WMGfotoHelen Hakena’s (Leitana Women’s Development Agency, Bougainville, PNG and Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development) gave a presentation on behalf of the Women’s Major Group on May 19 at the 2014 UNESCAP Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development. In her speech, Hakena emphasized the need for governments in the Asia-Pacific region to commit to development justice as the transformative framework for the new global development agenda and reiterated the call for an equitable redistribution of wealth, power and resources.

Development decisions, she continued, must include women and those of the most marginalized, and efforts must be reflected in targets and indicators.  She also stressed the need to pursue a sustainable economic model that takes into account the Earth’s planetary boundaries. Finally, she underlined that development must be oriented towards enhancing human rights for all. More here