THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
MESSAGE TO THE 132ND INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION ASSEMBLY
Hanoi, 28 March 2015
I am pleased to send greetings to the 132nd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly. I commend your theme of “Turning Words into Action: The Sustainable Development Goals”, as well as the breadth of other issues that you will examine during this Hanoi Assembly, all of which complement our own efforts at the United Nations.
Member States are currently in the midst of the intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda. As agreed in Rio, in 2012, it will be applicable to all countries and will encompass the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic, environmental and social. The objective is an agenda that meets the needs of people and the planet.
The process of defining the seventeen goals that will be at the core of the post-2015 development agenda has been unprecedented. It has galvanized the international community and brought renewed energy, excitement and optimism to the United Nations. Progress is being closely monitored outside the UN.