Secretary-General, at Rabat Forum, Stresses Central Role of Parliaments in Advancing Social Justice, Sustainable Development Goals

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, as delivered by Philippe Poinsot, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mexico, to the meeting of the Parliamentary Social Justice Forum, held in Rabat from 19 to 20 February:

I thank the House of Councillors of the Kingdom of Morocco for convening this forum to mark the World Day of Social Justice, and for inviting the United Nations to participate.

For the United Nations, the pursuit of social justice for all has always been at the core of our global mission to promote development and human dignity.  The World Day of Social Justice highlights the power of global solidarity to advance opportunity for all.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — which seeks to end poverty and inequality, and promote, peace, security, and good governance — provides an important new framework for advancing social justice.  The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated and mutually reinforcing, and are centred on ensuring that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality.  SDG 10 calls explicitly for the reduction of inequality within and among countries.  SDG 5 calls for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, a central element of social justice.

Parliaments have a key role to play in achieving the SDGs, and advancing social justice for all, through several of their functions.  First, parliaments are essential to ensuring that national laws are enacted, amended and implemented to advance the principles of social justice.  International human rights law gives particular importance to legislative measures as a means for the full realization of economic, social and cultural rights.

Second, parliamentary oversight is critical to ensure that Governments provide adequate resources to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, including measures to support opportunity for all.  Third, parliaments are often one of the best ways for the voices of the most vulnerable to be heard on the national and international stage.  They can and must ensure pluralism and diversity, and provide representation for the vulnerable and dispossessed.

I welcome the intention of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean to discuss parliamentary action that promotes social justice, through the lenses of human rights, democracy and development.

An open exchange between parliamentarians, Government officials, and representatives of international organizations, unions, media, academics and many others will be valuable in determining how parliaments can live up your theme: “promoting human dignity for living in unity.”

I wish you every success in your deliberations today.