Im recently elected president of the ewan aitken United NationsAssociation National capital area chapter and im just pleased and tickled frankly to see on an august day maybe because its a cool august 8 what a fantastic turnout on capitol hill on an august 8. And naturally due to the extruder line up of people who are going to be presenting a talking to you today im sure and that brings you here. Five years ago maybe even before five years ago United Nations with the cooperation and certainly of the United States and with many countries around the world began to plan for the future of world Global Development that would apply not only to the least developed countries duchesses will equally and universally to the critical states of affairs for human rights and for development in the best equipped countries including the United States. Out of that conversation came this extraordinary set of Sustainable Development goals to help lead the way for all countries voluntarily, and portly voluntarily to collaborate and how we will achieve the outcomes of those goals that set forth for the years 20152030. So we are just two into this out already theres significant progress to be talked about and that builds on the progress of the millennium Development Goals that we are really quite extraordinary successful by focusing across the world the attention of development agencies. But now focusing attention of leaders in almost all countries, 196 nations signed this opportunity for voluntary cooperation to carry us forward and probably all of you are willfully with that so i wont go further. Id like paula it just wont to take look at more about the association of colleges liketo say we are extraordinarily honored that we introduced individually congressman buyer whos been a great supporter of international engagement, International Foreign affairs speaking well of United Nations and serving as one of our leading ambassadors as well as not in the house of representatives. We are so grateful that he is here on an august afternoon. Im particularly did light as well our moderator is a colleague of mine for many, many years but not in the same organization now, dr. George ingram who is an outstanding leader and really one of the great experts on the process and engagement of u. S. Congress on for affairs to his work also on International Development modernization. He is now at Brookings Institute or they would be further introduced in time. Lavinia introduced paula who is our executive director, working executive director. Im voluntary. And carries out the extraordinary work of our association. Thank you very much for being here. [applause] good afternoon. Good afternoon, everyone. Delighted to see a full house, congressman beyer, thank you so much not only for hosting us this afternoon but for being a champion. Now more than ever we need champions in the u. S. Congress because the nation of una in ca and the whole association of the usa is to educate and mobilize americans for a strong u. S. U. N. Partnership. That partnership is more critical than ever before. With all the budget cuts that Foreign Affairs and other fields are facing, more than ever our efforts to educate and mobilize our communities to support, support the work of United Nations and its many specialized agencies. Today youre going to learn more about the global goals and a particular on Climate Change and why we need to be an active voice in your community. And this is your community. So if you have not yet joined the United Nations association, i hope you will consider doing it. Because theyre so much that you can get out of that network. You can join committees. We focus on many different issues such as peace and security Sustainable Development, human rights, international law, a very active group of Young Professionals, a yearround model u. N. Program that we do with high school students. We partner with several organizations and its wonderful for networking, for really bringing these goals to the local level. Thats what weve been doing at una over the last few years, through Community Consultation and through programs like the ones the sustainable the feldman committee has been putting together. This event is being sponsored by our una nta Sustainable Development committee which is led by patrick who is here, and has been organized, led by their active Committee Member, thomas, has been a pleasure to work with and i thank you very much for his tireless work and commitment. I want to take a few seconds to thank cspan who is with us this afternoon as well as nexus media life. Youth collaboration and Foreign Affairs, the Young Professionals in foreignpolicy, and also to our honors, intellectual property attorneys, lewis family, steve, president and colleen smith. Thank you so very much, especially again to congressman beyer for his support tickets also through his office that we celebrate every december human rights day. So we look forward to your active engagement in una we can make a difference. Where the Largest Network of americans in support of United Nations in the United States, of 180 chapters 80 chapters. So get involved. Thank you so much. So without further ado let me now call on thomas. Really deserves a round of applause. [applause] for his tireless work. Thank you, paula, for such a warm introduction to good afternoon, everyone. On behalf of Sustainable Development committee of the rest of una chapter i would like to personally welcome all of you to United States capitol. To discuss such an important issue. The sustainable develop an goals also known as sbc with don buyer in this George Ingram from the brookings institution. My name is thomas and im a rising senior in mclean virginia, a proud member of the una nca Sustainable Development committee and above all the bentley for todays program. Before i start i would like to thank my parents for his encouraging and guiding me to become the person who i am today. And to all the debts after today, happy fathers day. I would also like to thank an individual who if i do not know i wouldnt have the courage and ability to organize this event. And that individual is no one other than mr. Edward elmendorf. Mr. Elmendorf was a former president of una nca and una you say that i like to thank him for support over the past year. I forcefully he cant be here today. I met him at the 2016 una usa leadership summary held a global goal roundtable discussion on goal 17 partnership of the goals. It elmendorf and went on to secure my position at the Committee Member of una nca but since his reprisal since a joint such a Prestigious Organization he also recommend me to join a Sustainable Development company which is chaired by patrick whos actively leading to facilitate the development of programs on behalf of our committee. By following his insights i had the opportunity to learn more about it in be here today to advocate on behalf of sde ec. As a quick reminder, we are currently live on national television. Thanks to cspan and their teams efforts are broadcasting todays event. We are streaming to help encourage and engage our Online Support audiences. Please be sure to follow at una sustained development throughout the afternoon on twitter. After the panel will be taking questions from audience members over here and also to the online media platform. Todays hashtag are hashtag go 13, Climate Action and most important hashtag congress in scg. On this afternoon were gathered to talk about go 13 United NationsSustainable Development