Opening remarks of Mogens Lykketoft, President of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly at side event “Human Rights in the Follow-up and Review of the 2030 Agenda”
13 July 2016
Good morning everyone.
Thank you very much to Chile and Denmark for organising this event.
I am glad to see that it is addressing one of critical issues that is also been dealt with during the High Level thematic debate on human rights: the relationship between realizing human rights and delivering on the 2030 Agenda.
It is no coincidence that my High-Level Thematic Debate coincides with the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
With these two meetings, we have here an opportunity to deliver on concepts like coherence and synergies that are used so often in the UN.
We have a chance to ensure that the home of Follow-Up and Review reflects the intimate connections between human rights, sustainable development and peace that are already reflected in the 2030 Agenda.
And we have a chance to reignite global commitment to values that we need to deliver on both the SDGs and Human Rights – values of tolerance, dignity, equality, justice and accountability.
I see that you have assembled an excellent panel who know well how to move us from lofty ideals to practical questions such as:
- how to ensure human rights are addressed as part of the Follow-Up and Review process
- How to create space for human rights actors in the HLPF
- How to strengthen reporting mechanisms and data that can best draw out the links between human rights and the SDGs.
We need answers to these question because realizing the SDGs over the next fifteen years will be an incredible challenge.
We need all the help we can get and in in human rights, we have a ready-made ally of the SDGs; that can guide us on both how and why to bring forward much of the change we need. Thank you.