Excellencies,Colleagues,Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset, let me thank the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean for inviting me. It is a pleasure to be here. It is heartening to see that so many parliamentarians from across the Mediterranean region are gathered to discuss the 2030 Agenda and other issues that have a global impact.
We need precisely this kind of high-level political attention and reflection to keep the international community focused on implementing the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. The adoption of the Agenda by your Heads of State and Government last September was the culmination point of an unprecedented UN process. The Agenda was elaborated over three years. There was a continuing high level of engagement of all countries and of civil society and the private sector. This started from the early phases, when we asked millions of people what they aspired to see in 2030 and went on until the last leg of negotiations.
The fifteen years long journey ahead of us is of historic proportion-- as we aim to no less than ”transforming our world”. The SDGs span economic, social and environmental areas. They address dimensions such as climate change and peaceful and inclusive societies and institutions, which have been the focus of separate tracks thus far. They are highly relevant to the Mediterranean region.
The Agenda includes solid provisions for Means of Implementation – which were adopted in Addis and cut across the goals. It is also accompanied by a solid accountability framework. The national level is the critical one where Governments are accountable to their citizens. At global level, the UN high-level political forum on sustainable development is the central platform, building on other review processes at regional and global levels.
The clock has already started ticking. These fifteen years will pass by quickly. There is no time to lose.
Parliaments have a critical role in implementation and review. While thinking of the role of the Parliament, it occurred to me that the word ‘R-O-L-E’ in itself subsumes a set of core attributes for the Parliamentarians in their respective societies. I will spell out one by one:
R - Representation: You represent your constituencies, your area. Parliaments are the forum where people’s views on the SDGs will be reflected in laws and policies, through their representatives. The international development agenda needs to be articulated in local political manifestoes. Thus your parliaments can play a central role in translating the Agenda into targets adapted to the national situation. Governments can then plan on how they intend to implement the Agenda.
O: Oversight - You have a critical check and balance function. You can ensure that public money goes to the SDGs and is spent judiciously.. You can discuss with governments on how they are delivering on implementation. You can help confirm that public institutions function in an accountable, inclusive, and efficient manner. Experience has shown that, without this, there can be little progress in poverty eradication and sustainable development.
L: Legislation. The Parliaments themselves have a critical role in delivering on the SDGs - through the laws they make. Countries may need transformative legislation on a number of issues relating to Agenda 2030. A truly transformative agenda must pursue inclusive economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability in a balanced way.
E: Elected. As you are elected people, you have special meaning in society. The Parliament is the branch of government that is closest to people, and MPs, more than any other official, are aware of the needs of constituents, and are expected to respond to those needs. Parliaments can ensure that the varied views and aspirations of their citizens are adequately reflected in the national development strategies to fulfil the 2030 Agenda.
So you have a major responsibility in effecting the changes we want to see happen to make the world a better place, where people live in dignity and without fear, no one is left behind and we preserve the planet for future generations.
I realize this raises the issue of capacities, which are insufficient for many parliaments. Parliaments also need to ensure that, in their work, they address the Agenda in a way that reflects its integrated and indivisible nature. Too often, their work is still siloed among various committees.
The Mediterranean region has a history of its own in human civilization. Its geography is important too in terms of global cooperation to achieve the SDGs. The region is situated at the cross-roads between the global South and the global North. It plays an important role not only in trade and commerce but also in facilitating North-South cooperation. It is thus a crucial place to ensure that, as Agenda 2030 pledges, no one is left behind. This applies in particular to the migrants and refugees which are so numerous across the region.
We must realise that as the new Agenda talks of people, planet, prosperity, it also calls for partnerships. No one country or agency within a country can drive the agenda. It must be bolstered by a new global partnership. A partnership built on mutual trust that promises made will be kept. A partnership that engages more players – and new forms of cooperation. This is what the Secretary-General underscored in his Report - “A life of dignity for all”. This is what I urge you to promote as parliaments of this unique region.
Thank you.
