Development Banks Play Important Role in COVID-19 Recovery, Supporting Public Goods, Financial Inclusion, Secretary-General Message Stresses

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the Conference of Development Banks:  “From Pandemic to Recovery”, in New York today:

The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing and exacerbating social, economic and infrastructural inequalities and challenges.

Development banks can play a significant role in supporting the pandemic response and recovery — by providing financing for infrastructure and other public goods and by promoting financial inclusion.

The recovery cannot be a return to old, failed approaches and systems.  We must raise our ambitions and recover better, guided by the 2030 Agenda [for Sustainable Development] and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

I welcome this conference’s focus on financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that have been hit hardest by the pandemic, and on sustainable infrastructure — a critical component of a strong recovery in the areas of health care, transport and digitalization.

A people-centred, rights-based, green recovery from this pandemic will require an integrated response, based on correcting the failures of the past and redoubling our efforts to achieve the SDGs.  I send you best wishes for your discussions.