Last year, in celebrating 75 years of the United Nations, we asked the people of the world what they would like to see happen in the next 25 years – as we head towards 100 years of the UN. The culmination of this listening exercise was a report presented by the UN Secretary-General at the General Assembly last month, titled ‘Our Common Agenda’.
Our Common Agenda builds on many of the ideas that emerged during the year-long global listening exercise where thousands of people in all 193 Member States – including Sri Lanka – voiced their opinions. They also seek to accelerate achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in light of the gaps and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The people called on us for changes in 12 areas:
1. To leave no one behind
2. To protect our planet
3. To prevent conflicts and promote peace
4. To abide by international law and justice
5. To place women and girls at the center
6. To build trust in public institutions and services
7. To improve digital cooperation
8. To upgrade the United Nations
9. To ensure sustainable financing
10. To boost partnerships
11. To listen to and work with young people
12. To be prepared for global crises, including on public health
Our Common Agenda goes beyond the crucial issues we talk about every day, to consider where our world is, and what we need to do, to fix it. Because business as usual is not an option. Today we need to reorient, based on the 12 areas mentioned in Our Common Agenda.
As the UN Secretary-General noted we need change now and we need to make important choices, so what actions do we take going forward?
a) We need to re-embrace global solidarity. The COVID-19 pandemic taught us one important lesson – no one is safe until everyone is safe.
b) Rebuild trust and embrace a comprehensive vision of human rights. People need to see results reflected in their daily lives. Especially with the active and equal participation of women and girls. We need updated governance arrangements to deliver better public goods and usher in a new era of universal social protection, health coverage, education, skills, decent work and housing.
c) Bring an end to the “war on science”. All policy and budget decisions should be backed by science and expertise.
d) We know there is a glaring blind spot in how we measure economic prosperity and progress. When profits come at the expense of people and our planet, we are left with an incomplete picture of the true cost of economic growth.
e) Let us think for the long term, to deliver more for young people and succeeding generations and to be better prepared for the challenges ahead. Our Common Agenda includes recommendations for meaningful, diverse and effective youth engagement both within and outside the United Nations, including through better political representation and by transforming education, skills training and lifelong learning.
f) Finally, we need an effective United Nations, one able to adapt to global challenges while living up to the purposes and principles of its Charter.
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In Sri Lanka, this translates to the need for immediate action in the following areas:
First: Recovery. We need both a health-response to ensure that we recover from the pandemic and reinforce health systems to be more resilient. At the same time, we need to rebuild the economy, by envisioning a future that is sustainable.
Second: We need to ensure that development is inclusive and equitable. As we journey towards the future, we need to bring communities together and for society to be able to depend on justice and accountable and inclusive governance.
Third: We need to safeguard the planet and ensure resilient and green growth for shared prosperity and environmental sustainability.
More so than ever, all these areas need to be considered from a gender perspective. We cannot achieve success while leaving behind more than half of our population. Working towards gender equality means ensuring investment in engaging women in all these sectors.
As the Secretary-General has said ‘we are at an inflection point in history. Humanity’s welfare – and indeed, humanity’s very future – depend on solidarity and working together to achieve common goals. The choices we make, or fail to make, today could result in further breakdown, or a breakthrough to a greener, better, safer future’.
Thank you all for marking with us today the founding of the UN, which is your UN.
