Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs Nikos Chountis and European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid & Crisis Management and EU coordinator for combating Ebola Christos Stylianides will declare the opening of the “European Year for Development 2015” at 10:00 tomorrow, Friday, 6 March 2015, at the Foreign Ministry’s Kranidiotis Amphitheatre.
With the central motto “Our World, Our Dignity, Our Future”, the “European Year for Development 2015” (EYD2015) is dedicated to raising European citizens’ awareness and their participation in the public debate on the promotion of the strong commitment of the EU and its member states to eradicating poverty throughout the world.
2015 is a watershed year, not just for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but also for the completion of the talks on the UN’s post-2015 development agenda and the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Key events in the global debate on Global development include the UN General Assembly, in September, and the new International Climate Change Agreement meeting set to take place in Paris late this year.
As an intrinsic member of the European family, Greece is contributing together with the other countries of the European Union to the efforts to stimulate the active interest of European citizens in promoting the balance of human development.
Through the International Development Cooperation Service and in cooperation with co-competent Ministries and public agencies, civil society organizations and the academic community, the Foreign Ministry is coordinating the EYD2015 actions slated to take place in Greece, with the aim of raising public awareness through:
- Cultural and sporting events
- Development education seminars (teacher training, actions at schools and universities)
- Conferences
- Actions for informing public opinion
At tomorrow’s event there will be a presentation of contemporary approaches to development policy – as such policy is being shaped on the European and international level – as well as of the three pillars of international cooperation (confronting of humanitarian crises, volunteerism, international cooperation for development), through the prism of Greek and European experience to date.
For more information on EYD2015, visit https://europa.eu/eyd2015/
March 5, 2015