Moscow, Russia—Fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals through partnerships of different sectors of society was the focus of a UPF-Russia conference.
The conference, "Partnership for Sustainable Development,” was held on December 17, 2016, at the historic Hotel National near the Moscow Kremlin.
The purpose of the event was to draw attention to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and to establish long-term preconditions for partnerships between the different sectors of society on the global, regional and local levels.
One of the objectives of the conference was discussing social initiatives and activities in support of the upcoming Year of Ecology, which was proclaimed in Russia the Presidential Decree No. 7, dated May 1, 2016.
Among the participants were Ambassadors for Peace, scientists, philosophers, representatives of socially oriented non-profit organizations and organizations with special consultative status at the UN.
During the opening session the delegates enjoyed the singing of Olga Lehmann-Balashova, an opera singer who has won Russian and international competitions.
Dmitry Samko, the secretary general of the Moscow chapter of UPF, read the welcoming address of colleagues from the UN Information Center. He also presented the draft project of the Peace Highway, clearly demonstrating the power of partnership and solidarity of various organizations, supported by public initiatives.
The scientific part of the conference was presented by Professor Efim Malitikov, president of the Knowledge international association. He gave his views on education and the problems of the dynamic course of history. Within only five years information flows have been updated, he said, so that approaches and methods need to be updated constantly in order to keep up with the development of modern technologies and communication channels.
Professor Irina Aksenova, the rector of the Upper Volga Institute and a vice president of Sun Moon University, related her experience in the Tver region. She invited the audience to communicate with each other more often; she gave, as an example, this conference at which scientists, representatives of the public sector, public authorities and businesses got together.
Professor Zeydulla K. Yuzbekov, the assistant head of the Russian Republic of Dagestan and a doctor of economics, spoke about the importance of financial literacy. Without it, he said, it is difficult to build long-term and realistic plans. This is especially true of young people, who represent our hope for sustainable development in the near and medium-term future, he said.
The participants were greatly impressed by the deep and practical report of Moscow State University Professor Valery S. Petrosyan, rector of the Open University of the Environment and a UN expert on chemical safety. He elaborated on environmental security, new trends and the latest research in the field of genetic engineering, food safety and the aspects that are now requiring close attention.
The highlight of the conference was the speech given by Konstantin Krylov, the regional secretary general of UPF for Eurasia, who spoke about the large-scale work throughout the world of the Universal Peace Federation, which has special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
At the end of the event, Ambassador for Peace certificates were awarded to political scientist Alexander Putilov, social network founder Ali Almussa, and painter Alla Zakrevskaya.
Undoubtedly, the conference took a step toward an integrated approach to the objectives of sustainable development. It did this by ensuring the balance of the three components of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. Many participants formed a solid understanding of the need to strengthen partnerships and join specific and relevant projects that meet the interests of our nation.