Claudia Fuentes Julio: «There is a global conviction among governments and civil society that more sustainable development is an unavoidable objective»

— Within the framework of the VII Podium, Ambassador Claudia Fuentes Julio, permanent representative of Chile to the UN-Geneva, agrees to answer the questions of Luis Vélez Serrano, within the framework of the pre-Podium round of interviews.

 

—How do you see the current state of sustainable development?

— Given the context, refer to the  latest UN report  (2022) on the progress of the SDGs.  The outlook is not very positive according to it, so it is important to know how to qualify the response.  In general, simultaneous crises are observed (post-pandemic, inflation, climate change) that call into question reaching 2030 with the objectives met. Its key findings are:

• The pandemic wiped out more than 4 years of progress in eradicating poverty, pushing 93 million more people into extreme poverty (2020)

• Disruption of essential health services resulted in a drop in immunization coverage for the first time in a decade and an increase in deaths from tuberculosis and malaria.

• More than 24 million students, from preschool to university level, are at risk of never returning to school.

• 1/4 of the world’s population now lives in countries affected by conflict.

• A record 100 million people have been forcibly displaced worldwide (the war in Ukraine has exacerbated this).

• To meet the 1.5°C target, global emissions would need to peak before 2025 and then decline by 43% by 2030. But current national commitments point to an increase of almost 14% by 2030.

• Developing countries are struggling with high inflation, rising interest rates and looming debt burdens, making it difficult to recover from the negative economic effects of the pandemic.

• Investment in data and information infrastructure must be a priority for national governments and the international community.

To counteract the negative scenario,  perhaps it is worth mentioning that there is a global conviction among governments and civil society that more sustainable development is an unavoidable objective.  Although there are different recipes, there is a clear diagnosis that we must advance as much as possible, in a short time, despite the multiple parallel crises that exist.  The important thing is to take this scenario as an opportunity. For example, using the situation of a global energy crisis to boost investment in green jobs and technologies.

 

— What priorities do you consider most important in the action of international organizations in the field of sustainable development?

Again, based on the information above, the important thing is to redouble efforts to address the setbacks in the fight against poverty. This can be done by investing in sectors that help us ensure a greener future, for example.

If I had to mention a specific point, perhaps I would emphasize the importance of closing the educational and health gaps left by the pandemic; promoting national efforts to combat climate change; and deepening the fight against poverty. In short,  working to get back on track towards a fair and sustainable social transition.

 

— What points do you think are the most important in the context of future work?

—  From a global perspective, it is important to overcome the gaps that exist between societies around the world:  in terms of human capital formation, access to technology, and gender. In addition, it is essential to work to overcome informal employment and expand access to social protection and tripartite dialogue.

In general, expanding  access to decent and resilient work  through global supply chains, hopefully ensuring that its existence and protection do not depend on the occurrence of a crisis. In this way, the socially and environmentally sustainable transitions that each country needs to carry out, to a greater or lesser extent, can be cemented.

 

— What points do you think are most appropriate for the panel that you will moderate?

— Considering the topics of the panel, and looking at them from a Latin American perspective:

•  Education:  How to innovate to improve the learning experience in schools and include the skills that will be required for the jobs of the future.
•  Gender equality : How to increase female labor force participation, ensuring that gender gaps are not accentuated by new forms of employment.
•  Decent work : How to move towards greater formalization of our economies to expand access to social protection (institutional and financial challenges).
•  Industry and innovation : How to achieve public-private synergies to promote economic sectors that diversify and make the economies of the region more sustainable.
•  Reducing inequalities : This point should be the result of linking public policies that target the challenges mentioned above.

 

— Thank you very much, Ambassador Fuentes Julio!