Ladies and Gentlemen,
 
Thank you for inviting me to the launch of the Centre for the Study of Global Development at the Open University.

The Centre will focus on securing human dignity and well-being for all, which are cornerstones of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The 2030 Agenda and the SDGs provide us with a roadmap, in the face of unprecedented global challenges.

The implementation of the SDGs has been far too slow, and the COVID-19 pandemic has put us even further off course.

Almost 100 million people have been pushed into poverty.

Lives and livelihoods everywhere have been disrupted. The pandemic has exposed glaring gaps in social protection. Benefits including health coverage and income support do not reach the very people who need them most. 

Women and girls have been dramatically impacted – from jobs to learning, from early marriage to violence in the home.

And the education of hundreds of millions has been in jeopardy.

But it’s not too late to act.

In the last 18 months, we have seen signs of remarkable resilience.

We have witnessed countries, businesses, communities and people come together to rebuild in a sustainable and inclusive way.

The SDGs must be the compass to drive policies on energy, food, connectivity and social inclusion that will create jobs, reduce poverty, advance gender equality and accelerate climate action, through the COVID-19 recovery and beyond.

The Centre for Global Development will help promote the Sustainable Development Goals through sound research, and by pursuing quality education for all, leaving no one behind.  

I encourage other institutions to follow suit.

Only by building knowledge can we make informed decisions.

Only by sharing that knowledge can we tackle the greatest challenges of our time, together.

Congratulations to all those involved in the launch of this important Centre.

Let’s continue to work together to keep the promise of the SDGs, for people and for planet.