The meeting consisted of a panel discussion on ethics and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. The first speaker of the panel was Mr. Jan Eliasson, who gave an overview of the SDGs and discussed the methods of achieving these goals in the new year. He stated the three pillars of the United Nations are peace, security, and human rights. He explained that the 2030 agenda is a 21st century declaration of interdependence, intended to promote human well being, advance gender equality, and support construction of stronger institutions that are inclusive of all societies.

The second speaker of the panel was Mr. Rapil Zhoshybayev, who stated that sustainability and ethics have now become a concern of every sector of human society, and that to achieve social justice, we must all abide by our own moral compass. He also declared that in the 21st century, successful countries would not be distinguished by their arsenals and weapons, but by their ability to form partnerships and work in coalition.

Another notable speaker was Ms. Lisa Kingo, who discussed her organization UN Global Compact, an initiative that began 15 years ago with a challenge for business leaders to act on the SDGs. It has grown to be the largest corporate sustainability initiative with over 8,000 corporate participants, coming equally from developed and developing countries. She explained that global challenges, such as those regarding food or crises, are in need of the private sector. She stated that UN Global Compact is beneficial to the companies as well; SDGs are a major driver of the markets of tomorrow, unleashing waves of innovative sustainable products, and companies can leverage the SDGs for growth. After the keynote address and the panelist speakers, the floor was open to questions from the delegates and audience.

Meeting: Panel discussion on “Ethics and the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” (organized by the Permanent Mission of Panama, in collaboration with the Permanent Missions of Argentina, Costa Rica, Finland, Germany, Kazakhstan, Palau and Qatar)

Date/Location: Wednesday January 13, 2015, 10:00 – 13:00; Trusteeship Council Chamber

Speakers: Mr. Jan Eliasson, Deputy Secretary-General of the UN; Mr. Rapil Zhoshybayev, first Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan; Ms. Lisa Kingo, executive director of Global Compact; Ambassador Oh Joon, president of ECOSOC; Mr. Cobus De Swardt, managing director of Transparency International

Written By: WIT Representative Kangho (Paul) Jung

Edited By: WIT Representative Alex Margolick

Photo Credit: Coverage of Live Stories and Press