University College Dublin
Mr President
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I would like to deliver a statement on behalf of University College Dublin, UN-Sustainable
Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Global Association of Masters in
Development Practice (MDO) Programs
I would like to thank the Conference organizers, particularly the Governments of Sweden
and Fiji, for giving non-governmental stakeholders, in particular the academic and scientific
communities the opportunity to speak at the plenary session of this Conference in the
General Assembly Hall.
The main takeaway from the 1992 Agenda 21 was action on the environment could not be
done by governments alone and had to involve all stakeholders. There had to be a change
in mind-set across all sectors of society – including governments, private sector, NGOs,
academia and the scientific and technological community.
SDSN took seriously its role in providing academic and technical support to the Post-2015
Development Agenda process, and is now committed to the implementation of the fruits of
that process, namely the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Universities can be a key partner in delivering SDG science, education, finance, data and
partnerships. Universities in the SDSN network are working hard to re-orientate their
education, research and policy outreach towards the SDG agenda.
The work of the SDSN notes the important interplay of the economic, social and governance
pillars with the environmental pillar, on which the sustainability of the ocean depends on.
There are significant two-way linkages among these pillars. Even though this Conference
has highlighted a number of negative spill-overs, there is a belief in SDSN that there are
technologies and policies that can turn these linkages in a positive direction. Human agency
that caused these problems has the capability of reversing these negative trends.
As a cautionary note, the negative externalities are becoming more global than local.
Therefore, governance of the global commons is becoming an emergency for all. Once the
tragedy of the commons is addressed, we believe that stakeholder partnerships can be
incentivized with appropriate technologies and policies at local levels that can remedy these
negative global trends.
Thank you.
Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I would like to deliver a statement on behalf of University College Dublin, UN-Sustainable
Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Global Association of Masters in
Development Practice (MDO) Programs
I would like to thank the Conference organizers, particularly the Governments of Sweden
and Fiji, for giving non-governmental stakeholders, in particular the academic and scientific
communities the opportunity to speak at the plenary session of this Conference in the
General Assembly Hall.
The main takeaway from the 1992 Agenda 21 was action on the environment could not be
done by governments alone and had to involve all stakeholders. There had to be a change
in mind-set across all sectors of society – including governments, private sector, NGOs,
academia and the scientific and technological community.
SDSN took seriously its role in providing academic and technical support to the Post-2015
Development Agenda process, and is now committed to the implementation of the fruits of
that process, namely the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Universities can be a key partner in delivering SDG science, education, finance, data and
partnerships. Universities in the SDSN network are working hard to re-orientate their
education, research and policy outreach towards the SDG agenda.
The work of the SDSN notes the important interplay of the economic, social and governance
pillars with the environmental pillar, on which the sustainability of the ocean depends on.
There are significant two-way linkages among these pillars. Even though this Conference
has highlighted a number of negative spill-overs, there is a belief in SDSN that there are
technologies and policies that can turn these linkages in a positive direction. Human agency
that caused these problems has the capability of reversing these negative trends.
As a cautionary note, the negative externalities are becoming more global than local.
Therefore, governance of the global commons is becoming an emergency for all. Once the
tragedy of the commons is addressed, we believe that stakeholder partnerships can be
incentivized with appropriate technologies and policies at local levels that can remedy these
negative global trends.
Thank you.