UN envoy TS Tirumurti asserts implementation of SDGs through efforts of 'whole society'

India's Permanent Representative to United Nations TS Tirumurti has asserted that Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) can be implemented through the efforts of "whole society". Tirumurti added that the society includes government, private sector, universities and civil society. Speaking at an event organised by MOP Vaishnav College for Women in Chennai as part of the UN Day Intercollegiate Fest 2021 on Monday, 24 October, Tirumurti remembered the commencement of the building block of the SDG at the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. 

Tirumurti recalls initiation of SDGs

Addressing an event organised by MOP Vaishnav College for Women, Tirumurti said that the UN Member States did not negotiate "Millenium Development Goals" and the UN Secretary-General had given them to the countries for implementation. He stated that the developed countries were interested in implementing SDGs in Rio+20 in 2012. Furthermore, he revealed that India, Brazil and other countries, insisted on having the negotiations by all Member States in Rio+20 Conference. He added that all the Member States agreed to have negotiations. 

"The MDGs - Millenium Development Goals - were not negotiated by the UN Member States but merely handed down by UN Secretary-General for countries to implement. In Rio+20 in 2012, developed countries were interested in doing the same thing for SDGs as well, which is to have a non negotiated process," ANI quoted TS Tirumurti as saying.

"At Rio+20 Conference, primarily due to efforts of countries like India, Brazil and others, who insisted on these negotiations being done in the UN by all Member States, this Member States driven process was finally agreed to. Now SDGs truly belong to all Member States of the UN and we have a joint stake in implementing them," Tirumurti added.

Tirumurti underlined that the SDGs were developed based on maintaining the balance between three pillars, "environment, social and economic pillars." Speaking on achieving Agenda 2030 in the Decade of Action, Tirumurti highlighted that the pandemic has caused humanitarian and economic crises since the Second World War, particularly for vulnerable countries. Speaking on India's SDG initiatives, India's Permanent Representative to UN TS Tirumurti said that the programmes are aimed at access to "clean cooking fuels" to households, "improving sanitation" and added that over "420 million bank accounts for the unbanked" have been given to people. Furthermore, he informed that India has announced "food, security, cash transfers" to reduce the suffering of the people. 

Speaking at an event, Tirumurti pointed out that India is the only country among the G20, which is on its way to achieving the Paris Agreement target of 2030. Moreover, India has been making efforts to make the country a "Green Hydrogen Hub". He added that India is in the Security Council for a tenure of two years and has been playing a "constructive bridging role."

"We just had our Presidency in August where we had high-level events on maritime security, UN peacekeeping and counter-terrorism. We will continue to play a role in supporting developing countries and be their voice in UNSC," ANI quoted TS Tirumurti as saying. 

Image: PTI

(With inputs from ANI)