UNGA Conference & UNGA High-Level Reception on the Occasion of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) and Peace Islands Institute (PII) organized the UNGA Conference & UNGA High-Level Reception entitled “UN Post-2015 Development Agenda: Contributions of Private Sector and Civil Society” on 29-30 September 2015 in New York.

The 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly is a key moment for the United Nations as the Member States met at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 25-27 September 2015 to sign a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centered set of universal goals. This high-profile get-together is focussed on the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the follow-up to the UN’s Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), which were set in 2000 with a completion date of this year.

This universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world underlines the importance of public-private partnership in achieving sustainable development, and ultimately, sustainable peace.

The Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) and Peace Islands Institute (PII) took these historic event as an opportunity to create a global awareness for the importance of partnership between the private sector, civil society and the governments in the implementation phase.

H.E. Atefeh RiaziAssistant Secretary-GeneralUN Chief Information Technology Officer, OICT		H.E. Thomas GassAssistant Secretary-General Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA		H.E. Lakshimi PuriAssistant Secretary-General Deputy Executive Director of UN Women			H.E. Ndeye Awa MbodjMember of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (Senegal)
H.E. Elois AnguimateMinister of EducationCenteral African Republic		H.E. Lambert KotyFr. Minister of Works & Trasnport (Benin)		H.E. Besnik MustafajFr. Minister of Foreign Affairs (Albania)			Dr. Tran Viet ThaiDeputy Director-GeneralDiplomatic Academy of Vietnam
H.E. Arben MalajFr. Minister of Finance and Economy (Albania)		H.E. Sia Nyama KoromaFirst Lady of Sierra Leone		First Ladies of ExcellenceAwards 2015			H.E. Fatou Lamin FayeMinister of Education (Gambia)

UNGA Conference : Experience-Sharing from all Around the World

Representatives of more than 60 countries attended the UNGA Conference organized by the Journalists and Writers Foundation (JWF) and Peace Islands Institute (PII) in New York.

The UNGA Conference titled “UN Post-2015 Development Agenda: Contributions of Private Sector and Civil Society” was sponsored by global partners such the African Union, Kimse Yok Mu, NALSA (K), and Pierre Cardin. The conference was attended by ministers, academics, bureaucrats, entrepreneurs, and NGO leaders from 60 countries- from Germany to Kenya, from Australia to Tanzania, from Vietnam to India.

Speaking in the morning session, Central African Republic Education Minister Eloi Anguimate underlined the contribution of the civil society to the development of countries through education. Stating that it is impossible to achieve the sustainable development only through the hands of the state without the support of the civil society and private sector, in this regard, Anguimate praised the activities of the Hizmet movement, a civil society movement inspired by Turkish-Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, which is active throughout the world including Central African Republic. The minister underlined that education is needed not just for development but also to establish peace and stability in the country. H.E. Anguimate added that chaos, violence and migrant tragedies witnessed in various countries across the world can only be prevented through education.

The Vice-President of the Journalists and Writers Foundation, which holds the UN ECOSOC General Consultative Status, Mr. Hüseyin Hurmalı also delivered an opening speech, underlining that JWF has contributed to UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 ahead of this year’s summit. Stating that UN’s Development Agenda includes goals to improve cooperation of the state institutions with private sector. Hurmalı said, the Hizmet movement has already contributes to achieve these goals in its activities across the world.

First Time in History that We have 169 Tools – So Nobody is Left Behind

“It´s time to speak less, we have to do something!“- With these words, the speaker of the Kenya National Assembly, H.E. Kaparo calls for action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. H.E. Thomas Gass, the Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in UN DESA, underlines that “we need to strengthen the relationship between the government and the people. It’s the first time in history, that we have 169 tools, so nobody is left behind!“

The First Lady of Sierra Leone, H.E. Nyoma Koroma gave an impressive speech at the Conference, underlining that education is the most important tool for allowing women to make their own choices in life.

First Ladies of Excellence Awards were presented to the First Ladies of Sierra Leone and The Gambia at the end of the four-panel conference. H.E. Sia Nyama Koromo addressed the audience about her contributions to education and health of women and girls. Excellency Koromo received the award from Ms. Pulchérie Simpson, President of the African Empowerment Council and a plaque from Mr. Huseyin Hurmali, Vice President of the Journalists and Writers Foundation.

H.E. Fatou Lamin Faye, Minister of Education of The Gambia, also, spoke about the importance of women empowerment and education. Minister Faye briefed the audience about the good work that H.E. Zineb Yahya Jammeh does for women and girls in The Gambia. Minister Faye received the First Ladies of Excellence award on behalf of the First Lady of The Gambia from Mr. Falai Baldeh, Director of West African Development Society and a plaque from Mr. Mehmet Kilic, Director of the Center for Global Affairs at Peace Islands Institute.