Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament are deeply committed to promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) both in the EU and around the world. This is why three S&D MEPs - Linda McAvan, Seb Dance and Arne Lietz - are in New York this week as part of a European Parliament delegation to the UN High Level Political Forum on the implementation of the SDGs.

Yesterday evening S&D MEPs met with the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres. They stressed the importance of EU leadership in the implementation of the SDGs, the fight against climate change and the need reinforce coordinated action through multilateral organisations.

 

Linda McAvan, who chairs the development committee in the European Parliament, and is also in the parliamentary delegation to New York, said:

“It is an important time for multilateralism and the UN. With the challenges the world is facing today, now more than ever we need a stronger United Nations. We strongly support the Secretary General in the ongoing reform of the UN."

 

Seb Dance MEP said:

“The challenges the world faces are vast and cut across all aspects of our lives, whether we live in a richer or a poorer country. The good news is that we can solve them - as long as we continue to work together as an international community. There are those who would seek to destroy all this. They offer easy-sounding answers or simplistic analyses. But they won’t stop climate change or alleviate poverty. What will deliver to better our world is the hard work that needs to be done across civil society, government and businesses. The SDGs give us the framework we need to get that hard work to bear fruit.”

 

Arne Lietz MEP said:

“The Secretary General of the UN urged us to do everything possible in our capacity to deliver on the SDGs and to strengthen climate protection. I was able to give him an initiative report of the European Parliament on climate diplomacy which fulfills his request.”