DILI, 06 october 2023 (TATOLI) – Speaking at the Building Bridges Summit 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland, the President of the Republic, José Ramos Horta, called on the world’s financial institutions, governments, and the private sector to work together to adress global challenges.
Horta said that COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukrain war caused the biggest humanitarian issues in human history, with millions of people around the world being pushed into poverty and putting economic stability at risk.
He stressed the importance of investing in capital and human resources for the world’s economic advancement, in order to address the global challenges.
Horta called different banks, foundations, universities, religions, and wealthy families around the world to adopt the Marshall Plan.
The Head of State said that Switzerland has the oldest policy of military neutrality in the world, saying the country therefore can lead and achieve the initiative.
Horta also raised the importance of international cooperation to combat climate change.
Business leaders, members of government, and civil societies met at the Building Bridges Summit 2023 to discuss the importance of joining forces to drive growth in various sectors in order to ensure sustainable development.
Building Bridges Week is organized as a collaborative, community effort. It aims to create conversations, common understanding, and collaboration between the finance and international development communities, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Building Bridges is a joint initiative, launched in 2019, that creates links between international organizations on the right bank of Geneva and financial institutions on its left bank.
Through this bridge, the initiative aims to accelerate the transition to a global economic model aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said IISD.
“Building Bridges’ ambition is to leverage the power of finance and Geneva’s unique ecosystem to preserve the planet, reduce social inequalities, and improve access to human rights. The initiative serves as an international hub for sustainable finance and the SDGs.”
More than an event, Building Bridges aims to stimulate international debate and shape the global sustainable finance agenda. By creating synergies between diverse actors and sectors, Building Bridges facilitates the emergence of concrete solutions to mobilize capital flows toward sustainable and inclusive projects.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
