UNDP RR speaks at Social Good Summit2015

New York, Sept. 29 (BNA): Peter Grohmann, UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative delivered a speech at the Social Good Summit2015 in the UN headquarters on Sunday. Below is text of his speech: Excellency Mrs. Faeqa Al Saleh, Dear Youth NGO Representatives Young Bahraini participants, UN Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is, truly, my great pleasure to meet you today on this remarkable historical day, in which seventeen new international developmental goals and agenda will be adopted by the world leaders. 27th of September 2015 will be remembered as the date that new phase of developmental work has been benchmarked after almost 3 years of continuous transparent discussions on different levels among leaders, thinkers, academicians, development officers, practitioners, and most importantly among world citizens, who participated in choosing their priorities; goals that directly affect the wellbeing of their daily life. It is my pleasure, also, to see UNDP’s efforts cohesively combined with those of the Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Information in celebrating the "Social Good Summit 2015, joining 108 countries around the world. With this year Summit’s theme (NEW GOALS. NEW POWER. NEW TECHNOLOGY), Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Information and UNDP have agreed to celebrate it with you as the NEW GENERATION of Kingdom of Bahrain. Seeing you as young Bahrainis in this hall is quite inspirational for us as development practitioners, and without you on board it is quite hard for us to introduce any positive change, which is the main drive of enhancement of nations. As you may have read already, "The Social Good Summit" is a two-day conference examining the impact of technology and new media on social good initiatives around the world. Held during UN Week from September 27-28, the Social Good Summit unites a dynamic community of global leaders and grassroots activists to discuss solutions for the greatest challenges of our time. The event’s theme, #2030NOW, asks the question, "What type of world do I want to live in by the year 2030?" During the Social Good Summit, global citizens around the world unite to unlock the potential of technology to make the world a better place. Like the Millennium Development Goals, the Post-2015 agenda and its Sustainable Development goals are expected to be one of the most effective tools in driving political attention, resources and energy towards promoting development that is equitable and sustainable. The SDGs represent an unprecedented agreement around sustainable development priorities among 193 Member States. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 targets and 309 indicators are broader in scope and will go further than the MDGs by addressing the root causes of poverty. The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. The question that we all need to answer, each from his and her position though, is what and how would we do to make sure these goals are attended to and ultimately achieved on national level? While the Post-2015 agenda is a global framework, its implementation will primarily be the responsibility of national governments. The UN in Bahrain stands ready to continue supporting events that foster a national dialogue on the Post-2015 agenda and its implementation at the country level. Dear young Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen This year, world leaders will set a "once in a generation" transformational agenda for development, through global agreements on financing for development, the post-2015 development agenda, climate change, and disaster risk reduction. It’s a transformational year from the MDGs to the SDGs Agenda. Therefore, we must invest in the unfinished work of the MDGs, and use them as a springboard into the future we want – a future free from poverty and built on human rights, equality and sustainability. This is our duty, as grown-ups, and it must be the legacy we strive to leave for our younger generation. Through your event today, we will be eager to hear your innovative ideas, suggestions, aspirations and initiatives that could help decision makers and development practitioners attend to your priorities when putting their national, regional and subsequently international plans. Thank you for your attendance, and I hope to see you again in other pro-youth events.