New York, 21 April 2016. Rodrigo Gouveia, Director of Policy of the Alliance participated in the High-Level Debate on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals that took place at the United Nations Headquarters and was organised by the President of the UN General Assembly.
The Sustainable Development Goals were approved by the UN General Assembly in September 2015 within the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The High-Level debate focused on how to mobilise resources for the achievement of the goals until 2030. Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, in a remarkable and provocative intervention reminded the audience that the world economy produces every year enough resources to achieve all the SDGs and therefore achieving them is a matter of priority. He added that the priority should be the next generation and that countries should invest in education rather than things like defence.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognises the important role that the private sector, including co-operatives have in establishing partnerships and achieving the SDGs. It is important for the co-operative movement to mobilise around these global goals and demonstrate its inherent capacity to deliver economic, social and environmental goals. The International Co-operative Alliance plans to offer its members the global framework for concerted action.
Photo: United Nations headquarters in New York
