Video Message
Shaoxing, China
Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
It is my great honour to address the Global Observance of World Cleanup Day 2026.
Today, we focus on the vital role of cities and citizens in tackling waste challenges and advancing the transition towards a circular economy.
I thank the Government of China, our Host City of Shaoxing, UN-Habitat, and all partners for bringing us together around an issue so fundamental to protecting and sustaining our planet¡¯s ecosystems.
We meet at a critical moment. With only four years remaining until 2030, the global community faces profound sustainable development challenges.
According to the latest 2026 SDG Progress Report, progress remains deeply uneven across goals and among countries, severely hampered by compounding shocks, interconnected crises, and escalating conflicts. Unmet financing targets risk putting many SDG targets beyond reach.
Yet, if there is one lesson from the first decade of implementing the 2030 Agenda, it is these challenges are not merely problems to be managed ¡ªthey are catalysts to transform. They demand that we fundamentally reshape the systems governing our societies, our economies, and our relationship with the planet.
This transformation will not happen in isolation. It requires the underlying commitment, creativity and leadership of Governments, international organizations, development banks, the private sector, academia, civil society, youth representatives and many others around the world.
The theme of this year¡¯s World Cleanup Day ¡°From Clean Plate to Clean City¡± highlights a critical entry point for real progress. Transitioning to a circular society allows us to build a sustainable model that harmonizes economic growth with environmental stewardship.
Excellencies,
My Department, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, is deeply honored to lead and coordinate many of these efforts, working closely with the broader UN system and partners worldwide.
Together, we can forge a future where resources are valued rather than discarded; where waste is eliminated by design; and where our economies and ecosystems thrive together.
By leveraging digital innovation, artificial intelligence and smart urban infrastructure, we can build clean, green and resilient cities that elevate the quality of life for all people.
Let us act with ambition, solidarity, and determination this moment demands, ensuring that the 2030 Agenda delivers meaningful, lasting change for present and future generations.
Thank you.