Economic and Social Council Launches Inaugural Coordination Segment amid Calls to ‘Rekindle Spirit of Solidarity’ in Forging Inclusive Recovery from Pandemic
While COVID-19 ‘Pushed Us Even Further Off Course’, Challenges Represent Failure of Global Governance, Deputy Secretary-General Says
The Economic and Social Council today convened its first‑ever coordination segment, hearing from experts and delegates alike on how best to lay a path for tackling climate change, realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and forging an inclusive, resilient COVID-19 recovery plan.
“The challenges we face were created by humanity,” said United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed as she opened the segment, which runs through 4 February. “That means humanity can solve them. They are, at heart, failures of global governance.”
Emphasizing the need to carefully calibrate policy synergies and partnerships, she called for strengthening institutions and reshaping the global financial system to ensure that all countries have sufficient fiscal space to invest in people and resilience. Bolstering debt relief, designing a new debt restructuring mechanism, re-directing special drawing rights and boosting the resources of multilateral development banks are equally essential.
She said the Council’s new segment can be instrumental in efforts to realize the 2030 Agenda, amid myriad obstacles posed by the pandemic. Identifying areas where functional commissions can ignite and support an equitable recovery - guided by the 2030 Agenda – will be crucial, as will efforts to incorporate climate change, gender equality and the concerns of countries in special situations into the work of Council subsidiaries. With renewed impetus to advance transitions in energy, digitization and food, the coordination segment could “mark a new chapter” in the Council’s journey to achieve the ambitious vision of its leaders, she affirmed.
Held under the theme, “Building back better from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda”, the coordination segment replaces the Council’s integration segment and informal meeting with chairs of subsidiary bodies. It was created in 2021 by the General Assembly as an essential part of a range of measures to enable the Council to better deliver on its Charter role of coordinating the United Nations system in the economic, social, health, environmental and related areas.
Council President Collen Vixen Kelapile (Botswana) said the new segment gives concrete form to one of the most significant changes introduced by the Assembly to strengthen the organ at a time when “challenges confronting us today are all threatening our ability to deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda”. The task of post-pandemic recovery, while daunting, must be embraced as an enterprise to accelerate progress, he stressed.
“We need to rekindle a spirit of solidarity between peoples and countries,” he said. As the “one and only” platform with an overview of the United Nations sustainable development efforts, the Council must develop innovative recommendations, identify aspects of the 2030 Agenda that receive inadequate attention — such as “orphan Goals and targets” — and find them a home on its agenda, he said.
Suriya Chindawongse (Thailand), Council Vice-President and Chair of the coordination segment, said better interactions and relationships can be developed to help actors work more closely together and avoid overlap. Urging participants to look beyond the Council and explore how the Assembly, regional groups, international financial institutions, civil society groups and others can contribute to its mission, he said: “The time for coordination is now.”
During the day, the Council hosted four panel discussions elaborating on some of those issues, followed by interactive exchanges that highlighted concerns, shared experiences and suggestions. A panel on the theme “People-centred and inclusive recovery from the pandemic, including through strengthening social protection” explored how the Council subsidiary bodies and United Nations system entities are supporting such efforts, with a focus on ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. Initiatives to reduce inequalities and strengthen social protection and health systems, including universal health coverage, were also discussed.
A second panel — on the theme “Protecting the planet” — focused on addressing climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, including pollution, in COVID-19 recovery efforts, as well as ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Delegates and experts also exchanged a range of experiences and suggestions at the two afternoon panels, respectively titled “Pathways for a resilient and inclusive economic recovery” and “Harnessing science, technology and innovation, including digital technologies”.
The Economic and Social Council will meet again at 10 a.m. on Friday, 4 February, to continue its coordination segment, featuring presentations by its subsidiary bodies and a panel discussion on “Leveraging regional perspectives for an inclusive and resilient recovery, guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
Opening Remarks
COLLEN VIXEN KELAPILE (Botswana), President of the Economic and Social Council, said the opening of the new coordination segment — created in June 2021 to replace the integration segment — gives concrete form to one of the most significant changes introduced by the General Assembly to strengthen the 54-member Council.