At the outset, let me thank the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean for inviting me. It is a pleasure to be here. It is heartening to see that so many parliamentarians from across the Mediterranean region are gathered to discuss the 2030 Agenda and other issues that have a global impact.
We need precisely this kind of high-level political attention and reflection to keep the international community focused on implementing the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. The adoption of the Agenda by your Heads of State and Government last September was the culmination point of an unprecedented UN process. The Agenda was elaborated over three years. There was a continuing high level of engagement of all countries and of civil society and the private sector. This started from the early phases, when we asked millions of people what they aspired to see in 2030 and went on until the last leg of negotiations.
The fifteen years long journey ahead of us is of historic proportion-- as we aim to no less than ”transforming our world”. The SDGs span economic, social and environmental areas. They address dimensions such as climate change and peaceful and inclusive societies and institutions, which have been the focus of separate tracks thus far. They are highly relevant to the Mediterranean region.
The Agenda includes solid provisions for Means of Implementation – which were adopted in Addis and cut across the goals. It is also accompanied by a solid accountability framework. The national level is the critical one where Governments are accountable to their citizens. At global level, the UN high-level political forum on sustainable development is the central platform, building on other review processes at regional and global levels.
The clock has already started ticking. These fifteen years will pass by quickly. There is no time to lose.
Parliaments have a critical role in implementation and review. While thinking of the role of the Parliament, it occurred to me that the word ‘R-O-L-E’ in itself subsumes a set of core attributes for the Parliamentarians in their respective societies. I will spell out one by one:
R - Representation: You represent your constituencies, your area. Parliaments are the forum where people’s views on the SDGs will be reflected in laws and policies, through their representatives. The international development agenda needs to be articulated in local political manifestoes. Thus your parliaments can play a central role in translating the Agenda into targets adapted to the national situation. Governments can then plan on how they intend to implement the Agenda.
O: Oversight - You have a critical check and balance function. You can ensure that public money goes to the SDGs and is spent judiciously.. You can discuss with governments on how they are delivering on implementation. You can help confirm that public institutions function in an accountable, inclusive, and efficient manner. Experience has shown that, without this, there can be little progress in poverty eradication and sustainable development.
L: Legislation. The Parliaments themselves have a critical role in delivering on the SDGs - through the laws they make. Countries may need transformative legislation on a number of issues relating to Agenda 2030. A truly transformative agenda must pursue inclusive economic growth, social development and environmental sustainability in a balanced way.
E: Elected. As you are elected people, you have special meaning in society. The Parliament is the branch of government that is closest to people, and MPs, more than any other official, are aware of the needs of constituents, and are expected to respond to those needs. Parliaments can ensure that the varied views and aspirations of their citizens are adequately reflected in the national development strategies to fulfil the 2030 Agenda.
So you have a major responsibility in effecting the changes we want to see happen to make the world a better place, where people live in dignity and without fear, no one is left behind and we preserve the planet for future generations.
I realize this raises the issue of capacities, which are insufficient for many parliaments. Parliaments also need to ensure that, in their work, they address the Agenda in a way that reflects its integrated and indivisible nature. Too often, their work is still siloed among various committees.
The Mediterranean region has a history of its own in human civilization. Its geography is important too in terms of global cooperation to achieve the SDGs. The region is situated at the cross-roads between the global South and the global North. It plays an important role not only in trade and commerce but also in facilitating North-South cooperation. It is thus a crucial place to ensure that, as Agenda 2030 pledges, no one is left behind. This applies in particular to the migrants and refugees which are so numerous across the region.
We must realise that as the new Agenda talks of people, planet, prosperity, it also calls for partnerships. No one country or agency within a country can drive the agenda. It must be bolstered by a new global partnership. A partnership built on mutual trust that promises made will be kept. A partnership that engages more players – and new forms of cooperation. This is what the Secretary-General underscored in his Report - “A life of dignity for all”. This is what I urge you to promote as parliaments of this unique region.
Thank you.
File date:
Thursday, شباط/فبراير 18, 2016