My Statement at the Joint Thematic Debate at UN Headquarters; New York

April 10th 2014 was a big day for me, where I was able to  deliver the UN Major Group for Children and Youth statement representing the half of the worlds population at the High Level and Thematic Debates of the President of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly (PGA.

 

The statement

Good Afternoon Excellencies, ladies & gentlemen,

As a youth from Sri Lanka -- I am happy to say that after 30 years of brutal civil war now we are free at last and entering a rapid development stage. New roads, airports and skyscrapers are constructed everywhere. But we have made sure that these developments does not compromise the environment and meet the social needs to accelerate the economic progress. It is important that developing country like Sri Lanka can be an example to others in conserving the natural beauty, biodiversity and it’s cultural heritage.

As part of the Major Group of Children and Youth, I would like to emphasis how it is essential to build intergenerational meaningful partnerships and adapt to change. Trade priorities must be in line with the public priorities, such as human rights and equity.  Partnership should not be limited to specific private sectors or agencies but it should accommodate with all actors. We need to highlight the partnership with public, private and people’s groups.

Sustainable infrastructure is not only about new infrastructures; it is about rehabilitation, reuse or optimization of the existing resources. It’s not always about building new things but using what we have sustainably taking into account local context. It is important to calculate the environmental, economic and social impact during the planning, designing, construction and operationalization phase. Infrastructure is not just about privatization or commercialization -- it is about innovation, sustainable patterns and resilience.

Youth globally are prepared to turn dialogue into action. Indeed, the outcome document of the World Conference on Youth to be held in Sri Lanka will also focus on the importance of “Mainstreaming youth in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda”.  To us, working together in unity to implement solutions is true partnership. We look forward to working with YOU, to create the future we need"