In a lecture at the University of Oxford, UK, UN General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser said that sustainable development is the only way to bring economic justice to societies where there is a widening gap between rich and poor, and noted that the UNCSD (Rio+20) should produce action-oriented and forward-looking outcomes that will reduce poverty and protect the future of the planet.
1 March 2012: UN General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser has highlighted that the UN remains an essential forum to tackle economic issues by putting forward initiatives that support sustainable development.
Al-Nasser was speaking on 1 March 2012 at a lecture at the University of Oxford, UK, on Global Challenges and the Role of the UN at the Dawn of the 21st Century. He said the sustainable development approach offers comprehensive, long-term, enduring solutions because of its emphasis on the interdependence of economic, social and environmental factors. He stressed that sustainable development is the only way to bring economic justice to societies where there is a widening gap between rich and poor, highlighting the UN’s role in putting forward initiatives that support sustainable development. Al-Nasser further noted that the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) should produce action-oriented and forward-looking outcomes that will reduce poverty and protect the future of the planet. [UN News Release][General Assembly President’s Statement]