Belgium: Queen Mathilde advocates Sustainable Development Goals while addressing 78th UNGA

The Belgium Queen and wife of King Philip, Queen Mathilde, advocated the Sustainable Development Goals at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday, September 20, 2023.

In this year’s UNGA, particular attention is being paid to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Queen Mathilde focusing on themes such as decent work, mental health, and women’s & children’s rights.

Queen Mathilde jointly launched an event organized by Belgium, Bhutan, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO), focusing on the issue of mental health.

Queen Mathilde also joined a session dedicated to refugee women and girls where she shared her observations on her visit in February to Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee camp located in Bangladesh, underscoring the urgent need for collective action in support of those most in need.

On Wednesday, it was the Queen’s last Day in New York. The Day began with the opening of the general debate of the 78th United Nations General Assembly.

Following this, the Queen opened an event from Belgium, Bhutan, World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF about mental wellbeing. “It is necessary to create a society that treats mental health on an equal foot as physical health,” she said in her speech.

The Queen then attended a workshop around refugee women and girls with several senior UN officials, which included High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous.

The Queen spoke about, among other things, her visit to the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh last February.

The Queen’s last Day in New York kicked off with the opening of the general debate of the 78th United Nations General Assembly.

The Queen then launched an event jointly organized by Belgium, Bhutan, and UNICEF et al. (World Health Organization (WHO) on mental health. “It’s imperative that we create a society that recognizes the importance of mental wellness and physical health,” she said in her opening speech.

The Queen then attended a working lunch dedicated to refugee women and girls with several senior UN officials, including the High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous. The Queen, among other things, witnessed her visit to Cox’s Bazar last February, the largest refugee camp in the world, located in Bangladesh.

The Last Day of the Queen in New York started with the opening of the general debate of the 78th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The Queen then opened the Belgium, Bhutan, UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) events on mental health. “It is imperative that we create a society that recognizes the importance of mental wellbeing just as much as physical health”, she said in her speech.

Finally, the Queen took part in a working lunch about refugee women and girls with several senior UN officials, including the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, the Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, and the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Sami Bahous. The Queen talked about her visit to Cox’s Bazar last February, Bangladesh’s world’s largest refugee camp.