At this year's forum, the talks focused in particular on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda goals to combat poverty (goal 1) and hunger (goal 2), on measures to combat climate change (goal 13), on peace, justice and strong institutions (goal 16) and on partnerships for the goals (goal 17). The wide range of topics covered required close cooperation between the FDFA, DETEC, EAER, FDHA during the preparation phase and also on site in Geneva. Important stakeholders were also represented in the delegation by Pro Natura and the Swiss UN Youth Reps. Markus Reubi, the Federal Council's delegate for the 2030 Agenda and head of the Swiss delegation to the forum, highlighted the significance of the delegation's diversity: "It demonstrates the broad-based interest in stepping up the implementation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals."
Despite challenges in the geopolitical environment, Switzerland is once again pursuing clear priorities this year that are based on its 2030 Sustainable Development Strategy. These include the transformation towards sustainable food systems, the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the fight against climate change, and access to better data and the necessary anticipation of future technological developments. In this way, Switzerland can make a significant contribution to combating poverty and hunger, which is key to sustainable development.
The findings from the UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development will feed into the High-level Political Forum in July and the Summit of the Future in New York in September. The aim of the summit is to help ensure that the international community delivers on the promises it made in 2015 and works even more closely with civil society, business and science.
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E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
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