In 2015, governments of all nations, civil society, and humanity as a whole took a giant stride by adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - ambitious, forward-looking, and to be achieved through partnerships and consensus - with the aim of lifting people out of poverty, reducing inequalities, and addressing other issues that limit our potential; of safeguarding our planet, our only home, from climate change and human-induced disasters; of achieving prosperity for all, reducing inequalities, rebalancing consumption patterns, promoting equity and justice so that all individuals, regardless of their circumstances at birth, can thrive and prosper; fostering peaceful coexistence and a world without conflicts; and all of this to be accomplished through partnerships – equal, respectful, without distinctions based on the size of a country, with everyone having a voice and a stake in the future.

By Damien Kingsbury

Speech by 

H.E. President José Ramos-Horta 

of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste 

at the 77th Session 

of the United Nations General Assembly 

23rd September 2022 

Mr. President, 

Sr. Secretario-General, 

Excelências, 

It is an honour to return to this Assembly of Nations once again as President of my country for which I was re-elected five months ago.