Voices 4 Development opens EDD 2017

6 June 2017. On June 7th and 8th, the European Development Days are organized in Brussels. This is the most important European forum on international development. This edition of the European Development Days focusses on the involvement of the private sector and the importance of digitalization as a lever for development. These subjects are central also in the Belgian international development policy.

At the eve of the European Development Days, an outreach event was organized in Flagey (Ixelles) for about 800 participants, in the presence of Queen Mathilde. The event focussed on young people and the question how they can contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN Goodwill Ambassador Ozark Henry performed.

• Introduction: The Norwegian Prime Minister Solberg 
• Alexander De Croo - Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation moderated a panel discussion with 5 international SDG Advocates: 

1. Leymah Gbowee (Director, Gbowee Peace Foundation and Nobel Peace prize laureate, Liberia), 
2. Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University, US), 
3. Alaa Murabit (The Voice of Libyan Women), 
4. Paul Polman (CEO Unilever)  
5. Muhammad Yunus (founder Grameen Bank Bangladesh and Nobel Peace prize laureate). 
   

Final word by Thomas Gass (see picture) who serves as the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Note the remarkable statements of Jeffrey Sacks @1:04:31 two answer the question of Alexander De Croo: What is going on in your country?

The audio starts @ 14:15