Uruguay urges rooting new sustainable development agenda in human rights

The basis of a new sustainable development agenda must be poverty eradication, rooted in a strong foundation of human rights and recognition of rights, Uruguay’s Foreign Minister today told the United Nations General Assembly, calling for a greater focus on equality.

“It is essential for Uruguay to reiterate in the General Assembly that poverty eradication must remain our completely objective, main guiding principle,” Luis Almagro told the 69th high-level debate underway for a second week in New York.

He called on the international community to contribute to a collective ethics that takes into account protection of ethnic and religious minorities, provides food for malnourished children, fights against non-communicable diseases and works to stop climate change.

“The United Nations has failed because its ethics have failed,” the Foreign Minister said, adding that despite writing documents and holding meetings, the Organization failed to find solutions for the people.

Among other topics raised, the Foreign Minister highlighted the importance of eliminating discrimination on the base of ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender or migratory statue.

“Equality and nondiscrimination are the principles that emanate the universal system of human rights protections,” Mr. Almagro said.

His address focused on sustainable development, in line with the General Assembly theme of the Millennium Development Goals and a post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

Some 196 speakers are expected at this year's annual debate, which wraps up tomorrow. Meeting since last Wednesday on the theme of “Delivering on and Implementing a Transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda,” the speakers include representatives from the 193 UN Member States, as well as the Observer State of the Holy See, the Observer State of Palestine and the delegation of the European Union.