Sustainable Development Goals - 87th UNITAR Hiroshima Public Session

4 February 2016, Hiroshima, Japan - UNITAR Executive Director Nikhil Seth delivered the 87th UNITAR Hiroshima Public Session today, on the occasion of his first visit to the 'City of Peace', Hiroshima, Japan. Exploring the topical issue of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Public Session was held at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. With simultaneous Japanese/English translation, the session was attended by over 90 people, from schools, academia, government, NGOs and the local community.

Having being intimately involved with the development of both the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the SDGs, Mr. Seth was able to share with the audience deep insight into both. He especially highlighted that the SDGs, with its 17 goals and soon-to-be-released ~200 indicators, are more comprehensive and all-encompassing compared to the MDGs, with the aim to leave no one behind, and to reach the furthest first. Mr. Seth noted that there are over 70 countries already seeking assistance to implement and incorporate the SDGs at the national level, reflecting that there is great momentum and energy towards reaching the SDGs. He also emphasized that realizing the SDGs will help not only the Disaster Risk Reduction Agenda, but also the Climate Change Agenda, and the Peaceful and Just Societies Agenda.

The audience engaged Mr. Seth with a range of questions, including asking what are the biggest obstacles to fulfilling the SDGs and what lessons were learnt from the MDGs. Drawing on his broad experience in the UN, Mr. Seth outlined that 'shocks' - whether they are economic, political, social or environmental - are the biggest obstacle, as they put the brakes on development. He also drew attention to the goals on gender, as an example of how the SDGs are more inclusive. In the MDGs, the gender-based goal was extremely limited, only focusing on gender equality in education. In the SDGs, the goal on gender (Goal 5) is more complete, addressing issues from violence and discrimination, to participation and empowerment. Mr. Seth also took the opportunity to highlight that fulfilling the SDGs requires a concerted effort, at the global, regional, national and local levels, and encouraged everyone to find out more about the SDGs and get involved with their local communities and groups.

Mr. Seth's visit to Hiroshima was covered by the Chugoku Newspaper (in Japanese only)

Photos: 87th UNITAR Hiroshima Public Session