Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on relations with International Organizations to achieve SDGs Boris Titov at ECOSOC High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
Distinguished President,
Russia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the delegation of China on behalf of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (GDI).
China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI) unites friends from roughly 100 countries. Russia is among them and actively supports the initiative.
The GDI has already demonstrated its effectiveness. Regrettably, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ae lagging far behind and the financing gap has exceeded 4 trillion USD.
That is why, in order to avoid future problems, we must begin developing a realistic post-2030 development agenda now.
Work in this direction has already begun. The UAE’s initiative, called XDGs2045, is actively advancing. Preparations for SDGs-2050 are underway within the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS. We count on the support of the United Nations and invite all interested parties to join this effort.
For its part, Russia is accelerating progress toward current SDGs. On July 23, an independent report on Russia’s achievements will be presented on the sidelines of the Forum.
The key takeaway of the report is that we are moving forward with confidence: Russia shows progress on 61% of SDG indicators.
Poverty has been reduced 1.5 times, women hold 48.8% of leadership positions, and the share of low-carbon power generation (including gas and nuclear energy) has reached 87%.
I would like to particularly highlight successes under SDG 8. The economy grew by over 4% annually in 2023–2024, and unemployment dropped to 2.3% by the end of 2024.
The SME sector made a particularly important contribution to economic growth: tax revenues nearly doubled, reaching $119 billion.
This was made possible with the help of digital super-services - platforms integrating registration, banking, and fiscal services - which helped bring small businesses out of the shadow.
These platforms can operate not only in Russia but also make a significant contribution to mobilizing domestic resources in other countries. For example, in Kyrgyzstan, their implementation already doubled the SME tax base.
The solutions proposed by Russia are sustainable and inclusive, embodying the principles of fair and mutually beneficial international cooperation based on the UN Charter. We are convinced that upholding these principles will reduce conflict potential globally, and foster sustainable development.
However, we still face neocolonial practices meaning restrictions on access to technologies, markets, and resources. This runs counter to the spirit of cooperation.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that Russia maintains its international development assistance at $1 billion per year and actively participates in regional and global formats —the Eurasian Economic Union, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, G20, and the UN.
Thank you for your attention.
