Delivering the inaugural lecture in the IISS Fullerton Lecture Series, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined the importance of capacity building, global cooperation and collaboration, new technologies and engagement and empowerment of people, in providing the tools to secure a sustainable future.
23 March 2012: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on governments to consider new ways to integrate the three pillars of sustainable development – environmental, social and economic, highlighting that the international institutional architecture for sustainable development needs to be improved.
Ban was delivering the inaugural lecture in the International Institute for Strategic Studies Fullerton Lecture Series, on 23 March 2012, in Singapore. His lecture, titled “Securing our Future: Singapore, the Region and Beyond,” focused on, inter alia, regional collaboration on sustainable development and disaster response, as well as on regional and global collaboration on security challenges.
In his lecture, Ban recognized Singapore’s successful disaster response and sustainable development policies, praising the country for its investment in education, healthcare and people, and its activities and collaborative efforts in relation to the Forum of Small States and the Global Governance Group. He highlighted that the world can learn from Singapore’s successes.
Ban said the global effort to achieve sustainable peace requires sustainable development, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20). Further noting that in the next 20 years, the world will need at least 50% more food, 45% more energy and 30% more water, he urged the world to “think and act together” to address these challenges, stressing that food, water and energy security are inextricably linked.
He also underscored the need to involve civil society, the private sector and the scientific community, women and youth. Ban outlined that capacity building, global cooperation and collaboration, new technologies, and engagement and empowerment of people are all necessary to provide more tools to secure a sustainable future.
The IISS Fullerton Lecture series comprises eight lectures a year bringing major figures in Asia-Pacific and international affairs to speak in Singapore. [UN Secretary-General’s Lecture] [UN Press Release] [IISS Fullerton Lecture Series webpage]