Ankara – The conference titled “Rising Global Pessimism: Whither Sustainability Agenda” with the Keynote Speaker Helen Clark, Former New Zealand Prime Minister and UNDP Administrator, was held by TEPAV on May 14th, 2018 at TOBB-Economy and Technology University.
The conference was kicked off with the welcome and opening remarks from TEPAV’s Managing Director Güven Sak, who was moderating the meeting. In his opening speech, Mr. Sak reviewed the significant events in 2015, among them the Turkish Presidency in G20, migration policies in the G20 agenda, Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Iran Nuclear Deal. He pointed out that in comparison with optimistic perception about the future, today certain protectionist policies, climate change as well as Iran nuclear deal skeptics are gaining an upper hand.
Following the remarks, the Keynote Speaker for the conference, Helen Clark, focusing on environmental and climate funding, investigated the difference of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where SDGs were outcomes of a more participatory process, and outlined systematic steps to reaching these goals, bringing the examples from China’s attempts towards SDGs. Furthermore, Helen Clark emphasized the significance of densified focus on migration issue, bringing Turkey as an exemplary country when it comes to migrants and displaced peoples. She noticed that for Europe which needs migrants as it shelters an ever-aging demographic, there is a need to establish more channels promoted and created by the EU to facilitate these migratory needs of Europe.
Helen Clark concluded the presentation by giving her thoughts on the developmental problems facing countries, outlining four most pressing issues in health, education, employment and ‘good governance’, mentioning the necessity of developing new and improved governance systems. Rwanda was brought as an example of successful implementation of the reforms in educational, health and employment despite the authoritarian leadership.
