At a UN event on the 2030 Agenda, Fiocruz presents its actions during the pandemic

Fiocruz co-organized and participated, last Tuesday (7/18), in two parallel events on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, in New York. According to the panelists at the morning table, one of the trump cards of the events was the union, in the debate, of civil society and the government, a symbol of how the 2030 Agenda theme should be addressed. In addition to highlighting the need to strengthen the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), speeches addressed how Brazil is restructuring itself to resume this Agenda and the measures to accelerate and achieve the development goals.

The coordinator of the Fiocruz Strategy for the 2030 Agenda (EFA 2030), Paulo Gadelha, participated in the event and presented the Foundation's actions (Photo: reproduction from the internet)

The morning event was mediated by the general coordinator of Sustainable Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vicente Araujo, who stated that the implementation of the SDGs is not possible without the engagement of the private sectors, civil society and academia: “All these sectors of our society need to be engaged if we want to successfully implement the 2030 Agenda”, said Araujo.

Permanent representative of Brazil at the UN, Sergio França Danese, also highlighted the importance of joint efforts, with civil society, to implement the SDGs: “As an action plan for the people, planet and prosperity, the 2030 Agenda was not conceived as a document focused on or limited by bureaucrats”, he stressed, emphasizing that “the goals of the Agenda require joint work by everyone and at all levels”.

The ambassador cited the UN report that points to a concern about the SDGs, which says they "are disappearing in the rear window". Still according to the report, as quoted by the ambassador, globally, only 20% of the goals are currently on “track”. He pointed out that “the implementation gaps are immense, and the world has gone backwards on several goals, with increasing poverty, hunger and food insecurity, developing countries being the most affected by the impacts of the multiple crises currently being faced”. Danse emphasized that “such an alarming situation” as the current one requires, more than ever, joint efforts, cooperation and partnerships, “collective action to strengthen and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs”.

The coordinator of the Fiocruz Strategy for the 2030 Agenda (EFA 2030), Paulo Gadelha, participated in the panel, discussing how the pandemic made it difficult to achieve the SDGs and the lessons learned from COVID-19. Gadelha also listed Fiocruz's actions in facing the crisis, such as the significant increase by the Foundation of the COVID-19 testing capacity in the country, the construction of the permanent hospital for infectious diseases at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INI/Fiocruz) and the conclusion of the technology transfer that resulted in the 100% national production of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Event on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, in New York (Photo: reproduction from the internet)

Gadelha stated that it is essential to disseminate knowledge and internalize the values, objectives and instruments for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Additionally, he highlighted that priority should be given to tackling social inequalities and supporting economic recovery and social protection programs, as well as to ensuring policies and funding for the SDGs.

“Brazil, under the leadership of President Lula, demonstrates a renewed commitment to the 2030 Agenda, emphasizing equity and solidarity for the most vulnerable, aimed at ‘leaving no one behind’. At the Paris Summit for Global Finance, he said, loud and clear: ‘(…) We already have a multilaterally agreed compass: the 2030 Agenda’”, concluded Gadelha.

Reconstruction

Representing the General Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic, special advisor Flávio Schuch emphasized that the portfolio resumes a role once incumbent upon it in the past, that of allowing and ensuring the participation of civil society in the government and, therefore, it is rebuilding spaces. “In this reconstruction process, we want the social fabric of the political participation of civil society organizations to be strengthened”, he highlighted.

Also participating from the Federal Government were the secretary for Traditional Peoples and Communities and Sustainable Rural Development, Edel Moraes, who spoke about sustainable development in Amazonian cities; the undersecretary for Sustainable Economic Development, Cristina Reis, who commented on the Ecological Transformation Plan; and ambassador Antonio da Costa e Silva, special advisor to the Ministry of Cities. Among the civil society representatives were the managing director of the Cidades Sustentáveis (Sustainable Cities) Institute, Jorge Abrahão, who presented an instrument for monitoring the SDGs in Brazilian cities, and the co-founder and general coordinator of Gestos and co-facilitator of the GT Agenda 2030, Alessandra Nilo, who spoke on how the Spotlight Report can be an instrument for civil society to monitor the 2030 Agenda.

Latin America Experience

The second parallel event organized by the government and co-hosted by Fiocruz took place at 7:30 p.m. At the evening event, the focus turned to the Latin American experience in implementing the 2030 Agenda, gathering government representatives from countries in the region. Fiocruz researcher Romulo Paes de Souza represented Brazil in the debate.