Reading Time: < 1 min read

On 16 August 2016 the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI) welcomed Madam Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO. Madam Bokova delivered a speech titled ‘Soft Power for Peace and Development – UNESCO and the SDGs’, which was followed by a question and answer session.

The following are some highlights from Madam Bokova’s lecture:

Madam Bokova stated that the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Change Agreement must be seen as a single agenda; one that emphasises inclusivity and national ownership of the Sustainable Development Goals.

She identified inclusive and equitable quality education (Sustainable Development Goal 4) as the starting point for this agenda, and expanded on the efforts UNESCO has made to ensure access to quality education both globally and locally.

Madam Bokova also commended the Sri Lankan government for its efforts to promote the rule of law and good governance, in the context of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development (Sustainable Development Goal 16).

The introductory speech, delivered by our Chairman, Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, can be found here.

LKI would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UNESCO, and the UN in Sri Lanka for all their assistance in organising this event.