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UN General Assembly president calls for big investment in sustainable development

Xinhua, September 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft on Monday called for big investment in sustainable development.

"It is due time for far-reaching decisions to bring an end to devastating conflicts and to start investing big in sustainable development," he said at the opening of the general debate of the General Assembly's 70th session. "Action is needed now."

"Never before have we been at greater risk of fundamentally disrupting the basic living conditions on our small globe," he said, challenging the UN to generate the political will to end conflict and poverty and invest the trillions of dollars that will be needed to build a sustainable global infrastructure over the next 15 years.

"The least developed countries can only do this, when rich countries live up to their longstanding commitments of a minimum of 0.7 percent of their national income in development assistance," he noted.

"And national governments can only fund their share of the investment required by fighting corruption and building efficient tax systems," he added.

He called for member states to act in accordance with the agreed understanding behind the 2030 Agenda by recognizing the strong linkages between development, peace and security and respect for human rights.

He also expressed hope that the UN will develop a more direct role in reconciliation and peace-building, including in conflicts where they have failed until now.

"And that we will move forward in our common efforts to prevent vicious radicalization and fight the evil of terrorism," he noted.

"This 70th anniversary of the United Nations must be a defining year to confirm and invigorate the universal values that we -- the peoples --agreed upon in the Charter," he stressed. Endit