The United Nations and European Union will come together from June 15 to 16 at the 2021 edition of the European Development Days (EDDs). Organised by the European Commission, the 14th edition of the EDDs will focus on the ‘The Green Deal for a Sustainable Future’ and is fully digital.
“This is a critical moment to mobilise global action for the delivery of the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including climate and environmental commitments”, says Barbara Pesce-Monteiro, Director of the UN/United Nations Development Programme Brussels Representation Office.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed are among this year’s speakers. Virtual panels, debates and sessions will be held across the two days centred around the themes of ‘A Green Economy for People and Nature’ and ‘Protecting Biodiversity and People’.
Commitment to global solidarity
“In these challenging times, the EU has been a key supporter of multilateralism and the UN, and has shown great commitment to global solidarity, including through its strong contribution to the COVAX Facility”, says Barbara Pesce-Monteiro, referring to the global UN supported vaccine procurement and supply operation aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. EU Member States recently committed to donating at least 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to countries in need by the end of 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that the world’s current development model is socially and environmentally unsustainable and requires radical change. 2021 is the key year to find solutions for a sustainable recovery which puts people and planet at the heart of socio-economic development.
The EU, with its European Green Deal, an action plan to make the EU’s economy sustainable, has a fundamental role to play. It is committed to becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has previously urged the bloc to continue to lead with concrete and ambitious near-term commitments.
“The UN and the EU work together to ensure that the global recovery from COVID-19 leads to a more sustainable, greener and fairer world, where no one is left behind. The European Development Days give us a great opportunity to come together with all partners to devise policy solutions and innovative tools to achieve this transition,” concludes Barbara Pesce-Monteiro.
The UN will participate at the EDDs with several sessions and contributions including from the UN Secretariat, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Trade Centre (ITC), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Office for Project Services UNOPS, UN-Habitat, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), UN Women, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
To view the full programme, please visit: https://eudevdays.eu/programme
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