On 22nd October 2019, Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) had the privilege of hosting Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye – UN Assistant Secretary-General and Special Advisor to the UNDP Administrator. Mr. Mar Dieye was accompanied by Mr. Ben Slay - Senior Advisor of UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS (RBEC) and Ms. Matilda Dimovska - UNDP Resident Representative to Uzbekistan.
Mr. Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, from Senegal, is a development expert and macroeconomist with an academic background in mathematics, statistics, econometrics, economic policy and planning. During the one-hour session on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and particularly on SDG#1 “No Poverty”, students had the chance to ask a range of questions. During his speech, Mr. Dieye focused on Sustainable Development and the importance of the SDGs. He shared his past experiences at the UN and compared Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and SDGs. Besides sustainability, Mr Dieye gave valuable recommendations and advice on the role of youth in implementing the goals at a national and global level. He and his colleagues mentioned the role of small-scale stakeholders such as university-based organisations, citing the example of Model United Nations (MUN) clubs and the contribution they can make in realising national SDGs. The session was followed by a Q&A section where Ms. Matilda Dimovska and Mr. Ben Slay also shared their expertise on the issues raised.
The meeting was organized by the Center for Policy Research and Outreach (CPRO), which is closely collaborating with UN Agencies on various projects.
