European Development Days 2019 : Tackling global inequalities with no one left behind

The thirteenth edition of the European Development Days (EDDs), organised by the European Commission, took place on 18-19 June 2019 in Brussels with “Addressing inequalities: building a world which leaves no one behind” as the main theme.

The development community came together to share ideas and experiences to inspire solutions to reduce inequalities. The EDDs hosted over 8,000 participants, including world leaders, and offered over a hundred sessions.

Addressing and reducing inequalities matter for sustainable development and are at the core of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UN stand in the EDD Global Village 2019 drew many visitors, including UN VIPs, Commissioners, Ministers and SDG Advocates and served as a crossroad for interactions on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

As SDG Advocate, Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians also visited the UN stand before attending the opening session of the EDD and took part in an interview with moderator Marina Ponti, Head of the Global Campaign Center of the UN SDG Action Campaign in Bonn, Germany. In her speech, Queen Mathilde emphasised the urgency of real change to implement the 2030 Agenda.

"This autumn the Secretary General of the United Nations is convening two important summits. One will be devoted to the climate, the other to the Sustainable Development Goals. The Secretary General’s analysis is that progress in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals is too slow. And the progress that has been made is too disparate for us to achieve all of the goals by 2030."

“With over a hundred sessions gathering world leaders, UN and civil society organisations, the ideas generated during these 2 days will help shape the global response to rising inequalities,” emphasised Stefano Manservisi, the Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO).

The EDDs once again highlighted the importance of the UN-EU working together in tackling global problems such as #SDG10 Reduced Inequalities together.

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