Madrid/New York, 14 February 2022 (TDI): Daniel del Valle, the Representative for Youth at Internacional Human Rights Foundation and Policy Advisor for Youth for the Order of Malta at the United Nations and Slovakia at the United Nations (UN), represented the Sovereign Order of Malta in an international video conference.
The conference titled ‘The Role of Youth in Tackling Poverty and Hunger at Local, Regional and International Levels’ was jointly organized by the European Union’s mission to the UN and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA).
It was the 60th Session of the Commission for Social Development Virtual Side-Event on the Margins of the Commission that was attended by Daniel del Valle on 11 February 2022.
The #SOM was represented during an international video conference on ‘The Role of Youth in Tackling Poverty and Hunger at Local, Regional and International Levels’, by our Political and Youth Advisor, Mr. Daniel del Valle Blanco (@danidelvalleok). 🇺🇳
Link: https://t.co/n3EeDhwAgW pic.twitter.com/HDHP3I4CGk— Sovereign Order of Malta UNHQ (@OrderofMaltaUN) February 13, 2022
Whilst addressing the conference, the representative of the Order of Malta talked about global challenges like climate change, human rights violation, inequalities, discriminations, peace and security issues, diseases, and humanitarian crises.
However, the most pressing global challenge is poverty and hunger. It is also at the core of the 2030 Agenda represented by SDG 1 and SDG 2. Daniel del Valle pointed out that the aforementioned SDGs are the basic precondition for development and socio-economic progress.
He enunciated that so far sufficient progress has not been made to address the fundamental issues of poverty and hunger. What’s more, the pandemic has worsened the situation. Consequently, hunger and poverty are still pervasive in a world with resources aplenty.
Talking about the Decade of Action initiated by the Secretary-General of UN, Antonio Guterres, he stressed that it must be utilized as a catalyst of the principle of the 2030 Agenda’s implementation so that no one is left behind.
Daniel del Valle highlighted that hunger is at the heart of extreme poverty. Quoting the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), he said that there is a need to improve agricultural productivity and incomes along with promoting better nutritional practices at all levels.
Also, direct and immediate access to the food should be enhanced. From the youth’s perspective, he underscored that there is a need to assist the decision-makers as well as practitioners on many levels.
During the conference, he also made three quick appeals for further action; resilience, resolve, and responsibility (3Rs). Resilience and resolve need to be complemented by responsibility on all levels.
In this regard, the representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta urged the world leaders to be more of a statesman than a politician. They ought to think about the next generations instead of thinking about the next elections.
Lastly, he highlighted the crucial importance of September 2021 of the UN Secretary-General entitled, “Our Common Agenda,” on behalf of the Sovereign Order of Malta.
Our Common Agenda
Our Common Agenda is comprised of recommendations across 4 comprehensive areas for revitalized solidarity amongst peoples and future generations, a unique social contract based on better management of critical global commons, human rights, and global public goods that deliver equitably as well as sustainably for all.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was undertaken by a UN Summit in New York in 2015. It is aimed at eliminating poverty in all its forms. The Agenda envisions a world of universal respect for human rights as well as human dignity along with the rule of law, equality, justice, and non-discrimination.
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