by Flavia Pansieri on behalf of the UN system in Germany, Chair of the Consultative Forum of the Heads of Agencies in Germany and UNV Executive Coordinator

03 September 2011

Bonn, Germany: Thank you
Mr. Under Secretary-General Kiyo Akasaka,
Mr. Under Secretary-General Achim Steiner,
Mr. Under Secretary-General,
Mr. Oberbürgermeister Jurgen Nimptsch,
Welcome
Representatives of member states,
Colleagues from the United Nations organizations,
Friends from NGOs and civil society organizations from Bon and all around the world,
and welcome most of all,
to all responsive citizens that care about sustainable development

Achieving sustainable development is not just the job of governments and the United Nations. Sustainable societies need responsive citizens and responsive civil society organizations – people who rise to the challenge, who take action of their own free will, and work towards a better and brighter future for everyone around them.

Welcome to the United Nations City of Bonn. The United Nations organizations in Bonn, are “Working towards sustainable development worldwide”. Thus Bonn is the perfect host for this year’s UN DPI NGO Conference - ‘Sustainable Societies; Responsive Citizens’.

The UN family in Bonn consists of 17 organizations, of which UNFCCC (the Climate Change Convention), UNCCD (the Desertification Convention) and my own organization the United Nations Volunteers have their headquarters here. A number of other UN organizations like UNU, UNEP, WHO, UNESCO have a specific programme or sub-office in Bonn. Since 1996 when UNV came to Bonn as the first UN organization, the UN presence has been steadily growing and now we have approximately 930 UN employees all together.

I would like to thank Mayor Nimptsch and the citizens of Bonn for their hospitality.

I am very excited to see so many participants here in this conference. A lot of work has been put in by many organizations and people to make this conference a reality. And I would like to highlight that the organization has been a true partnerships of NGOs and civil society organization in Germany and New York, Government Institutions and United Nations organizations, it proves that if we work together as a team, and complement each other, we can get things done.

I in particular wish to acknowledge the strong support of the German Federal Government and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the additional financial support from the European Regional Development Fund through the State of Nordrhein-Westfalen and from the Foundation for International Dialogue of the Sparkasse in Bonn.

Sustainable development is an enormous task that needs an enormous response, and only through engaging every citizen of the world it is to be met. Therefore, we need to connect the dots between sustainable development and civic engagement. We have to find new ways to strengthen and encourage the planet’s most incredible resource – its people – into a force for transformation of their own communities.
 
Therefore you will look at people-centred approaches to sustainable development. About approaches that enable people to get involved. Just imagine, millions of responsive citizens acting together for sustainable development, and a better, more peaceful, world. Over the next few days, you can drive this idea forward and make the voices of responsive citizens heard.

I would also like to note that 2011 is the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers. And in that context I would be so pleased if this conference will be a turning point for recognizing the fact that involving people is the central element of achieving sustainable development worldwide. That can be your greatest contribution to the next generations.

On behalf of the United Nations in Bonn, I again welcome you to Bonn and wish you a very successful Conference.

Thank you.