Chancellor Heraldo Muñoz participated this morning in the seminar "2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges for Chile", organized by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs; Economy, Development and Tourism; Social Development; and Environment, jointly with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).
At the inauguration, which took place at ECLAC headquarters, Minister Muñoz welcomed the invitation to reflect on the Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) and explained the Opportunities of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
"The approval of this Agenda reveals an unequivocal political desire to move towards transformation. And I would like to recall the statement made by President Bachelet, who, during her approval, pointed out that 'what we do or don't do today will mark our destiny in the coming decades'; and that is indeed so, so it is time to mobilize now to start fulfilling what we have to do in 2030", he said.
On the challenge posed by SDGs to the United Nations system, the Secretary of State indicated that "in order to materialize the road to sustainability, a revitalized global alliance is needed to provide us with the human, technical and financial means and resources needed. These SDGs are integrated in nature and, therefore, require the strategic planning of the entire United Nations system. It's a challenge for the system, as it has never faced before.
"Our challenge at a national level, added the Minister, is to establish inclusion mechanisms, with an effective entitlement to rights, that will contribute to the promotion of employment, social protection and economic empowerment, particularly for women and young people," added Chancellor Muñoz, who explained that Chile has put in place a mechanism for advice and coordination: the "National Council for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development".
Implementation of Agenda 2030
Minister Muñoz reported that this multisectoral Council is made up of the Ministries that have a more direct impact on the implementation of the SDOs and is advised by the National Statistics Institute to define and adapt indicators for monitoring the Goals.
The functions of this Council will be to advise the President of the Republic on the implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda and to serve as a coordinating authority at a national level with the relevant entities, whether governmental, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, private sector and/or civil society.
The Council may invite representatives of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, civil society and/or relevant experts to make their contributions, who shall participate with the Right to Voice. It will also ensure that civil society is adequately represented through the various committees and working groups to be set up by the Council.
"The fulfilment of the SDGs entails an effort that commits us as a country, so we have a task that depends on the collective and coordinated work carried out by the different actors involved in order to comply with the spirit of transversality that these Objectives state", added Minister Muñoz.
At the opening of the seminar, in addition to the words of ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena, the ministers of Economy, Development and Tourism, Luis Felipe Céspedes; of Social Development, Marcos Barraza; and of the Environment, Pablo Badenier, also spoke.