The president of the 70th session of United Nations General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft(C), hands the gavel to incoming president Peter Thomson(R), during the closing ceremony of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept 13, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

He then rhetorically asked what kind of world would be left to them.

Since its adoption in September 2015, "the 2030 Agenda has since had its foundations strengthened by the historic promise of the Paris Climate Agreement," the president said.

This year marks the beginning of the global efforts to implement the 2030 Development Agenda.

"It has been heartening to observe the sincerity with which governments and national planning agencies around the world have begun integrating the Agenda into national processes," he said.

"But make no mistake, the great majority of humankind has yet to learn of the Agenda it has yet to embrace the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, that if successfully implemented will bring an end to poverty and secure a sustainable place for humanity on this planet."

"It is for this reason that the theme of the 71st session is The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform our World," he said.