Kochanova: Belarus will promote SDGs at SCO, BRICS, EAEU and CIS platforms
"The UN Sustainable Development Goals are definitely good. They envisage peace, the creation of equal conditions for women and men, and the youth development..., but the achievement of all this is in great doubt at present,” Natalya Kochanova, the Chairperson of the Council of the Republic, said as she met with the Belarusian State University students on February 16th
As noted by Ms. Kochanova, the world does not want to create conditions under which the SDGs can be achieved. “All international agreements are violated. Our country is not even invited to some events, and – if invited – visas-related issues arise at the last moment, and so on. At the same time, the Council of the Republic members delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, articulating the truth that everyone is at risk. I believe that the United Nations can set thousands of good goals, but they will not make sense in the conditions when some parties put it beautifully on paper, while the others create obstacles. A person will not think about any issues of gender equality or youth development if they just need to survive. Therefore, the most important thing that all of us must do today is to ensure peace, also giving every country the opportunity to develop the way its people want. It is only possible to talk about the Sustainable Development Goals then,” she said.
According to the Chairperson of the Council of the Republic, the world is very restless today, and – with this in view – countries have begun consolidating through the SCO, BRICS, EAEU, and CIS.
“Many countries are beginning to unite, and we will promote the Sustainable Development Goals on these platforms – primarily, with an emphasis on the sovereignty and independence of each country. Every state has the right to self-determination and independence,” Ms. Kochanova stressed.
