"I congratulate the 47 countries that present their Voluntary National Reviews this year, despite the difficult circumstances" related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guterres said at the opening of the ministerial segment of this annual global event.

"Their reports confirm that our challenges have become more and more pressing, as COVID-19 has exacerbated fragilities in the world," the UN chief said, calling on the entire international community to take up the challenge of the pandemic and its effects now.

"We need concrete, bold and achievable solutions inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals," he said.

Morocco presented on Monday before the UN High-Level Political Forum its Voluntary National Review on the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which aim at improving people's living conditions and to which the Kingdom has subscribed to achieve by 2030.

This is the second Voluntary National Review presented by Morocco to the United Nations on the progress made in the implementation of the SDGs since 2016.