Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to welcome you in Prague. It is a pleasure and privilege to host the first ever ECOSOC meeting in the Czernin Palace and to have all of you here.

Would the world be any different without the 2030 Agenda? Probably not. But it would be very different without the values and principles that underpin the 2030 Agenda. Without the will and determination of nations united to transform our world and our lives.

As humans, we feed on ideals. We thrive on our struggle to make this world a better place. Improving the quality of our lives is our essential motivation. Improving our surroundings, our countries, our planet are also the goals of the 2030 Agenda. It is for a good reason that the 2030 Agenda focuses on “Five P’s” – People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership.

Political parties and governments tend to forget sometimes that it is not power that societies are built on. It is ideas that became cornerstones of societies, even civilizations. Prime Minister Babiš recalled here today the centenary of Czechoslovakia. A state, which was born from the turmoil of a world war and which was founded on values such as humanity, democracy, peace, rule of law, ethics. And as we remember this anniversary today, we are, once again, reminded that these ideals are timeless. It is therefore no wonder that they are also at the core of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Goals, which are becoming the foundation of our future.