–also serves as poignant reminder of Guyana’s commitment to the SDGs

THE United Nations Guyana on Tuesday afternoon erected an arch on Camp Street to mark United Nations Day and to also sensitise the public about the work of the UN.

The archway is part of a broader advocacy campaign to raise awareness here about the importance of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how those goals can help make Guyana a better place in which to live.

The goals are a universal set of targets and indicators that UN member states are expected to use to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years. They also seek to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change.
Guyana, together with the United Nations, has begun to mobilise efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Agenda by 2030.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who was tasked with cutting the ceremonial ribbon to declare the archway open, noted that the arch is a reminder that in the journey to achieving these goals, there are several stepping stones.

“In Guyana, we have been making incremental progress in our development to meet the basic needs, and we count on the United Nations to guide us and help us as a partner,” he said.

According to UN Resident Coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka, “The road to the SGDs is long and bumpy, but we have to take the journey from where we stand.”
In an effort to educate the public about the work and role of the 12 local UN agencies, a number of informational booths were available to guide the public in that regard.
Suicide and mental health, HIV and AIDS, food and nutrition priority, and decentralisation are some of the major areas on which the UN organisations are working to develop in Guyana.

In a message to mark the occasion, Secretary-General António Guterres said: “The world’s problems transcend borders; we have to transcend our differences to transform our future. When we achieve human rights and human dignity for all people, they will build a peaceful, sustainable and just world.” (DPI)