India wants priorities of developing nations to be the centre of attention of 2030 Development Agenda

As the ambitious 2030 Development Agenda is starting to be implemented, India has demanded that the priorities and needs of developing countries must be kept at the centre of attention.

"The 2030 Agenda including the Sustainable Development Goals as well as the commitments contained in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda must now be implemented expeditiously and in good faith," said Syed Akbaruddin, India's new Permanent Representative to the UN.

"In this process, the objectives, priorities and needs of the developing countries must remain the centre of attention, "Akbaruddin said.

He was speaking at the handover ceremony of the G77 Chairmanship from South Africa to Thailand, which was his first speech at the world body after taking charge at the Permanent Mission of India here last week. He also said that if 2015 was a year of negotiation and deliberation, "2016 should be a time of consolidation and implementation."

He further added that India will be resolute in pushing for developing country unity and there would be no stone unturned to give special consideration to the interests of the Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in his address to UN member states, said that the year 2015 was a "turning point" in international efforts to safeguard the plan and make sure that the world was a place of peace and sustainable prosperity for all.

"This year there are heightened expectations for the directions the United Nations development system can take to support Agenda 2030. The test for success will always remain what happens on the ground," the UN Chief said.

"We need to get this right so that our operational and normative work can converge and make a difference where it matters most -- at the country level," he added.

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