Real work for EU members has only just begun, says World Vision ahead of historic summit to adopt global development goals

Ahead of the UN summit to adopt new Sustainable Development Goals, aid agency World Vision says the real work has only just begun, and is urging politicians and policy makers to hit the ground running if they are to capitalize on this historic opportunity to end extreme poverty within a generation.

Heads of state from Europe and around the world will gather in New York from 25-27 September to adopt an ambitious agenda to eradicate extreme poverty within the next 15 years. The agenda applies equally to all countries and outlines 17 goals to tackle the root causes of poverty, inequality and environmental destruction. They will also seek to promote peaceful and inclusive societies.

“The new goals represent an un-presented opportunity to transform the lives of the most vulnerable children in the hardest places to live. This includes commitments to end poverty in all its forms, eliminate child hunger and preventable child deaths, and end violence against children,” said World Vision Public Policy Director Chris Derksen-Hiebert.

World Vision is committed to ensuring the European Union and its member states fully implement the Sustainable Development Goals. World Vision Brussel’s Director of Advocacy Deirdre de Burca said: “World Vision is part of a broad alliance of European organizations who are already thinking about how the new goals should be implemented here.

“The members of this alliance recently sent a joint letter to First Vice President of the European Commission, Franz Timmermans, who will lead the EU delegation going to the UN summit in New York. This letter calls for a clear EU implementation strategy for the Sustainable Development Goals, full public consultation and for robust and transparent monitoring and review mechanisms at EU level to analyze progress and re-direct efforts as necessary.”

De Burca says the goals are just commitments on paper, until work begins to achieve them. “We cannot afford to waste time. Politicians and policy makers must take urgent action to ensure that this ambitious agenda is realized and that the  most vulnerable children are reached first. They are the children in remote areas, in the worst urban slums, in the midst of intractable conflicts and buffeted by droughts or flooding caused by the effects of climate change.”

World Vision  will be working to ensure commitments by the EU and all UN member states are kept at the country level. This work will include empowering communities to hold their local leaders and governments accountable for progress.

World Vision is a relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. It works in close to 100 countries in most regions of the world including Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific Region.

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