Dennis Francis (at podium), president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), speaks to the press outside the General Assembly Hall at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 19, 2024. Francis on Friday marked the successful conclusion of the inaugural Sustainability Week, praising the active engagement and contributions of global leaders and the public towards advancing sustainability goals. (Xinhua/Xie E)
UNITED NATIONS, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Dennis Francis, president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), on Friday marked the successful conclusion of the inaugural Sustainability Week, praising the active engagement and contributions of global leaders and the public towards advancing sustainability goals.
Francis expressed his gratitude towards the heads of state and government, including the president of Poland and the prime ministers of Barbados and Uganda, for their participation in the week's events.
Their presence "greatly enhanced" the discussions that took place across several high-level meetings focused on debt sustainability, tourism, sustainable transport and infrastructure connectivity, he said.
"This week, we convened a series of important discussions that addressed critical aspects of sustainability, including socioeconomic equality, sustainable tourism, transport, and the completion of the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All," said Francis. The events aimed to foster dialogue and build global resilience through sustainable development.
In his closing remarks, Francis issued a "Call to Action" to the international community, urging increased efforts to provide access to electricity for over 600 million people and clean cooking solutions for over 2 billion individuals still relying on harmful fuels.
He emphasized the need to "dramatically scale up finance and investment" for developing nations and boost public-private partnerships, especially for technology transfer to the most vulnerable countries.
"As we conclude, let us carry forward this momentum to the Summit of the Future and beyond and turn commitments made this week into actionable and sustained efforts to meaningfully benefit prosperity, planet, and people," Francis said, calling for continued collaboration and action to realize these ambitious sustainability goals. ■
Dennis Francis, president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), speaks to the press outside the General Assembly Hall at the UN headquarters in New York, on April 19, 2024. Francis on Friday marked the successful conclusion of the inaugural Sustainability Week, praising the active engagement and contributions of global leaders and the public towards advancing sustainability goals. (Xinhua/Xie E)
