Since 2015, the 193 UN member states have agreed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Agenda 2030), which elucidate 17 global goals meant to be realised by 2030. These SDGs are in many ways the practical translation of the three pillars of the UN system’s raison d’être.

The UN’s approach to that, as the secretary general firmly puts it in his vision, is: We have got to look at how we prevent conflicts and once we come out of them, how do we sustain the peace and development. And in the middle of this, we are saying that the SDGs are the frameworks that we need to invest in. There are therefore no quick wins in this discussion. If we are to have sustainable development, we cannot put a band-aid on things. And if you don’t address the root causes, we are never going to have sustainable development. Therefore, we have to go back to the drawing board and we have to be courageous about it; and the UN has to come together and be much more responsive in the way in which it supports countries, in order to move them forward.

Working on climate, environmental sanitation, food processing, crop growing, food allocation, gender issues – this is all connected, [but] people still operate in silos. I was very happy when the UN came up with the Sustainable Development Goals and goal number 17 was partnerships and collaboration. You have to work together to be able to achieve something tangible.

In the 21st century, we face enormous economic, social, and technological challenges as articulated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals: the need to achieve zero hunger, clean water, affordable and clean energy, healthcare, and economic development. Innovation and commitment to problem-solving will be the key to addressing these challenges- that requires that we continually engage the next generation to achieve the solutions to these challenges.

All Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are tied to Education. How then do we want to achieve all these lofty goals without education.

The key objective of the SDGs is for no one to be left behind, and so these objectives lead us to start with marginalized groups,

And what the SDGs tell us is: Let’s take a step back and let’s ask people to set the foundations on which we are building sustainable development. Let’s get them right; let’s take the time to do that and not be in a hurry to fail.

Goal 17 of the SDGs notes that a successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society.

Sustaining the SDGs (sustainable development goals) will require that member states develop innovative financing strategies to ensure that implementation reaches those most left behind. At this critical juncture, including Taiwan is an essential next step if we are to successfully achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We call for Taiwan's inclusion in the United Nations system, which encompasses participation in meetings, mechanisms and activities that pertain to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Doing so would not only strengthen global cooperation and partnership, but also emphasize the principle of ensuring that "no one is left behind".

My goal is to leverage the platform I’ve been given through my career in film, television and entertainment to raise awareness of and mobilize support for the Sustainable Development Goals – specifically, how each and every one of us can play an important role in making them a reality.

These goals — clean water for all; school for every child; medicine for the afflicted, an end to extreme and senseless poverty — these are not just any goals; they are the Millennium Development goals, which this country supports. And they are more than that. They are the Beatitudes for a Globalised World.

I would rather talk about the opportunities in Africa. I want to create a positive narrative of Africa. However, we know that we still face challenges of conflicts, disease, poverty and hunger. That is why we must implement the Sustainable Development Goals and Africa’s Agenda 2063, the African Union’s blueprint and master plan for transforming Africa.

If you think it's impossible, then it is...for you.

Bold objectives--solving world hunger or creating global literacy--are not impossible. We live in a day & age where impossible things are becoming possible every day.

Chairperson, our biggest aim is to strengthen actions targeting critical structural opportunities and challenges facing South African society that require data, research, thought leadership and policy experimentation.