Representative of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly spoke at the ECOSOC Partnership Forum

On January 31, on the sidelines of the ECOSOC Partnership Forum, a side event of the United Nations Russian Association "NGO partnerships and projects in sustainable development: the impact of the pandemic and new realities" was held.

The main issues for discussion were: the role and responsibilities of civil society, in particular non-governmental organizations, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress and challenges in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, including those emerging at the regional, national and local levels, as well as promising sustainable practices implemented by NGOs.

The event was opened by Alexei Borisov, First Deputy Chairman of the UN RAS, Vice President of the WFA UN, Head of the UNESCO Chair at MGIMO of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The speakers were: Director of the UN Information Center in Moscow Vladimir Kuznetsov; Chairman of the Coordinating Council for Environmental, Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Natalya Pochinok; President of the International Union of Economists, President of the VEO of Russia, Director of the S. Yu. Witte Institute for New Industrial Development Sergei Bodrunov and other prominent public figures and representatives of NGOs.

The Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly was represented by Elmira Shcherbakova, Deputy Head of the General Secretariat, President of the Peace and Harmony Social Initiatives Foundation. In her report, Elmira Muratbekovna noted that the post-pandemic factor contributed to the unification of many NGOs to create new projects. The Eurasian Peoples’ Assembly, together with the UN RAS, organized several large-scale events, including: the SDG Geneva Readings project, which took place in Geneva in 2021 and in Baku in 2022 and was dedicated to the theme of the women’s dimension and gender Sustainable development, as well as Foresight- session "Volunteering and sustainable development" in December 2022 in Kazakhstan. The discussion was attended by 51 representatives of the Youth Forum of Russian Compatriots and non-profit organizations.

At the end of her speech, Elmira Shcherbakova called on NGOs to unite for the development of a sustainable and holistic world.