Ms. Najet Vallaud Belkacem: Sustainable Development Goals 2030: so far, so close?

Decarbonization, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, eradication of poverty, justice and peace, as well as other priorities defined by the United Nations for 2030 constitute the 17 Sustainable Development Goals designed to address the global challenges we face. 

These interconnected goals are so important that it is necessary to ensure that each and every one of them, and each of their targets, is achieved by 2030. Why are these goals a priority and to what extent do they impact organizations? That is the question addressed in this conference given by Ms. Najat Vallaud Belkacem. Former Minister of National Education, former Minister of Women’s Rights, City, Youth and Sports, and currently France Director of ONE, the NGO fighting extreme poverty and preventable diseases, Ms. Najet Vallaud Belkacem accepted UEMF’s invitation to give this conference, moderated by Prof. Hafsa El Bekri, teacher-researcher at Euromed Business School and Co-Director of the Think Tank Research Institute for European, Mediterranean, and African Studies (RIEMAS).

The theme of this conference is particularly endorsed by the Euromed University of Fes, which places sustainability at the heart of its core values. In this respect, the University was recently named winner of the “Responsible Campus of the Year” Award during the ceremony held in Paris on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, under the effective presidency of the French Government’s Minister of Higher Education and Research.

The “Responsible Institution of the Year” category rewards UEMF’s commitment to the SDGs and its lasting impact in becoming a responsible organization with regard to the transition challenges in four main areas:

• Leadership and governance;
• Real estate and operations;
• Learning, teaching and research;
• Partnership and engagement.