Delegate: Mr. Iván Daniel Martínez Pichardo
99. Mr. Martínez Pichardo (Mexico), speaking as a youth delegate, said that it was imperative to move away from an international system that was limited to interactions among its members, and towards an international society of shared values and interests that was respectful of existing multilateral frameworks. The international community had launched a paradigm shift with its adoption of the 2030 Agenda; however, the Sustainable Development Goals could only be achieved if their comprehensive and indivisible nature was respected. It was thus urgent that the General Assembly, at its seventy-fourth session, review the structure of the high-level political forum, which, in its current format, was more divisive than inclusive.
100. Mexico had demonstrated its broad commitment to combating climate change, which was one of the most pressing causes facing humankind. As climate change also had an impact on social issues such as poverty reduction, it was imperative to continue to promote multilateralism and to consider how economies were organized, and, at the individual level, to change a number of daily habits which undermined the environment.
101. Accordingly, the twenty-fourth session of the Conference of the Parties must adopt a work programme that was balanced and agreeable to all, incorporated all the elements of the Paris Agreement and ensured that no one was left behind.
102. At a time when intergovernmental discussions on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions were moving forward, discussions on disaster risks should not be delayed, as strengthening countries’ resilience to natural disasters was vital. The Sendai targets for disaster risk reduction must be fulfilled and progress made on that agenda at the forthcoming sixth session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held in May 2019. As a mega-diverse country and current President of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Mexico was concerned at the slow pace of progress in fulfilling the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The challenge at the forthcoming meeting of the
Conference of the Parties would be to set even more ambitious targets and launch discussions on possible post-2020 schemes. It was also important to continue mainstreaming biodiversity into agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism.[*16*]
103. Civil society had a key role to play and should also be able to take ownership in an integrated approach to sustainable development, based on the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework and other multilateral instruments. Various social groups, particularly youth, as agents of change, should also have a chance to assume ownership in fulfilling the 2030 Agenda and tackling structural barriers in the development paradigm. Indigenous peoples, too, with their rich ancestral knowledge, could help achieve a more harmonious coexistence with the planet.
104. Lastly, he wished to stress the role of partnerships towards achieving the 2030 Agenda; youth seeking to initiate change would be grateful for more opportunities to engage in dialogue with civil society, Government and the private sector. Young people aspiring to be the first generation to live in peaceful and sustainable societies that left no one behind believed that it was crucial to work with the United Nations, which was a catalyst for global change and played a vital role towards achieving the people-centred 2030 Agenda.
UN Doc.: A/C.2/73/SR.12
Cite as:
UN Doc.: A/C.2/73/SR.12, 15 October 2018, p. 15, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/mexico-2018-6/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-191623-0.