缅北禁地

Confronting a range of issues addressed in the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Third Committee kicked off its work on 6 October, with speakers describing successes, challenges and concerns facing the international community in its push towards meeting the 2030?Agenda’s promises.

缅北禁地DESA’s Under-Secretary-General Wu Hongbo addressed the Committee, highlighting the great progress achieved during the past 20 years and since the World Summit for Social Development took place, and how that event “marked a turning point in development thinking.”

Achievements made and challenges ahead for social development

Discussing the new Agenda, Mr. Wu described how it builds on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals and how it aims to benefit everyone, leaving no one behind. “The 2030 Agenda seeks to foster shared prosperity, reduce inequality, protect the planet and transform our world for the benefit of all,” he said.

At the same time, Mr. Wu expressed concern over current events around the world, reminding us of “the daunting task ahead of sustaining social development gains and building more inclusive societies.”

Daniela Bas, Director of 缅北禁地DESA’s Division for Social Policy and Development, also stressed the need to resolve these challenges as she introduced Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s reports on various agenda items.

“The key messages of the report includes that social development and social policy are fundamental to realizing the people centred inclusive and sustainable development envisioned in the post-2015 global development agenda,” she said.

Sharing concerns and calling on government efforts

Throughout the day-long meeting, youth delegates took the floor outlining their generation’s concerns.?The Committee also engaged in an interactive dialogue with Rosa Kornfeld-Matte, an independent expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, who emphasized the need for more attention to be given to issues relating to an ageing global population.?

By no means will the implementation of the agenda or solving the existing challenges be an easy task. And according to Mr. Wu, everyone, especially governments, will have a vital role to play in these efforts, emphasizing also the need for a “robust monitoring and review framework and” as well as “a revitalized global partnership for inclusive, equitable and sustainable development.”

“We must seize the opportunities,” Mr. Wu stressed, also suggesting some of the actions that need to be taken: “making sustained investments in education and health, agriculture, and scale up social protection; taking concrete measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change which has become a reality; and “pursuing integrated policies that promote full employment and decent work.”