Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović has stated today that the goals of sustainable development under the UN 2030 Agenda are concrete, that European integration is a way to accelerate the implementation of these goals, and that efforts need to be made to reach the main objective, namely to approach the ideal of eradicating poverty.
At the conference “Leadership and Social Transformation”, Joksimović has said that the Serbian Government remains committed to implementing sustainable development goals also through European integration, announcing that a voluntary national report will be prepared for September next year, which Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić will present at the UN General Assembly.
“Development and growth are not necessarily sustainable unless we set things on the foundations of political, economic and environmental sustainability. Just let citizens imagine one day without drinking water, which is one of the goals - that drinking water is available for all; how much annoyance only a few hours without water or electricity would create, and how much that changes the world we have become accustomed to and the life we have become used to”, noted Joksimović.
She has stated that it is extremely vital that a powerful media company - Adria Media Group - has launched this important topic, because it is not a utopia, no matter how it sounds, if responsibility is accepted to do something in relation to sustainable development as a government and individuals and citizens.
As she has pointed out, the transformation of our society globally, by 2030, through 17 goals of sustainable development is something with which no one who is reasonable can disagree.
“These goals mean the ability to become a generation, the last generation, that will be able to save the world through sustainable development and sustainable consumption and production, through a sustainable social component, but also through sustainable environmental protection, because resources are not infinite, nor is the time of humans”, the Minister has said.
She has stated that European integration is closely tied to the goals of sustainable development because these goals became part of the EU's political structure in 2016, and that through the negotiation process - through 35 chapters, 17 goals of sustainable development and 169 specific tasks contained within these objectives are actually achieved.
“All of us who are responsible for creating a responsible and sustainable Serbia in a responsible and sustainable EU must be aware of the task ahead of us”, Joksimović has emphasised, adding that until now all best practices have proven to be temporary and temporarily sustainable.
In her words, there is still no understanding that not every growth is focused on sustainable development.
“There is development that prevents future generations from developing, there is growth that is not sustainable, and that is why sustainability is the topic for all of us, primarily the Government, to create development that will not leave the coming generations unable to evolve, but leave them, if possible, with better conditions for development”, said the Minister.
She has pointed out that this is the essence of sustainable development, adding that the EU cohesion policy aims at reducing EU member states' own inequalities in regional development, but not to the detriment of others.
“It is the essence of sustainability, that if you develop one thing, that does not mean that you neglect the further development of other matters that have already demonstrated a level of development, and that is why cohesion policy is the best but at the same time the most difficult EU policy”, stated Joksimović, adding that cohesion policy is a policy of solidarity and reducing inequality within European regions.
She has noted that sustainable development policy is related to the EU pillar of credible EU enlargement, because the point of sustainable development is to include all potentials and everyone that can contribute and that are ultimately participants in sustainable development and growth.
“The policy of credible enlargement, including to the Western Balkans, certainly relies in part on the UN policy and Agenda to ensure that no one remains at the end or outside the line. I think that a responsible enlargement policy, supported by the UN 2030 sustainable development goals, aims not to leave the citizens of our region, our country, at any moment at the end or outside the line”, concluded Joksimović.
Source: Tanjug
