{"id":18907,"date":"2016-07-17T14:23:18","date_gmt":"2016-07-17T14:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/?p=18907"},"modified":"2018-04-22T11:58:31","modified_gmt":"2018-04-22T15:58:31","slug":"in-kenya-ban-calls-for-broader-partnerships-sustainable-investments-to-drive-global-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/blog\/2016\/07\/in-kenya-ban-calls-for-broader-partnerships-sustainable-investments-to-drive-global-development\/","title":{"rendered":"In Kenya, Ban calls for broader partnerships, sustainable investments to drive global development"},"content":{"rendered":"

At a United Nations intergovernmental forum opening in Nairobi, Kenya, today, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General<\/a> Ban Ki-moon urged participants to focus on strong collaboration, equality and inclusion in trade, finance and investment in order to better align action with agreed-upon sustainable development targets and help restore trust in the global economy.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe successful actions we will need over the next 15 years \u2013 especially in the area of trade, investment, technology and finance \u2013 require that we tap the full potential of all actors, promote innovation and correct unsustainable trends,\u201d Mr. Ban said<\/a> at the 14th session of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Conference at Trade and Development (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCTAD<\/a>), which began today and continues to 22 July.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must work together \u2013 across sectors and industries \u2013 in broader and deeper partnerships,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

The session, which has been held every four years since 1964, includes ministerial debates, high-level round tables, thematic events, a World Investment Forum, a Global Commodities Forum, a Youth Forum and a Civil Society Forum, among other events. This year’s theme is \u201cFrom Decisions to Actions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noting that Nairobi hosted an Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCTAD session just over four decades ago, the Secretary-General said that while much has changed in 40 years, many of the challenges raised at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCTAD IV remain on the international agenda.<\/p>\n

For example, he highlighted that the vulnerability of developing countries to volatile commodity markets was a main focus at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCTAD IV, and that today, with a global trade slowdown and declines in commodity prices, the issue is again a \u201chot button,\u201d along with other complex questions challenging the international community.<\/p>\n

\u201cVulnerability today derives not only from volatile markets, or from social instability, but also from a fragile global environment weakened by climate change,\u201d Mr. Ban said.<\/p>\n

The Secretary-General also noted that this year’s session is the first major Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ development conference since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development<\/a>, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda<\/a> and the Paris Agreement<\/a> on climate change.<\/p>\n

In particular, he highlighted that the 2030 Agenda will guide global collective action for sustainable development over the next 15 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe seventeen Sustainable Development Goals<\/a> (SDGs<\/a>) offer a blueprint for how the global economy, society and the environment should look in 2030, along with specific actions that will be required at global, regional and national levels,\u201d the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ chief emphasized.<\/p>\n

Noting that there are \u201cworrying signs\u201d that people around the world are increasingly unhappy with the state of the global economy, Mr. Ban said that high inequality, stagnant incomes, not enough jobs \u2013 especially for youth \u2013 and too little cause for optimism \u201cstoke legitimate fears for the future for many in all regions.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the global trade slowdown and a lack of productive investment have sharpened the deep divides between those who have benefited from globalization and those who continue to feel left behind, the Secretary-General stressed, many actual and would-be leaders are embracing protectionism and even xenophobia, rather than working to change the economic model for the better.<\/p>\n

The vision of the Sustainable Development Goals<\/em><\/h5>\n

\u201cThe vision set out in the SDGs \u2013 for people, planet, prosperity and peace \u2013 will not succeed if shocks and stresses in our global economic and financial system are not properly addressed. Trade must provide prosperity in ways that work for people and planet and respond to the challenges of climate change,\u201d Mr. Ban said, adding that the regulatory frameworks governing trade, investment in agricultural production, and technology related to agricultural productivity all play a critical role.<\/p>\n

He also said that incentive structures in financial markets, both at the level of institutions and the individual decision-maker, need to be aligned with social objectives in order to avoid large income disparities. The international community must also put a proper value on assets, such as ecosystem services, and correctly price systemic and interconnected risk, such as that posed by climate change.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are more than enough savings in the global economy to drive the transformation that the SDGs call for, but our investments need to become better aligned with sustainable development,\u201d Mr. Ban said.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy message to you today is that the SDGs represent the change we need to restore people’s trust in the global economy,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

In that regard, the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ chief said that Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCTAD \u2013 with its integrated approach to trade and development \u2013 has a vital role to play in implementing the interdependent, holistic sustainable development agenda.<\/p>\n

For its part, the 14th Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCTAD conference must establish how Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵCTAD will contribute to meeting the challenges of achieving the SDGs, the Secretary-General said, calling on Member States to agree in Nairobi on deeper cooperation on trade and development to bring the world closer to that vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrade, finance, technology and investment can be positive forces to end poverty. Used wisely, they can ensure that we leave no one behind,\u201d Mr. Ban said, noting that engagement must involve Heads of State and Government; parliamentarians; leaders from business and civil society; young entrepreneurs and philanthropists.<\/p>\n

Also today, the Secretary-General held a joint press conference with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, during which Mr. Ban thanked<\/a> Kenya for continuing to play a \u201cpivotal role\u201d in the region, noting that its contribution to regional peace and stability remains crucial.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time, the United Nations stands ready to work with the international community, and particularly on delivering humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of people who need daily assistance. You can count on the United Nations,\u201d Mr. Ban said with regard to South Sudan, adding that he appreciated the Kenyan Government and people for their generosity supporting the many people who have been fleeing from the war-torn country.<\/p>\n

via Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ News Centre<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At a United Nations intergovernmental forum opening in Nairobi, Kenya, today, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged participants to focus on strong collaboration, equality and inclusion in trade, finance and investment in order to better align action with agreed-upon sustainable development targets and help restore trust in the global economy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":192,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,30,29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-secretary-general","category-sustainable-development-agenda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/192"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18907\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/sustainabledevelopment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}