Jeffrey Sachs speaks on opportunities to put the EU in the global lead for SDGs at the Kapuscinski Development Lecture.
Sustainable development requires a new kind of statecraft, and the new EU Commission has the opportunity to put the EU in the global lead of this effort, Jeffrey D. Sachs, University Professor at Columbia University and Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network told an audience at the Hertie School on 7 October. Sachs was this year’s speaker at the Kapuscinski Development Lecture.
To tackle the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implement the Paris Climate Agreement, a new statecraft will have to be global and transnational rather than national; long term rather than short term; plan and market combined rather than plan or market alone; and multi-stakeholder at the core, according to Sachs. “Europe must take the lead now, as American leadership has collapsed”, he said. His recommendations for the new European Commission under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen included introducing EU-wide strategies to achieve climate neutrality, as well as land use, food sector and marine environments sustainability. Furthermore a Sustainable Europe Investment Plan as well as a Eurostat framework for SDG measurements and indicators should be introduced.
Henrik Enderlein, President of the Hertie School, Jörg Wojahn, Head of the European Commission Representation Berlin, and Jan Szczycinski of the UNDP Regional Centre, gave words of welcome. The lecture was followed by a discussion with Hertie School Professor of Public Policy Anke Hassel and the audience.
The lecture series is a joint project of the European Commission, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Hertie School. Top global thinkers discuss development in the European Union countries. The series is named for Ryszard Kapuscinski, a Polish reporter and writer who covered developing countries.
About the Kapuscinski Development Lectures
Top global thinkers discuss development in the European Union countries. The series “Kapuscinski Development Lectures”, named for Ryszard Kapuscinski, a Polish reporter and writer who covered developing countries, is organized jointly by the European Commission, the United Nations Development Programme and partner universities and development think-tanks. Over 100 lectures gathered since 2009 over 30,000 participants.
The lecture series offers students from the European Union member states an unprecedented opportunity to learn and discuss about development issues such as climate change, human rights, aid effectiveness, Europe-Africa relations, Sustainable Development Goals among other. The high-level events contribute to the debate and formulation of the European development policy.
As mentioned above, the lectures honor the name of Kapuscinski, a Polish journalist and writer, who died in 2007. Kapuscinski, whose books were translated into many languages, was often named the “Third World Chronicler” or the “Voice of the Poor” for his famous reportages and books describing developing countries on all continents. Among other books, he was famous for: “The Emperor” on Ethiopia, “Shah of Shahs” about Iran, “The Shadow of the Sun” about Africa, “Another Day of Life” about Angola, and “Imperium” about the Soviet Union. More about “Kapuscinski Development Lectures” and planned events: http://www.kapuscinskilectures.eu
