UNITED NATIONS, July 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed on Monday called for deeper and wider involvement of various stakeholders to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"The clock is ticking," she said at the opening of the ministerial meeting of the 2018 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development under the theme: "Transformation towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies."

"To move forward at the speed required, deeper and wider involvement of various stakeholders is urgently needed," she said.

"Above all, the forum is an opportunity to respond to two central questions: Are we on track to deliver the goals and what can we do better?" she said.

It is already clear that the international community is seeing progress in certain areas such as addressing global unemployment and cutting the rate of forest loss, said the UN deputy chief.

However, for the first time in a decade the number of undernourished has increased, she said. "This undermines the commitment to 'leave no one behind,'" she added.

Young people remain three times more likely to remain unemployed than adults, said the deputy secretary-general.

Progress on providing access to energy is not satisfactory, she noted, adding that reducing biodiversity loss and stopping land degradation will require additional effort.

"Official development assistance (ODA) pledges remain unmet," she continued.

The United Nations will continue to work at the local, national, regional and international levels to ensure the alignment of policies and business practices with the core aims of the 2030 Agenda, she said.

"It means delivering support to the world's most vulnerable countries... and expanding partnership with academia, civil society and young people," she added.

"Let us resolve to use the time available to build on lessons and take the necessary steps to demonstrate that the 2030 Agenda can change the lives of people," she added.

The forum, which would take stock of progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and conclude on July 18, kicked off on June 9 at the UN headquarters in New York. More than 80 ministers and vice ministers, as well as 2,500 non-state actors, would be attending the 8-day forum.