Obama discusses poverty, and refugees at UN Sustainable Development Summit

US President Barack Obama urged world leaders to act in addressing poverty, climate change and the Middle Eastern refugee crisis, among other issues, during a speech at the United Nations on Sunday.

Noting that "some 800 million men, women and children are scraping by on less than $1.25 a day," Obama said the world could take pride in its accomplishments but must avoid complacency.

"When 11 boys and girls die every single minute from preventable causes, we know we have more work to do," Voice of America quoted him as saying.

The remarks came during the closing speech of the three-day UN Sustainable Development Summit at the UN headquarters in New York. World leaders gathered to approve the 2030 Agenda for Sustained Development, which lays out 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including but not limited to poverty reduction, environmental protection and gender equality.

The president called for countries "that can must do more to accommodate refugees" to open their borders and recognize "that those children are just like ours."

Obama drew connections between the refugee crisis in the Middle East with one he says is impending due to climate change.

"All of our countries will be affected by a changing climate, but the world's poorest people will bear the heaviest burden from rising seas and more intense droughts, shortage of water and food," The Hill quoted Obama as saying. "We will be seeing climate change refugees."

The president went on to say world leaders need to "establish the tools and financing to help developing nations embrace clean energy, adapt to climate change, and ensure that there is not a false choice between economic development and the best practices that can save our planet."

Advocating efforts against corruption, Obama said governments "have to embrace transparency and open government and rule of law," and he also noted that "one of the best indicators of whether a country will succeed is how it treats its women."

The initiative is based upon the Millennium Development Goals established in 2000, which set 2015 as a deadline for a series of benchmarks relating to, among others, gender disparity, halting the spread of HIV and AIDS and cutting poverty rates by half.

Obama said millions of lives had been saved through the international effort, which played a role in the reduction of global hunger, the prevention of infectious diseases and the increase of educational opportunities around the world.

Obama said "our most basic bond -- our common humanity -- compels us to act," and that despite the difficulties ahead, "we understand this is something that we must commit ourselves to."

Source: MENA