First Lady Emine Erdoans' UNGA Agenda: From zero waste to African cuisine

Last week, Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoan accompanied President Recep Tayyip Erdoan on his official visit to New York for the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). While the Turkish President held bilateral meetings and delivered a historic speech on global injustices during his speech at the UNGA, First Lady Erdoan also had a busy schedule. During her visit to New York, First Lady Erdoan attended a lunch hosted by her American counterpart Jill Biden and also met with Ilyasah Shabazz, daughter of American civil rights leader Malcolm X, at the Turkish House (Trkevi). Erdoan also detained bilateral meetings and organized events on themes that occupied its agenda to raise awareness, promote dialogue and strengthen Ankara's diplomatic relations.

First Lady Erdoan is determined to raise awareness and take action with concrete projects on cultural diplomacy, global environmental crises and the sustainability of children's and women's rights. In one of the key organizations, the first lady, who chairs the United Nations Advisory Council on Zero Waste, welcomed Jeffrey Sachs, Chairman of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, to the Turkish House and signed the “Global Declaration of Zero Waste Goodwill”.

Erdoan launched the Zero Waste Project to raise awareness about the importance of waste elimination in the fight against climate change. The project, managed by the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, addresses waste in a multi-level system, from waste prevention, optimization of resource use, reducing waste generation and establishing efficient collection systems to promote recycling. Across Trkiye, public and private institutions have joined the project. Legal measures have been introduced, including a national ban on plastic bags in 2019, to support these environmental goals. In line with the project's objectives, the “Global Zero Waste Declaration” was launched last year at the United Nations General Assembly to promote sustainable practices around the world. The first lady also met with outgoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss the current status of the zero waste project.

Erdoan is deeply engaged in issues of sustainability and climate change, as they not only pose existential threats to the current generation, but she also sees them as issues that need to be addressed for future generations. “Acting in accordance with the laws of nature is possible,” she says in her book “The World is Our Common Home.” In other words, his philosophy reflects the fact that human interference and greed have negatively affected the environment and only by transforming that environment. interference, we can minimize the disastrous impact of our presence on the planet.

Another event hosted by First Lady Erdoan at the Turkish House was “Flavors of Africa: A Feast of Culture, Cuisine and Friendship,” which aims to promote African culture and cuisine.

“For us, who share the same planet and belong to the same human family, we believe that gains and losses are shared; we understand that Africa's underdevelopment means that the world is deprived of the continent's true potential “, declared the First Lady in her speech. introductory remarks. Over the past two decades, Trkiye has strengthened its ties with countries on the African continent and Ankara's initiatives, ranging from cultural diplomacy to development cooperation, have been well received by countries on the continent.

“As we celebrate the colors, flavors and stories of African cuisine, we want to embrace, preserve and transmit this cultural heritage together,” she said before adding: “Let us dream of a world where “Africa, with all its resources and its people, can realize its potential in a just system.”

Ankara's approach to Africa emphasizes a “win-win” strategy that promotes mutual benefit at all levels, including cultural diplomacy, trade, energy and security. This attitude, combined with historical ties freed from the colonial past, facilitated the reestablishment of sincere dialogue between Trkiye and African countries. During the event, an expanded version of the book “African Cuisine” was also presented. The updated book, which features 110 unique recipes from five different regions of Africa, was published under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency and the African Cultural House Association. The wives of the presidents of Kosovo, Mauritius, Fiji, Ireland, Botswana, Estonia, Nigeria, Bulgaria, Suriname, Gabon, Gambia, Seychelles, Kyrgyzstan, Guatemala, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Council were among the participants in the event. The first lady personally served Moroccan tea to the distinguished guests at the event.

As part of her cultural diplomacy program, First Lady Erdoan also organized an event titled “Bridal Treasures: A Journey Through Ottoman and Anatolian Dowries”, welcoming the wives of world leaders and offering Turkish hospitality traditional with Turkish coffee and sorbet.

During her bilateral meeting, First Lady Erdoan met with Najat Maalla M'jid, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children and also participated in a program organized by UNICEF, “A Story of 'starfish: a global call for volunteers of the heart'. “, where she called for global cooperation to strengthen foster care systems.

“I join this global call for volunteers of the heart and invite all compassionate nations who seek to protect our children, the future of humanity, to unite to strengthen foster care,” Erdoan said.

The rights of children and women are also among the areas to which it pays particular attention. Among the projects that she particularly supports, “Come on girls, let's go to school”, “Literacy campaign for mothers and girls at school” and 7 est trop tard deal with problems linked to literacy and to equitable access to primary education in Trkiye.

As President Erdoan speaks out against injustices for a fairer and more effective global system in resolving conflicts around the world, the first lady's efforts in many areas also leave a positive mark on current generations and futures of Trkiye and the whole world. Its focus and efforts to raise awareness of women's and children's rights contribute not only to disadvantaged segments of Trkiye's society, but also to women and children in other regions, from the Middle East to Africa.

The Sabah Daily News Bulletin

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