By J Nastranis
NEW YORK (IDN) – Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations for Grenada, Mr Denis G. Antoine, has authored an extraordinary children’s book: Get on Board, Dear Children of the World. He served as a Vice President of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly, marking the 70th anniversary of the world body.
The high-level gathering adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets during a special summit at UN Headquarters in 2015. Over the course of the previous year, the Assembly convened 105 plenary meetings and adopted 327 resolutions.
The SDGs and the 2030 Agenda comprise a charter for people and the planet in the twenty-first century. The Goals aim at stimulating action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance towards building a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
Also known as the Global Goals, the SDGs are a call to action to create a world where no one is left behind. As the UN’s Children Agency UNICEF points out, the SDGs cannot be achieved without the realization of child rights. “As world leaders work to deliver on the 2030 promise, children around the globe are standing up to secure their right to good health, quality education, a clean planet and more. The leaders of tomorrow, children’s ability to protect the future for us all depends on what we do to secure their rights today,” says UNICEF.
Mr Antoine’s book is vividly illustrated by Candace Paul. It brings the work of the United Nations and the 2030 Agenda into the physical, virtual classrooms, libraries, and homes of children everywhere.
In this book, the Secretary-General of the United Nations navigated a train tour for Children of the world into 2030. Speeding through the years, the impact of the SDGs was celebrated at The Assembly of Children, as men and women, working in unity in 2030.
The Secretary-General helped children visualize a united world because of the success of the SDGs. Lots of excitement on the train about what they see in their communities as they travelled. There was chatter about conditions of living, the environment, health and security, and discussions of shared responsibilities.
It is indeed a must read to see what happens to the world that brought beauty in every face in 2030. The book hits the targets of the SDGs as the adults of the future and the Secretary-General dialogued on how things got the way it is in 2030. The Assembly of Children was conducted with children in their respective adult professions.
After such a wonderful tour, holding their respective flags, the children marched off the train. Find out what happened coming back from the future into 2020. This book is available here. [IDN-InDepthNews – 09 July 2020]
Photo: Cover of the children’s book.
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