NEW YORK CITY — Signing an international declaration of intent was just the tip of the iceberg for Thunder Bay—Superior North MP Patty Hajdu after three-days representing Canada at the United Nations.
Hajdu presented Canada's national statement on the 17 sustainable development goals set by the UN on day one of its high-level political forum on sustainable development on July 21 - 23.
“I was pleased to find out that actually Thunder Bay is one of only three Canadian cities to have ever done a review of how at the municipal level we are implementing the sustainable development goals. So, it was a little bit of hometown pride,” she said.
The forum provided an opportunity for UN countries to gather and discuss progress made toward the 17 goals, a "collective call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and build a just, peaceful and inclusive world for all," according to a federal media release.
The minister of jobs and families put her signature, alongside that of her counterpart from Moldova, to a formal declaration of intent to establish a Canada-Moldova Social Security Agreement.
“Moldova, believe it or not, has a number of citizens here in Canada, and we signed an agreement to strengthen our ability to share information so that people can receive pensions in either country,” Hajdu told Newswatch in an interview Thursday.
“So there is lots of work that we do to improve Canadian’s lives who are maybe originally from other countries.”
On the second day, Hajdu participated in a conversation on Adequate Housing for All, joining Canadian UN representative Bob Rae to lead a session highlighting Canada's focus on housing as a key strategy for reducing poverty, promoting equity, and fostering an inclusive society, said the media release.
On the third and final day of the forum, Minister Hajdu hosted Canada's official event on inclusive and sustainable jobs, which explored how digital education, disability inclusion, and private sector engagement can help build more inclusive economies.
Finishing the forum, the Canadian government is focused on advancing the 2030 Agenda both domestically and internationally, with a partnership focus on other orders of government, stakeholders, Indigenous Peoples, and the public being crucial for collective success, said the media release.
“Amid global challenges, forums like the UN high level political forum remind us that we are not alone, and we are stronger when we stand united,” Hajdu said
