Economist Sachs proves right

A couple of days before the G-20 Summit in Antalya, I met with famous American economist Jeffrey Sachs in Istanbul. Professor Sachs, the director of the Earth Institute at the University of Columbia, has more than one hat.  

The economist who has done international studies on the reduction of poverty and income inequality and debt cancellation is special advisor to U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki Moon. At the same time, he is the head of the global initiative Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).   

Jeffrey Sachs has also been an advisor to the former U.N. General Secretary Kofi Annan and directed the U.N. Millennium Goals Projects. 

He came to Istanbul for the sustainable development and climate conferences organized by Bosphorus University before the G-20 Summit. According to Sachs, with the U.N. approval of the 17 "Sustainable Development Goals," the world now has entered a "sustainable development" era. 

Sachs went to Antalya as Ban Ki Moon's advisor. During our conversation in Istanbul, he said sustainable development and climate topics should be discussed at the G-20 Summit but predicted "world leaders will discuss terror and political issues as always."  Unfortunately, Professor Sachs proved right. 

Because of the horrible attack that left 129 people dead in Paris on Friday night (Nov. 13), terror was the main topic at the G-20 Summit. 

Actually, if the G-20 countries, which account for 85 percent of the world economy and 80 percent of the world trade had truly adopted the "sustainable development" goals years ago, then several motives fueling terror could have been eliminated long ago. 

In environments where the U.N.'s sustainable development goals are implemented (which include ending...