Utah Senate welcomes Austria’s U.N. ambassador, hears call for global ‘post-2015’ sustainable-development agenda

Senator Madsen introduced His Excellency Martin Sadek, Austria’s permanent representative to the United Nations and then‑president of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), and the Senate resolved into a Committee of the Whole to hear his remarks.

Ambassador Sadek told senators the U.N. is developing a new global framework—the “post‑2015 development agenda”—that focuses on sustainability and will require both developed and developing countries to pursue sustainable development. He emphasized that the international conversation is shifting from “development aid” to “development cooperation,” with more emphasis on capacity building for democratic institutions and the rule of law. “Sustainable development not only in developing countries…also in our developed countries,” Sadek said, urging attention to domestic as well as global poverty.

The ambassador highlighted ECOSOC’s role and noted the agenda’s goal to combat poverty worldwide while strengthening governance and democratic norms. He encouraged senators to follow the U.N. process leading up to the agenda’s planned adoption by heads of state in September. Following his address the Senate dissolved the Committee of the Whole and returned to regular floor business.

The remarks were ceremonial and informational; no formal state action resulted from the address. The floor recognized the ambassador’s diplomatic career and noted Utah–Austria cultural and economic ties.

The committee returned to routine Senate business after a brief motion from Senator Davis to dissolve the Committee of the Whole.