For Immediate Release

ACTION/2015 calls for the New Zealand Government to support robust UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The action/2015 movement in New Zealand is urging the government to use its weight to support action on poverty, inequality and climate change at crucial negotiations next week in New York (17-20 February 2015)

The negotiations in New York will set the overall vision for the set of sustainable development goals – key agreements that will set global goals for the next generation. These negotiations are the crucial moment for governments to set the ambition of the agreements and action/2015 is urging a clear focus on poverty, inequality and climate change.

Action/2015 is backed by a group of 32 leading international figures including Bill Gates, and Shakira and Leymah Gbowee. At the launch of action/2015 in January, the group issued a letter to world leaders, including the Prime Minister of New Zealand, warning them that unless they fully grasp the opportunity of this year they could be ‘sleep-walking the world towards one of the greatest failures of recent history’.

Amid growing worries that tackling inequality could be side-lined in the final document, the New Zealand Government is being asked to push hard for a strong commitment to all goals and appropriate targets.

Director of the Council for International Development (CID), Dr Wren Green says: “Next week the New Zealand Government has an opportunity to defend the rights of the poorest and most marginalised and shape one of the most important agreements of our time.

“In January, the action/2015 campaign, which CID is a member of, mobilised hundreds of thousands of people all around the world. The campaign is giving voice to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pushing for ambitious outcomes at the negotiations this year. Next week in New York negotiators must show they are listening, and push for the goals and targets announced in September this year to be truly universal. The goals should only be considered met when all countries have achieved them.”

At its core, the global action/2015 movement believes the new SDGs, as well as the Paris climate negotiations in December, are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure equality for all and ensure that everyone is able to lead lives full of opportunity.

The action/2015 movement is focused on securing ambitious outcomes at two crucial summits this year. The first is September’s UN Sustainable Development Goal Summit in New York that will result in new global goals – a framework to end all forms of poverty, discrimination, and inequalities. The second is the UN climate change summit in December that will set new climate action targets - a crucial step towards a safer planet.

These commitments taken together should lay the foundation for addressing the world’s most pressing challenges.

ENDS

Notes for Editors over page.

action/2015 is calling on the public to join them in their calls to ensure world leaders commit to a better world. Throughout 2015, the campaign will provide ways for everyone everywhere to get involved in influencing the outcomes of these global debates that could achieve:

• An end to poverty in all its forms;

• The meeting of fundamental rights, tackling inequality and discrimination;

• An accelerated transition to 100% renewable energy;

• A world where everyone can participate and hold their leaders accountable.

The Post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations (Declaration Session) is taking place in New York from the 17 Feb 2015 - 20 Feb 2015.

.

© Scoop Media