Ramotar, attend opening of UN General Assembly Debate
President Donald Ramotar this morning attended the opening of the General Debate of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
UN secretary General in addressing the opening of the debate this morning spoke passionately about his new initiative, called Education First, for which he has named President Donald Ramotar among the selected world leaders to review the global education system.
“Tomorrow (Wednesday) I will launch a new initiative — Education First. On Thursday we will announce major additional support for the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement. And over the past two years, the 260 partners in our Every Woman Every Child initiative have disbursed $10 billion in new money. We are proving, on the ground, that well constructed partnerships can, and are, delivering results that none of us can deliver alone” the Secretary General said.
He noted that the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals is little more than three years away and urged that every effort be made to ensure that poverty is eradicated.
“We must intensify our efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. The economic crisis can not be an excuse to default on your commitments to the basics that all people need.
Even if we achieve the MDGs, there is still a long way to go. The Rio+20 Conference has pointed the way, including towards a set of sustainable development goals. These new goals and the post-2015 development agenda will guide our work for years to come. The MDGs sparked a remarkable global mobilization. These new frameworks must do the same — speaking to and inspiring people across the world” Mr. Ban said.
He noted that the action on climate change remains a major piece of unfinished business.
“Last December, Member States agreed to reach a legally binding agreement by 2015. Now, you must make good on this promise. Time is running out on our ability to limit the rise in global temperature to 2 degrees centigrade. Changing course will not be easy. But to see this as only a burden misses the bigger picture. Sustainability and the green economy offer compelling opportunities to promote jobs, growth, innovation and long-term stability. The future we want can be ours — if we act now. Just as there can be no peace without development, there can be no development without peace” he added.
Ramotar will be meeting with the Director General of the international Organization on Migration (IOM).
He will address the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
