On invitation by the governments of Portugal and Kenya, Deputy Prime Minister for Climate Policies and Minister of Environment and Water Borislav Sandov co-chaired the interactive dialogue on “Instrumentalizing the interlinkages between Goal 14 and other Sustainable Development Goals for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda”. The session took place today within the framework of the United Nations Conference on the Protection of Oceans and the Marine Environment in Lisbon.

At the opening of the discussion, Minister Sandov noted the linkages between all 17 Goals for sustainable development and the need for integrated and coordinated actions in respect to individual sector policies so as to achieve synergies and long-term sustainable solutions.

“The active participation of academics should include scientific discussions and research projects, as well as introduction of new educational programs at various levels. Engaging the business through the principle of corporate social responsibility could also contribute significantly to the protection of the marine environment,” added the Deputy Prime Minister and emphasized the role of the scientific community and the private sector in accelerating progress with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN 2030 Agenda.

Minister Sandov highlighted the importance of participation by young people in decision-making processes and implementation of good practices in the field of environmental protection. As a good example for this, he presented the program “Policies for Youth in the Environment Sector” that was recently launched in Bulgaria.

The discussion can be viewed at the following address: https://media.un.org/en/asset/k1p/k1pqas8x4c