goal which is Climate Action. According to the u. N. Climate change presents the single biggest threat to development and its widespread unprecedented affects disproportionately burden of the poorest and the most vulnerable. In april 2016 under the u. S. Leadership Member States of United Nations signed a historic paris climate agreement and agreement to set the stage for such an ambitious Climate Change agenda. However, things have changed. Since President Trump decided to withdraw from the paris climate agreement on june first, it is imperative for american leaders, leaders such as congressman don buyer to reaffirm the leadership role that the United States has to play. The United States must play on the international stage. And especially on issues such as Climate Change. Congressman beyer is involved in my role model he is america strongest member of congress fighting against global Climate Change. I first met congressman beyer as volunteer for his campaign through under three years ago when he cursed me to stay involved in not only politics but also politics. Then he went on to serve a as a Campaign Intern during his reelection campaign. Before being elected to virginia eighth Congressional District in 2014, congressman barr served as a twoterm Lieutenant Governor, the president of Virginia State senate and the subordinate ambassador to switzerland and liechtenstein under president obama. Before inviting congress and by up to deliver his speech let me say after the congressman speak will be followed by conversation between congressman beyer and mr. George ingram. Mr. In concerned as chair emeritus of the u. S. Global Leadership Coalition and hes a senior fellow for Global Economy development out of virginia institution. We are pleased to congressman beyer here today to be the first member of congress to speak about the u. S. Role and importance of United NationsSustainable Development goals. He will provide a lawmakers perspective on the need for a strong u. S. Leadership in the United Nations and most important on both their team Climate Action with that is my great honor and privilege to welcome the finest Ranking Member kuster House Committee science, space and technology, champion of una and my mentor, congressman don buyer. [applause] [applause] that is now my favorite introduction of my whole life so thank you. I forget who said, flattery wont kill you as long as you dont inhale it. But thank you. The one thing that he got right is i may not be the greatest champion but when i was running for office in 2014, the simplest promise i made was i would be the strongest clearest voice that i could be to combat Climate Change. Sometimes its not so much more to be the best as to try your hardest to do that. So thomas thank you very much. He goes to Langley High School in mclean virginia which used to be the Number One High School in virginia for years and years and years. And they created Thomas JeffersonMagnet School for science, technology. Now its the Number Two High School in virginia. I also am thrilled he has a young person to be involved in policy and in politics, when young people ask me how they can make a difference, the simplest, most honest answer, just vote, please. In my primary in 2014 there were ten of us on the ballot in the average primary voter was a 62yearold woman. I would be at the polls all day and not see anybody under the age of 50. So thank you for being a great role model for your generation editing the generation about you, too. Thanks for inviting me here. There are more people in this room then are in the rest of the building. Youre probably seen, its completely deserted. I feel spoiled because i am a member of congress who lives closest to the capital. Even though im i get delighted to be able to come back whenever, when everyone else is in texas, california and things like that. And i am especially humbled that usb to talk about the u. N. And Climate Change. I feel very, very connected first to the u. N. , family history, my grandmother clara who was my role model until you died at 98 and have was in geneva in 1945 is part of the the american delegation to organize the u. N. She served as our u. S. Representative to the ilo from 4557 when they involuntarily kicked her out of the department of labor. She did work for usaid for the next 15 years until they kicked her out at age 82. For the women in the room, in 1972 just before they kicked her out she authored something called the percy an amendment to the u. S. Foreign relations act which as went around the world visiting one of 50 countries she noticed usaid money was for training and education was unequally spent almost completely on the men and the boys. The First Amendment says it has to be spent equally on men and women. It still part of the law and is probably one of the great pieces of our pride. I was born in the free territory of trieste which is United Nations protectorate from 19459053 and my dad was over there as u. S. Army first and Second Lieutenant keeping the peace. So my United Nations protectorate doesnt exist anymore. Its amazing the let me serve in u. S. Congress. And then the family is from estonia, denmark, germany, belgium, france, england, scotland. My oldest child was adopted from dublin ireland. Lots and lots of international connections, and feeling very connected to all of the rest of the world. I am a democrat, left to send a democrat and in the first term, maybe my proudest moment was being one of only 28 democrats to vote for trade Promotion Authority for president obama. And was a very strong supporter of tpp, the Transpacific Partnership and ttip, that trade Investment Partnership with your. Even going back to Bretton Woods was about the time i was born, because if you look at the world today it is so different from the world in 1950 because of our international efforts. Because of the liberalization of trade, because United Nations, because of usaid and the aid organizations around the world. There is a great piece in the sunday papers two days ago which i pulled down and read quickly, i believe the number was 137,000 People Per Day lifted out of poverty since the year 2007. I had dinner with a bunch of Board Members from some Corporation Last night and talked about what we were doing on the capital to address poverty. Sdg number one, and the chairman of the corporation sitting next to me said you know, they just need to go work hard. Something like fox news perspective on poverty. And i said what about those 137,000 people a day that weve been looking out of poverty . Was at a matter of 137,000 people a day someone decide to work hard . No. Its the policies, the investments, leadership the we provide that makes all that different. Also one last thought. As thomas mentioned i was ambassador to switzerland and liechtenstein. The bilateral ambassador who were for others in switzerland all in geneva. The committee on disarmament, World Health Organization and the committee on, the devotee oh and human rights commission. When i got there the first ahead did was read the Inspector General report on my mission in burn which is very unkind to the previous ambassador who is a rich texan, and very unkind to the ambassador, the permanent rep to the u. N. Was a rich texan in geneva. They had jets sidebyside in this emotional problem was the two ambassadors hated each other. They were both Texas Republicans and didnt get along and the embassies and, therefore, didnt get along either. I had the opportunity to meet betty