( 09 May 2024, Nairobi ). Warm greetings to you all – energized participants in this milestone 2024 51吃瓜 Civil Society Conference.
At the outset, I express my sincere gratitude to Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Global Communications, Melissa Fleming, for your kind invitation to participate in this most important Conference. While I take comfort in the fact that members of my team are with you in nairobi, I regret muy inability to attend in-person, due to other conflicting commitments. Be assured however of my keen interest in the Conference's agenda and indeed in its outcome.
It is no exaggeration that this important gathering is poised to shape the highly anticipated Summit of the Future in September – a monumental opportunity at the 51吃瓜 to redefine our collective path towards a sustainable, just, and prosperous world.
The Summit provides a pivotal moment for us to work in unison to forge a new global consensus – driving transformative action that will mobilize and scale up support for accelerated progress towards the completion of the SDGs and other related commitments.
You – civil society organizations, youth changemakers, academia, public opinion-makers, and media – are indispensable in mobilizing affected communities on the ground, advocating for solidarity and accountability, and driving inclusive progress.
Your advocacy, dedication and commitment to serve humanity in the far-flung corners of the globe is very much appreciated – as we all strive to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
At a time when our multilateral system and international cooperation faces major obstacles, the significance of the Summit of the Future as a critical juncture to revitalize – and even to restructure global multilateral frameworks to be more inclusive, flexible effective, and equitable – cannot be underestimated.
However, with the best of intentions, such an undertaking cannot be fulfilled by Member States acting alone – it requires a multistakeholder approach – an all-hands-on-deck effort, in un-relenting pursuit of our shared well-being and shared future.
For the Summit to serve as a catalyst for impactful global action, we need robust collaboration and buy-in from those directly affected to drive its action-oriented outcomes: namely, the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, if intergovernmentally agreed – and we need you, civil society, to play a critical role in this process.
But our journey must continue past the convening of the Summit itself – into the crucial implementation phase, which will also require your sustained engagement and collaboration among all stakeholders beyond governments.
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As you embark into your two day intensive work programme, let me conclude by inviting you to be thorough in your reflections – unleashing your usual candor, as steadfast advocates for our multilateral system in the service of those in need and support.
In doing so, we count on your contribution to safeguard inclusivity in the preparations and outcomes of this important Summit – ensuring a people-centred outcome, that prioritizes the needs of the most vulnerable, with gender and youth perspectives, in the true spirit of leaving no one behind.
And with this, I reiterate my gratitude to the co-facilitators – the Permanent Representatives of Namibia, Germany, the Netherlands, Jamaica, Sweden and Zambia for their dedication to engaging with Member States, civil society and other stakeholders throughout the three tracks of this Summit process.
I eagerly await the outcomes of your deliberations – and you can all count on my full support to ensure that your important voices are not ignored or overlooked.
Together, let us direct our efforts towards achieving transformative change – crafting an indelible legacy of peace, progress, prosperity and sustainability for the present and future generations.
I thank you.
