H.E. Ambassador Marie Chatardová, President of UN Economic and Social Council
GLOBAL SDG 7 CONFERENCE 22 February 2018 22-23 February 2018 Thursday, 9 A.M. Opening session ESCAP Hall
H.E. Amb. Marie Chatardová (Czech Republic)
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure for me to address this distinguished audience on the occasion of the Global SDG7 Conference, in preparation of the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
I would like to start by thanking the Government of Thailand, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), for all their kind support provided for the organization of this event, in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Thank you for serving as the hosts in this beautiful city of Bangkok.
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The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development declares that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement to achieve sustainable development.
It resolves that no one will be left behind. It means：
• A world free of hunger and disease.
• A world with universal access to quality education, health care, and clean and safe water and sanitation.
• A world where every child grows up free from violence and exploitation and where every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality.
• A world where every youth, man and woman has decent jobs to contribute to economic growth.
• A world where we take decisive action to safeguard a sustainable future for the generations to come. And
• A world with sustainable and affordable energy to power prosperity.
Energy is a key precondition for realizing that world. It is essential to advancing many SDGs, including reducing poverty, promoting prosperity, empowering women and the youth, promoting
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access to quality health and education, securing clean and safe water and sanitation, and reducing the risks of climate change.
As an example, the use of unsustainable biomass for cooking and heating by over 2.8 billion people is the main cause of over 4 million premature deaths worldwide due to indoor pollution. This represents more than the combined premature deaths due to malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
Given the important role that energy plays and its strong links to other development factors, the set of Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda includes a dedicated goal on energy - SDG7.
The Sustainable Development Goal 7 is on access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030 with specific targets that relate to energy access, renewable energy, energy efficiency and corresponding means of implementation.
The UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development is the central platform within the United Nations system for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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Specifically, SDG7 on energy will be reviewed in depth for the first time at HLPF in July 2018, which will serve as a first critical milestone to assess global progress of SDG7 toward 2030.
This Global Conference in Bangkok represents a major effort by the UN, in cooperation with all stakeholders, to conduct a global preparatory meeting in support of the review of SDG7 at the 2018 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
I understand that a compendium of 27 policy briefs reviewing all the important issues relevant to SDG7 and its interlinkages with other SDGs have already been developed and will be further discussed here.
I am confident that this Conference will serve as a major international platform to foster knowledge exchange, dissemination of best practices and dialogue among all stakeholders about the latest science, energy technologies, innovations and effective policies to support a more sustainable energy future.
Furthermore, you will be able to shed new light on trends, challenges, lessons learned and gaps on energy for sustainable development that would guide the HLPF in its deliberations and in its in-depth review of the SDG 7.
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The outcomes of this important event will be of great interest to the United Nations and its Member States as inputs supporting the first major review of the Energy Sustainable Development Goal. The main messages derived from your deliberations will be fed into the summary of the HLPF as well as its Ministerial Declaration in relation to SDG 7.
I look forward to a successful conclusion of this event and to learning about the important outcomes of this event.
Thank you.
H.E. Amb. Marie Chatardová (Czech Republic)
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure for me to address this distinguished audience on the occasion of the Global SDG7 Conference, in preparation of the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
I would like to start by thanking the Government of Thailand, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), for all their kind support provided for the organization of this event, in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Thank you for serving as the hosts in this beautiful city of Bangkok.
−2−
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development declares that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement to achieve sustainable development.
It resolves that no one will be left behind. It means：
• A world free of hunger and disease.
• A world with universal access to quality education, health care, and clean and safe water and sanitation.
• A world where every child grows up free from violence and exploitation and where every woman and girl enjoys full gender equality.
• A world where every youth, man and woman has decent jobs to contribute to economic growth.
• A world where we take decisive action to safeguard a sustainable future for the generations to come. And
• A world with sustainable and affordable energy to power prosperity.
Energy is a key precondition for realizing that world. It is essential to advancing many SDGs, including reducing poverty, promoting prosperity, empowering women and the youth, promoting
−3−
access to quality health and education, securing clean and safe water and sanitation, and reducing the risks of climate change.
As an example, the use of unsustainable biomass for cooking and heating by over 2.8 billion people is the main cause of over 4 million premature deaths worldwide due to indoor pollution. This represents more than the combined premature deaths due to malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
Given the important role that energy plays and its strong links to other development factors, the set of Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda includes a dedicated goal on energy - SDG7.
The Sustainable Development Goal 7 is on access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all by 2030 with specific targets that relate to energy access, renewable energy, energy efficiency and corresponding means of implementation.
The UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development is the central platform within the United Nations system for the follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
−4−
Specifically, SDG7 on energy will be reviewed in depth for the first time at HLPF in July 2018, which will serve as a first critical milestone to assess global progress of SDG7 toward 2030.
This Global Conference in Bangkok represents a major effort by the UN, in cooperation with all stakeholders, to conduct a global preparatory meeting in support of the review of SDG7 at the 2018 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
I understand that a compendium of 27 policy briefs reviewing all the important issues relevant to SDG7 and its interlinkages with other SDGs have already been developed and will be further discussed here.
I am confident that this Conference will serve as a major international platform to foster knowledge exchange, dissemination of best practices and dialogue among all stakeholders about the latest science, energy technologies, innovations and effective policies to support a more sustainable energy future.
Furthermore, you will be able to shed new light on trends, challenges, lessons learned and gaps on energy for sustainable development that would guide the HLPF in its deliberations and in its in-depth review of the SDG 7.
−5−
The outcomes of this important event will be of great interest to the United Nations and its Member States as inputs supporting the first major review of the Energy Sustainable Development Goal. The main messages derived from your deliberations will be fed into the summary of the HLPF as well as its Ministerial Declaration in relation to SDG 7.
I look forward to a successful conclusion of this event and to learning about the important outcomes of this event.
Thank you.