About participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei in the 73rd session of the United Nations
03.10.2018On October 3, 2018 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus took part as one of the keynote speakers at the round table entitled “Agenda 2030 for for Sustainable Development as a Catalyst for Change through Partnership”.
The round table was initiated by the Belarusian side and based on results of the Regional forum “Building a Partnership to Underpin National Sustainable Development Solutions”, held in Minsk on February 21-22, to promote the idea of a network of national coordinators for sharing knowledge and experience in the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event was organized by the Belarusian side together with the Permanent Missions of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation to the United Nations.
In his speech, Vladimir Makei informed the participants on the steps taken by Belarus to implement the new development agenda. He noted, in particular, the creation of a national architecture to achieve of the SDGs, in which the Council for Sustainable Development is a key actor that operates under the guadance of the National Coordinator.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs presented the main results of the Regional forum in Minsk, stressed the support of the countries of the region for the initiative of Belarus to establish a partner network of national SDG coordinators for the exchange of knowledge and experience.
During the meeting, the Head of the Foreign Ministry announced the idea of establishin a UN Directory of SDG National Coordination Mechanisms and its subsequent launch during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development under the auspices of the UN General Assembly, which will be held in New York in September 2019.
High representatives of the United Nations addressed the meeting: Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Achim Steiner, Administrator of United Nations Development Program, Liu Zhenmin, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, and Jeffrey Sachs, a well-known American economist / Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General on SDGs, Jeffrey Sachs.
During the event, representatives of Azerbaijan and Russia also spoke.
Panellists emphasized the importance of expanding partnerships and finding new sources of funding for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Emphasis was put on the need to involve the private sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Professor Jeffrey Sachs drew attention to the basic needes of poor countries and called for innovative approaches and a more active attraction of private investment. Pparticipants supported the initiative of Belarus to establish a network of national coordinators as a platform for those who are involved in practical work on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
V.Makei held a short conversation with A.Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, during which the parties discussed the implementation of the agreements reached at the Regional forum in Minsk.
At the same day Minister of Foreign Affairs opened the photo exhibition “Being a Champion: The history of Great Victories” at the United Nations Headquarters. The exhibit was organized at the initiative of Belarus and is dedicated to the sport achievements and contribution of Belarus to the international sport movement, as well as in the run-up to the II European Games to be held in Belarus in 2019.
At the opening ceremony UN Under-Secretary-General on Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin and Chef de Cabinet of the President of the UN General Assembly Kwabena Osei-Danquah intervened with the key remarks. The head of the Permanent Missions of the Member States to the UN, diplomats and other invitees also participated in the event.
In his speech the Head of the Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs underlined the role of sport and Olympic movement in promoting sustainable development, peace and solidarity among the nations. He stood for the need of observing fair judgment and fair play in sport.
Minster of Foreign Affairs invited the high raking officials of the United Nations, as well as Member States to visit the II European Games to be held in Belarus on June 21-30, 2019.
The exposition of the photo exhibit at the UN Headquarters, dedicated to the Belarusian sport, Belarusian contribution to the international sport movement will be the beginning of the large-scale presentation of the biggest sport event on the European continent in the upcoming year- the II European Games in Belarus.
