UN Summit of the Future will provide platform to accelerate SDGs implementation – Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett

Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has emphasised the need for the UN Summit of the Futureto accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), unlocking finance for climate action and development.

Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett believes this will drive real reform on the international financial architecture and the UN Security Council and create a new emergency platform for countries.

The ambassador made the statement during the UN Summit of the Future Dialogue on Wednesday, at the Cara Lodge Hotel, Quamina Street, Georgetown.

“I think it’s a very important engagement, the summit of the future…I think it’s important for the international community to rally around common objectives. It’s not very easy to get to that endpoint sometimes, but I think it’s good for us to be talking,” she stated.

World leaders will converge at the summit in September 2024 to discuss new issues and create a new international consensus on fast-tracking progress towards SDGs, among other key international commitments. 

They will have the opportunity to mend the mistrust, as well as enhance an effective global population and tackle emerging threats.

“What we are seeing right now is a growing mistrust among nations. We are living in a very polarised world. And there are lots of concerns about global peace and security. We have more conflicts in the world today than we have seen since World War Two,” she explained.

To confront these challenges, the ambassador noted that, “We are hoping that we will have a very ambitious document, the Pact of the Future, one that would bring change for our world. Guyana will continue to advocate for this, aligning with many other countries because we share similar views… The UN will be central as we go forward in implementing the Pact for the Future.”

Guyana will be strongly advocating on climate change, including the conservation of the forest and its services during the summit, as the nation continues to be a leader in the sector.

In the food sector, Guyana has been leading the charge regionally, by transforming the agricultural food system with the execution of climate-smart agricultural practices. 

But with the persistence of food insecurity, the ambassador emphasised the need for financing now more than ever.

“We, in Guyana, have been doing very well. We have been moving forward with our development. We have been able to do that, not just because of oil, but we have put in place very prudent policies as well. But we are not out of the woods. We have a lot to do. We are transforming our infrastructure, health and education [sectors]. We are a part of a global system and anything that affects the global system will affect us. This is why we have to remain engaged,” the ambassador said.

Meanwhile, the upcoming summit will focus on practical strategies to achieving common objectives, building upon existing frameworks like the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira; Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, outgoing UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Yeșim Oruç; members of the diplomatic community, and other organisations were also present at the event.