9 October 2012: The UN General Assembly (UNGA) reviewed the Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization in a plenary meeting on 9 October 2012, in New York, US, and reflected on the report’s focus on global sustainable development and the post-2015 development agenda.
The Secretary-General’s Report on the work of the Organization (A/67/1), released on 8 August 2012, reviews the UN’s work and accomplishments over the last year, and details themes of focus for the organization in the future. The report stresses that “building the foundations for sustainable development is the greatest challenge we face today as an international community,” and calls on nations to implement the commitments made at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). States also called for achieving the MDGs with accelerated action, making sustainable energy available for everyone, and taking strong action to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
In their discussion of the Report, Member States echoed the Secretary-General’s emphasis on sustainable development, stressed the importance of accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and suggested methods for determining a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to replace them. The speakers also called for improving equity and the financial relationship between developed and developing countries.
Egypt called this the new “era of sustainable development,” and stressed the connections between all world challenges and sustainability. Belarus agreed that this global focus should be the international community’s principal task, and encouraged support for youth, who will participate in the implementation of sustainable development in the years to come. Indonesia highlighted that progress towards the MDGs goals has been uneven across the world, and additional support will need to be given to struggling countries to accelerate their achievements. Ethiopia spoke of his country’s success at poverty alleviation and gender equality, but called attention to the difficulties in achieving safe access to water and sanitation for all. India said that such “unmet development priorities” should be integrated into the new post-2015 agenda.
Financing for sustainability and the new development agenda also were raised, with a focus on the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.” Argentina called for contributions from each nation that correspond to their level of development, and stressed national sovereignty over natural resources. Brazil echoed this and called for financial mobilization and green technology transfer to respond to the special needs and inequalities faced by developing nations.
The Holy See called for a more holistic new development agenda recognizing human “intellectual, spiritual, and physical development,” rather than solely economic growth, and urged stewardship for the planet and for future generations. [Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization] [Meeting Summary] [Webcast of Meeting]