It gives me pleasure to convey my best wishes to all the participants in this important conference on intergenerational justice.  I thank the many Portuguese and other partners that have joined together to make this event possible.

A dedication to future generations is a universal value, visible across countries and cultures.  Increasingly, it finds expression in domestic laws, constitutions and international agreements.

Many urgent crises of the present are the symptoms of slow-burning, long-term problems. Yet too often, institutions and decision-makers remain trapped in the “tyranny of the present”, unable to integrate both current and long-term perspectives into policy-making.

The United Nations General Assembly is currently embarked on defining a set of sustainable development goals, to build on the gains and lessons of the Millennium Development Goals in our work beyond 2015.  The post-2015 development agenda, with sustainable development goals at the core, will seek to ensure a healthy planet and support human well-being for the current generation and many generations to come.

I am convinced that your deliberations will provide further impetus to this critical pursuit.  I wish you every success and thank you for your support of the United Nations.