Ambassador Koterec, President of the General Assembly,Mr. Secretary-General,Honourable Ministers,Excellencies,
I wish to join the previous speakers in thanking Ambassador Koterec for convening this Ministerial Meeting. I also wish to thank the President of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremić for attending this meeting and supporting the work of the Council.
My thanks also go to the Secretary-General. During the last two months, I have witnessed, firsthand, the Secretary-General’s unswerving dedication to sustainable development. Secretary-General’s leadership is inspiring all of us to work harder in achieving the MDGs and in designing future sustainable development goals (SDGs).
This special meeting is taking place at a time when three very important processes are taking place simultaneously within the United Nations:
Rio also articulated what such a multilateral system should mean in practice.
In the outcome document agreed at Rio + 20 – “The Future We Want” –world leaders recognized ECOSOC’s key role in advancing sustainable development.
And with good reason; the Council’s comparative advantages are many.
It is not simply a stand-alone body — home of the Annual Ministerial Review and Development Cooperation Forum. It is an interlocking system that connects subsidiary organs, regional and functional commissions, and specialized agencies.
As a system, its democratic structure and inclusiveness give the Council legitimacy. This is demonstrated time and again by its ability to promote international dialogue on global trends and policymaking on a vast range of issues, including:
The momentum for strengthening the Council is already set in motion. Your deliberations will provide further guidance and impetus to this effort.
For these reasons, and more, I eagerly await your views on the steps needed to strengthen our current sustainable development governance system.
Thank you.
I wish to join the previous speakers in thanking Ambassador Koterec for convening this Ministerial Meeting. I also wish to thank the President of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremić for attending this meeting and supporting the work of the Council.
My thanks also go to the Secretary-General. During the last two months, I have witnessed, firsthand, the Secretary-General’s unswerving dedication to sustainable development. Secretary-General’s leadership is inspiring all of us to work harder in achieving the MDGs and in designing future sustainable development goals (SDGs).
This special meeting is taking place at a time when three very important processes are taking place simultaneously within the United Nations:
- The follow-up to Rio+20
- Intensifying work on the post‐2015 UN development agenda, and
- Ongoing ECOSOC reform initiatives leading up to next year’s General Assembly review of resolution 61/16 on strengthening the Economic and Social Council.
Rio also articulated what such a multilateral system should mean in practice.
- It is one that promotes a shared analysis of issues and challenges — and facilitates agreement on objectives and approaches to achieve them.
- It encourages implementation of these policies and approaches.
- It addresses the glaring deficit of policy coherence.
- Above all, it is a multilateral system that fully integrates the economic, social and environmental pillars.
In the outcome document agreed at Rio + 20 – “The Future We Want” –world leaders recognized ECOSOC’s key role in advancing sustainable development.
And with good reason; the Council’s comparative advantages are many.
It is not simply a stand-alone body — home of the Annual Ministerial Review and Development Cooperation Forum. It is an interlocking system that connects subsidiary organs, regional and functional commissions, and specialized agencies.
As a system, its democratic structure and inclusiveness give the Council legitimacy. This is demonstrated time and again by its ability to promote international dialogue on global trends and policymaking on a vast range of issues, including:
- population and development;
- statistics, gender issues and finance;
- narcotics and criminality;
- science and technology; and
- the environment, among others.
- Reviewing implementation of the global development agenda, including the MDGs;
- Integrating the economic, social and environmental pillars; and
- contributing to the on-going preparations for a post-2015 development agenda.
The momentum for strengthening the Council is already set in motion. Your deliberations will provide further guidance and impetus to this effort.
For these reasons, and more, I eagerly await your views on the steps needed to strengthen our current sustainable development governance system.
Thank you.
File date:
Tuesday, Septiembre 25, 2012