Putting people first means we must create opportunities for young people to accumulate knowledge and skills relevant for the labour market through education, training, and early work experience,” Lachezara Stoeva said. The current dim projections for global economic growth simply require it.
Amid multiple global interconnected crises, advancing efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development hinges on giving people the tools needed to build resilient societies and economies. Opening the Commission’s sixty-first session, she outlined how best to do so.

Half-way point to 2030
Approaching the half-way point in the 2030 deadline to achieve all 17 of the SDGs, she said Member States have clear responsibilities as the world pursues a transition to low-carbon and environmentally friendly economies and societies.
“To ensure a fair and inclusive transition, Governments have the responsibility to put people first,” she said.
They must support regions, industries, and workers facing the greatest challenges in the transition to a green economy, she said.
This requires policies that facilitate the reallocation of displaced workers alongside a range of other actions, including tailored job-search assistance, flexible learning courses, employment programmes, and hiring and transition incentives.

Universal social protection
Part of taking a people-centred approach means offering a universal social safety net that gives everyone access to comprehensive, adequate, and sustainable protection, she said.
The critical role of social protection systems – laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic – remains integral in States’ efforts to build resilient economies and societies to reach the 2030 Agenda objectives.
Investing in human capacities is also essential for emerging and future demands of the job market, already affected by such factors as digital transformation, demographic trends and climate change, she said.