Global Challenges Focus Attention in New-York

Cameroon is present in New York with President Paul Biya leading a delegation to make the country's voice heard at the UN.

As world leaders gather at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York  from yesterday 19-23 September 2016 to brainstorm on the various issues that continue to hold back humanity from achieving development goals, Cameroon, through the presence of President Paul Biya is taking an active part in the debates. Discussions at the General Assembly which take place annually are this year tackling some of the most urgent challenges facing today's world.
With the contribution that Cameroon has been making to harbour over 300,000 refugees and thousands of Internally Displaced Persons, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Rene Emmanuel Sadi who has been handling files related to the refugee situation in the country, represented the Head of State at the high-level meeting in New York yesterday.  Minister Sadi was accompanied by the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, and the Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the United Nations, Michel Tommo Monthe.

While attention yesterday was on the situation of the massive movement of migrants and refugees, deliberations will today delve into the Sustainable a Development Goals (SDGs) adopted last year. One year after the UN came out with 17 SDGs, the first anniversary of the launch is taking place today in New York and prior to the event, 17 youths were presented yesterday at the UN Headquarters who would work with the Secretariat of the UN Secretary-General to foster the objectives of the SDGs. They have been selected from a list of 18,000 nominations based on their outstanding leadership in efforts to achieve the SDGs.

The UN General Assembly discussions today, which will centre on the SDGs are therefore expected to see governments, the private sector and the civil society underline how they intend to quickly take actions that will be vital to end poverty, address inequalities and tackle climate change. Observers will be watching and wondering how feasible such promises could come to fruition given the difficulties witnessed in the Millennium Development Goals that were expected to have transformed the living conditions of most people by 2015. Agenda 2030 that the SDGs are targeting this time should therefore not just be a pipe-dream in the alleviation of suffering, but a...