SDGs implementation: Ban Ki-moon stresses importance of finance

NaijaAgroNet:

The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has stressed the importance of financing and other support mechanisms in implementing the global goals for sustainable development and climate action, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He also urged further efforts by G20 countries to fulfilling their commitments to SDGs and climate action.

“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a universal, integrated and transformative plan of action for peace and prosperity for all on a healthy planet,” Mr. Ban told a session on inclusive and interconnected development during the G20 Summit happening in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

Referencing the 2030 Agenda on 17 global goals adopted by the UN General Assembly last September, he said that achieving them requires balanced, inclusive and sustainable economic growth. 

"The Addis Ababa Action Agenda, adopted in Ethiopia last year, provides a global framework for financing the 2030 Agenda implementation. It aligns all financing flows and policies with sustainable economic, social and environmental development," he said.

Mr. Ban also pointed out that the G20 Action Plan to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda is testament to your commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” the UN chief said, acknowledging China’s leadership for mainstreaming sustainable development in the work of G20.

Mr. Ban also applauded the leaders of France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the Republic of Korea for initiating inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms on implementation of the global goals, calling upon all G20 leaders to follow “these good examples.”

“Implementing the 2030 Agenda will strengthen our collective ability to address short-term risks and build long-term resilience. This is why it is essential that sustainable development is fully integrated into a global macroeconomic policy framework,” Mr. Ban said.

The G20 initiative on supporting industrialization in Africa and least developed countries will strengthen their inclusive growth and development potential, he said.

The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) report provides a comprehensive framework in this regard. Increased investments in infrastructure and industry, access to finance, sharing and transfer of technologies, trade facilitation, capacity building and improving enabling environments can support the transformation needed, he added.

The G20’s financial support to the Paris Agreement on climate change, adopted last December in France, is crucial, the Secretary-General emphasized. “Now it is time to ensure we live up to our commitments on climate finance, including the commitment to provide $100 billion for the Green Climate Fund,” he said, describing this as “an important step” to support developing countries’ efforts to implement the climate accord.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Ban Ki-moon appoint Gerda Verbrg, new coordinator SUN Movement

NaijaAgroNet:

The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) Mr. Ban Ki-moon has appointed former German Agriculture Minister, Gerda Verburg as the new Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Mr. Ki-moon, NaijaAgroNet gave this approve in February 2016 with the anticipation that Madam Gerda Verburg will assume full office by August 2, 2016.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that Gerda had participated in the 2016 Women Deliver Conference on May 16 through 19, to demonstrate that empowering women is essential for sustaining improvements in the nutrition status of everyone, everywhere. 

She spoke recently at the European Development Days held between June 15 and 16, about the centrality of nutrition to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the action needed from European development partners to build country nutrition capacity.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that this came as SUN countries in the last quarter, shared their experiences through two virtual meetings of the SUN Country Network, discussing national commitments and setting nutrition targets, and the steps you are taking to build and sustain political commitment for nutrition action.

Arnold said, SUN Countries from across Asia came together in a regional workshop, held in Bangkok on April 25 through 27, to mobilise public finance for nutrition and another workshop to be held in Nairobi, Kenya between August 22 and 25, 2016 for African SUN countries.

SUN, is a unique movement founded on the principle that all people have a right to food and good nutrition and tends to unite people from governments, civil society, the United Nations, donors, businesses and researchers—in a collective effort to improve nutrition.

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 Pix: Gerda Verburg

MDGs attainable says FAO boss

FAO Director General, Graziano

The Director General of the United National Food and Agriculture Organisation, Graziano da Silva has affirmed that the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) is still within reach provided countries set up efforts towards hunger reduction.

Da Silva disclosed this at a session of Committee on World Food Security (CFS) recently that the developing world recorded a significant drop in hunger from 23.2 per cent to 14.9 per cent.

Although there are still about 870 million people facing hunger globally, but da Silva said the drop is an important progress.

He also made known that process targeted at reducing the rate of hunger in the world, especially in Africa and the Near East has been on since 2007 following the rise in food insecurity in Africa and the Near East.

"As we renew and increase our commitment to reach the Millennium Development Goal for hunger reduction," da Silva said that there is need to look beyond the MDG, towards the total eradication of hunger.

"When it comes to hunger, the only acceptable number is ‘zero'," he said.

Also speaking at the session of the intergovernmental body, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon called on stakeholders to stand up to the global challenge of food security.

According to him, everybody is at the heart of the next big push in eliminating hunger in its entirety. One of the objectives of the 'Zero Hunger Challenge' includes a world where everyone has access to food.

Food at pregnancy and early childhood, and greater opportunity for small scale farmers also forms part of the objectives of the Zero Hunger Challenge.

CFS, NaijaAgroNet gathered was established in 1974 to enable the consideration of all viewpoints in making decision to address issues that affect food security, nutrition and economic crisis as well as the rising demand for food. 

CFS Chair Yaya Olaniran said finding agreement on issues of food security takes time and that the results of such agreement are policies that are grounded in reality and have everyone's backing.

 Yinka Awosanya/ED

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