The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will replace the Millennium Development Goals, which have formed the basis of our work over the past 15 years. The MDGs focused mainly on social and economic aspects – and were exclusively targeted at developing countries. What we now need is a new set of goals allowing us to take a holistic approach to social, economic and ecological questions. Many Latin American countries stand out for their special efforts on climate protection and sustainable development and for playing an especially constructive role in the international negotiations. In a new global partnership we are assuming shared responsibility for our planet. The key elements in this are ensuring that we engage as equal partners and upholding the principle that the goals should be universal. As it stands today, our cooperation with Latin America is already exemplary in these respects. (Read paper)
Thomas Silberhorn is a Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. Prior to this appointment, he was Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Parliament (Bundestag).
Picture: courtesy of Bundesregierung/Bergmann