Addressing the opening of the Commission for Social Development’s latest session, the president of the UN Economic and Social Council on Monday said it was imperative to put people first, if the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be realized by the 2030 deadline.

“Putting people first means we must create opportunities for young people to accumulate knowledge and skills relevant for the labour market through education, training, and early work experience,” Lachezara Stoeva said. The current dim projections for global economic growth simply require it.

Amid multiple global interconnected crises, advancing efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development hinges on giving people the tools needed to build resilient societies and economies. Opening the Commission’s sixty-first session, she outlined how best to do so.

Approaching the half-way point in the 2030 deadline to achieve all 17 of the SDGs, she said Member States have clear responsibilities as the world pursues a transition to low-carbon and environmentally friendly economies and societies.

“To ensure a fair and inclusive transition, Governments have the responsibility to put people first,” she said.

They must support regions, industries, and workers facing the greatest challenges in the transition to a green economy, she said.

This requires policies that facilitate the reallocation of displaced workers alongside a range of other actions, including tailored job-search assistance, flexible learning courses, employment programmes, and hiring and transition incentives.