site.btaUNESCO Director General Bokova Talks about Sustainable Development Goals

UNESCO Director General Bokova Talks about  Sustainable Development Goals

Sofia, May 19 (BTA) - Talking at a public discussion on "Sustainable Development Goals: Better World by 2030", UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, who is a candidate for UN Secretary General, said: "We are faced with a new, militant threat to the peace and security, stability and sustainable development of our societies. It is UNESCO's role to adapt to the modern challenges, to instill the need to defend peace in people's minds."

The discussion is organized by PanEuropa - Bulgaria, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy - Berlin.

Bokova stressed the importance of pre-empting rampant extremism through culture and education.

"In recent years the international community has hardly rallied round something as universal and changing the countries as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the UN last September," said Bokova. It comprises 17 sustainable development goals which are an attempt to look into the future, make serious analysis of what is happening in the world, what its problems are, what to do about extreme poverty, climate change, and environmental protection. Bokova noted that nine of the 17 goals are directly relevant to UNESCO's activity.

Unlike earlier documents, the 2030 Agenda belongs to the Member States, it is universal and applies to all countries: rich and poor, developed or developing.

Bokova added that the sustainable development goals had been elaborated and would be implemented for the first time in close cooperation with governments, civil society, the private sector and academia.

The UN's achievement through these goals is historic, said Bokova. It proves that the UN is the broadest possible platform for reaching a consensus and joint decisions, and for demonstrating the strength of multilateral diplomacy.