Laura Chinchilla at the ECOSOC: “We believe in societies that are not owned by one sector but belong to everyone”

She also addressed the urgency of thinking in ‘infraestructures that respond for people’s needs and respect the minimun rules to avoid enviromental damage’.

In this sense, President Chinchilla expressed her belief in how ‘today’s scientific knowledge gives us hopes about new materials that can harmonise enviromental protection with efficiency’. She also made a call to invest more on ‘the millions of engineers, scientists and technicians that could give us answers for the challenges of the future. It is to them, and not to arms and armies, where the world’s resources should be directed today. Current social and economic challenges can only be solved with the help of science’. 

The Shared Societies Project established a Working Group at the beginning of this year to consider the relationship between environmental sustainability and an inclusive Shared Society. In the context of Agenda 2030 the project has been looking more broadly at the link between Shared Societies and sustainable development.

President Chinchilla stressed her commitment as co-chair of the Working Group and highlighted the relevance of Goal 9 within the framework of Agenda 2030 “infrastructure should be implemented considering what will be the impact on the protection, restoration and promotion of sustainable use of ecosystems.”

She also mentioned Costa Rica as an example of the benefits of pursuing a sustainable development approach “in my own country, the whole population was involved in setting the target of carbon neutrality – with the result that they are committed and engaged in its realisation. I am sure we can find examples on citizens´ inputs on small and large development projects all around the world.”

President Chinchilla also held meetings with H.E. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the United Nations General Assembly and other relevant United Nations representatives.

Read here Laura Chinchilla’s full speech.