H.E. Ambassador Marie Chatardová, President of UN ECOSOC
U N I T E D N A T I O N S N A T I O N S U N I E S
DRAFT
THE PRESIDENT OF ECOSOC
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WELCOME REMARKS FOR THE SYMPOSIUM ON THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 7 ON ENERGY
Oslo, 18 October 2017
Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to address this distinguished audience on the occasion of the Symposium on the Sustainable Development Goal 7 on Energy, in preparation of the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
I would like to start by thanking the Government of Norway, and in particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Research Council and SINTEF, for all their kind support provided for the organization of this event, in cooperation with the United Nations.
Thank you for serving as the hosts in this beautiful city of Oslo.
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.
2
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.
The Forum meets annually under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council including a ministerial segment and every four years at the level of Heads of State and Government under the auspices of the General Assembly.
Member States regularly undertake in-depth reviews, including through the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), to assess progress at the country level towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.
The overall theme of the HLPF in 2018 will be “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.” The set of SDGs to be reviewed in depth in 2018 includes: SDG 6 on water and sanitation; SDG 7 on energy; SDG 11 on sustainable cities; SDG 12 on sustainable production and consumption; SDG 15 on terrestrial ecosystems; and SDG 17 on means of implementation and partnerships.
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.
Regional Sustainable Development Forums, convened by UN Regional Commissions, will deepen sharing of experiences and best practices at the regional level.
Taken together, these processes at country, regional and global levels provide an important opportunity to take stock of progress to-date including energy’s linkages with other Sustainable Development Goals, and reflect on the way forward to accelerate implementation.
This Symposium is a timely event that promotes international cooperation on energy, offering a valuable platform for in-depth discussions of critical issues related to energy for sustainable development.
3
I am confident that this Symposium 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.
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 benefit the summary of the HLPF as well as its Ministerial Declaration in relation to SDG 7.
I call on you to provide the necessary knowledge on energy so that we can challenge policy makers and the political process to come up with the policies and means of implementation for the achievement of SDG 7 and all its targets worldwide.
I look forward to a successful conclusion of this event and to learning about the important outcomes of this event.
Thank you.
DRAFT
THE PRESIDENT OF ECOSOC
--
WELCOME REMARKS FOR THE SYMPOSIUM ON THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 7 ON ENERGY
Oslo, 18 October 2017
Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to address this distinguished audience on the occasion of the Symposium on the Sustainable Development Goal 7 on Energy, in preparation of the 2018 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
I would like to start by thanking the Government of Norway, and in particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Research Council and SINTEF, for all their kind support provided for the organization of this event, in cooperation with the United Nations.
Thank you for serving as the hosts in this beautiful city of Oslo.
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.
2
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.
The Forum meets annually under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council including a ministerial segment and every four years at the level of Heads of State and Government under the auspices of the General Assembly.
Member States regularly undertake in-depth reviews, including through the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), to assess progress at the country level towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.
The overall theme of the HLPF in 2018 will be “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies.” The set of SDGs to be reviewed in depth in 2018 includes: SDG 6 on water and sanitation; SDG 7 on energy; SDG 11 on sustainable cities; SDG 12 on sustainable production and consumption; SDG 15 on terrestrial ecosystems; and SDG 17 on means of implementation and partnerships.
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.
Regional Sustainable Development Forums, convened by UN Regional Commissions, will deepen sharing of experiences and best practices at the regional level.
Taken together, these processes at country, regional and global levels provide an important opportunity to take stock of progress to-date including energy’s linkages with other Sustainable Development Goals, and reflect on the way forward to accelerate implementation.
This Symposium is a timely event that promotes international cooperation on energy, offering a valuable platform for in-depth discussions of critical issues related to energy for sustainable development.
3
I am confident that this Symposium 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.
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 benefit the summary of the HLPF as well as its Ministerial Declaration in relation to SDG 7.
I call on you to provide the necessary knowledge on energy so that we can challenge policy makers and the political process to come up with the policies and means of implementation for the achievement of SDG 7 and all its targets worldwide.
I look forward to a successful conclusion of this event and to learning about the important outcomes of this event.
Thank you.