Economic and Social Council Key to Implementing Newly Adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Speakers tell General Assembly
The Economic and Social Council was the most important body in the implementation of the newly adopted ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the General Assembly heard today as Member States commented on the Council’s latest annual report.
Opening the meeting, Oh Joon, President of the Council, introduced the 54-member organ’s report detailing its activities since January, and said that it had been a “highly productive and significant year” given the adoption of the 2030 Agenda. He said that the Council was committed to supporting Member States in its implementation, and added that “strong institutions, broad-based partnerships and thorough follow-up and review” were crucial to the achievement of that goal.
The Council had instituted reforms, as called for by the General Assembly, to advance financing for development, strengthen the coordination of humanitarian assistance within the United Nations system, and incorporate youth perspectives into the international dialogue for development, among other things, he said.
Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya, a member of the Parliament of India, said the Council was the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of economic and social development. It was important for the Council to rejuvenate itself and become more action-oriented, policy relevant and responsive to the new 2030 Agenda.
Echoing his sentiment, Argentina’s representative said that the success of the new Agenda depended upon coordination with development partners and the Council was best placed to achieve that given its knowledge in the field.
The representative of Zimbabwe agreed that implementation of the 2030 Agenda — with poverty eradication at its centre — required a coordinated international response. Goals related to sustained economic growth, full employment and decent work for all, and the reduction of inequality in and among countries were highly interrelated, so the Council and the High-Level Political Forum had an essential role to play to achieve them.
Also speaking today were the representatives of Kuwait and Egypt.
The General Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 21 October, to elect 18 members of the Economic and Social Council.
Background
The General Assembly met today to discuss the Report of the Economic and Social Council and follow up to the outcome of the Millennium Summit. The Assembly had before it two documents: the Report of the Economic and Social Council for 2015 (document A/70/3), as well as the Secretary-General’s note transmitting the Report of the Secretary of the Committee for the United Nations Population Award, 2015 (document A/70/140).
Statements
OH JOON, President of the Economic and Social Council, introducing the body’s 2015 report, said that it had been a highly productive and significant year in the work of the Council. Noting the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he said the Council was committed to supporting Member States in its implementation. Integrated and inclusive approaches to achieving the ambitious 2030 Agenda required strong institutions, broad-based partnerships and thorough follow-up and review. In that regard, increasingly complex development challenges called for coordinated and integrated policy responses and deepening cooperation at the country, regional and global levels. Strong, adaptable and inclusive institutions at all levels were necessary for such improved integration.
He highlighted the reform measures implemented by the Council in 2015 in line with the General Assembly’s request to strengthen the body. The Council had addressed a broad range of themes, including advancing financing for development, strengthening the coordination of humanitarian assistance of the United Nations, and incorporating youth perspectives into the international dialogue for development. The 2016 session would be crucial for Council as the body would lead the global implementation and review of the 2030 Agenda. The Council’s forum on financing for development follow-up and review, mandated by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, would be convened for the first time during that session and would include the special high-level meeting of the Council, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
SHRI MANSUKH L. MANDAVIYA, a member of the Parliament of India, said that his country attached great importance to the Council’s work, which played an important role as a principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on issues of economic and social development. It was important for the Council to rejuvenate itself and become more action-oriented, policy relevant and responsive to the new Development Agenda. It was his country’s expectation that the Council would prioritize the attainment of robust inclusive economic growth in developing countries, as well as addressing, with urgency, environmental degradation and climate change. Even though India did not create that problem, the country intended to be part of the solution when it came to climate change. That solution lay in pursuing policies that promoted a more holistic relationship between growth and the environment.
FARAH T A S H ALGHARABALLY (Kuwait) said that the Sustainable Development Goals were a roadmap to renew hope. It was important to support the role of the Council, and also for that Council and United Nations agencies and the General Assembly to work together, especially on follow-up and assessment methods for the Goals. Kuwait attached great importance to assuming regional responsibilities to achieve the Goals. Having held a number of high-level meetings on economic and humanitarian issues, her country had spared no efforts to provide assistance to developing States through various institutions, including through the Kuwait Fund for Economic Development. Having provided 1.4 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) as development assistance, double the internationally agreed rate, Kuwait was fully committed to implementing the conclusions of Council meetings as well as subsidiary bodies.
MATEO ESTREME (Argentina) said that following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Council had assumed an even more important role in providing a platform for coordinating development activities globally, regionally and nationally. The success of the 2030 Agenda would depend on coordination with development partners and the Council was best placed to achieve that given its knowledge in the field. The universal nature of the 2030 Agenda signified that it applied to all nations, underscoring the interdependence of the world. The other important factor for the 2030 Agenda’s implementation was integration. The United Nations system should adapt to better support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and position itself correctly over the long term to achieve all mandates set forth in the resolution on the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review of the Organization’s operational activities for development. The Council was the most important body for achieving the goals of poverty eradication and the integration of the economic, social and other facets of sustainable development.
OSAMA ABDELKHALEK MAHMOUD (Egypt) said that a continuing decline in official development assistance (ODA) and programme budget financing in favour of voluntary funding compounded the lack of predictability in financing sustainable development. Further, the exaggerated emphasis on implementation at the national level in developing countries, while not placing similar importance at implementing commitments by developed countries, detracted from the universality of the 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The coordinated follow-up of the integrated decisions of summits and conferences required improving the Organization’s performance, and raising the efficiency of services provided within the framework through maximizing the utilization of available resources.
FREDERICK MUSIIWA MAKAMURE SHAVA (Zimbabwe) said that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda required a coordinated international response. While eradiation of poverty was at the heart of the new Agenda, other critical challenges due to climate change, urbanization and increasing interdependence had grown in importance. Goals related to sustained economic growth, full employment and decent work for all, and the reduction of inequality in and among countries were highly interrelated, so the Council and the High-Level Political Forum had an essential role to play. The need for a revitalized global partnership could not be overemphasized. The Committee of Experts on international cooperation in tax matters was expected to contribute measures to addressing illicit financial flows which were bleeding resources from Africa. There was an important role for the United Nations to play in promoting, implementing and facilitating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at all levels.