On 12th of June 2020, close to 800 participants attended the online official launching ceremony of the Cyprus branch of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN Cyprus), in the presence of H.E. The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr. Nicos Anastasiades, leading economist, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs from Columbia University (Director of UN SDSN) and Member of the CyI BoT, and the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr. Costas Kadis.
As the board has been informed in several previous sessions, SDSN Cyprus is hosted by the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation (CREF), facilitated by the Cyprus Institute, and co-chaired by Dr. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, and Prof. Costas N. Papanicolas. The network managers are Stalo Gavrielidou and Dr. Constantinos Kounnamas, head of the Nature Conservation Unit at Frederick University. The event was also attended by Prof. Angelo Riccaboni, Chairman of SDSN Mediterranean, and Mr. Markos Kyprianou, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic and Member of the SDSN Cyprus Leadership Council.
The Leadership Council of SDSN Cyprus currently has 21 members, namely Natia Anastasi, Anthi Charalambous, Natassa Frederickou, Martin Hellicar, Nicolas Jarraud, Petros Kareklas, Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, Markos Kyprianou, Soula Kythreoutou Zavou, Manfred Lange, Xenia Loizidou, Stavros Malas, Nicos Nicolaides, Ioanna Panayiotou, Costas N. Papanicolas, Leonidas Paschalides, Charalampos Theopemptou, Stelios Yiatros, Constantinos Yiorkadjis, and Theodoros Zachariadis.
Globally, SDSN promotes the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted by all U.N. Member States in 2015. The Agenda provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. It is headed and coordinated our CREF trustee Prof. Jeffrey Sachs.
The global SDSN network was set up in 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General. SDSN mobilizes global scientific and technological expertise to promote practical solutions for sustainable development, including the implementation of the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. It works closely with UN agencies, multilateral financing institutions, the private sector, and civil society.
SDSN Cyprus works with all sectors of society to improve the country’s performance in implementing the SDGs, collecting and disseminating best practices, raising awareness, promoting sustainable development education, engaging with youth, and assisting the authorities, the private sector and civil society organisations in mainstreaming the SDGs into their daily operations.