“Challenges confronting us today are all threatening our ability to deliver on the promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” he said. The task of building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, while daunting, must be embraced as an enterprise to accelerate progress. The Council will work to provide policy guidance, strengthen multilateral cooperation and mobilize international solidarity to achieve the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
He described the Council as the “one and only” platform with an overview of United Nations sustainable development efforts — hosting Chairs of functional commissions and expert bodies, stakeholders and Member States alike. “It is the body that can instil direction, create synergies and increase cooperation and coordination within the United Nations system at large,” he said. In that context, the new coordination segment will aim to enhance the Council’s leadership. He called on delegates to ensure their deliberations offer clear guidance and inspire fruitful policy discussions ahead of the high-level political forum in July.
He went on to highlight a number of key messages that emerged from the Partnership Forum, held on 2 February – citing the urgency of addressing unequal COVID-19 vaccine access, ensuring equal access to financial resources in recovery efforts, upholding the central role of the public sector, and recognizing the importance of ownership, leadership and participation in decisions made throughout the recovery. (See Press Release ECOSOC/7069.) He challenged delegates to build on these ideas. “We need to develop innovative recommendations on issues that should be further advanced” by the Council, its subsidiaries and the Organization itself. To that end, it will be important to identify aspects of the 2030 Agenda that receive inadequate attention — such as “orphan Goals and targets” — and find them a home on the Council’s agenda.
“Above all, we need to rekindle a spirit of solidarity between peoples and countries,” he said. The Council must be used to its full potential to assess the global pandemic response, develop policy guidance and leverage action by the United Nations and multiple actors in these efforts.
SURIYA CHINDAWONGSE (Thailand), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council and Chair of the Coordination Segment, said the month of February marks the start of the Lunar New Year and a chance to build new connections between people. “The time for coordination is now,” he said, spotlighting crucial efforts being carried out by various stakeholders across the United Nations system. Through better coordination, complementarities and synergies can be developed, helping actors to work more closely together and avoid overlap in their efforts.
Turning to today’s meetings, he urged participants to look beyond the Economic and Social Council and explore how the General Assembly, regional groups, international financial institutions, civil society groups and others can contribute to its mission. He also raised several issues for today’s participants to consider, including how to better carry out the “leave no one behind” principle and promote greater coordination in women’s empowerment, among other cross-cutting catalysts that can help the United Nations advance the 2030 Agenda.
AMINA J. MOHAMMED, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, said that, with fewer than nine years left, the world is far from reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, having been pushed further off course by the pandemic, climate change, worsening poverty indicators and cost increases that are already immense. “The challenges we face were created by humanity,” she said. “That means humanity can solve them — they are, at heart, failures of global governance.”
In such efforts, the new coordination segment can be instrumental in accelerating action, she said. To that end, she highlighted the need for carefully calibrating policy synergies and partnerships, strengthening institutions and reshaping the global financial system to ensure that all countries — not just advanced economies — have sufficient fiscal space to invest in people and resilience.
Specifically, she called for bolstering debt relief and designing a new debt restructuring mechanism, re-directing special drawing rights and boosting the resources of multilateral development banks. A review of the role of credit‑rating agencies, and efforts to secure a fairer global tax system and address illicit financial flows — moving beyond gross domestic product (GDP) to include other indicators of vulnerability — are also needed. “These are some of the ingredients to a more effective and inclusive financing architecture,” she said.
Identifying areas where functional commissions can constructively ignite and support an equitable recovery guided by the 2030 Agenda will be crucial, she said, as will efforts to incorporate climate change, gender equality and the concerns of countries in special situations in the work of Council subsidiaries. She pointed to renewed impetus to advance transitions in energy, digitization and food, bolstered by a new resident coordinator system ensuring that the Council’s guidance translates into results on the ground. Indeed, this inaugural coordination segment can foster an “integrated and impactful” United Nations response — in countries and across regions. “This could mark a new chapter in the [Council’s] journey as it rises to the ambitious vision of [its] leadership,” she said. “The Secretary-General and I are excited to join you as you take this step forward.”
Panel Discussion I
Following the opening segment, the Economic and Social Council held a panel discussion on the theme, “People-centered and inclusive recovery from the pandemic, including through strengthening social protection”, featuring the following speakers: Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Organization (ILO); Zsuzsanna Jakab, Deputy Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO); and María del Carmen Squeff, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations and Chair of the Commission for Social Development at its sixtieth session.
The panel examined how Council subsidiary bodies and United Nations system entities, including specialized agencies, are supporting people-centred and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. A focus was placed on ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, as well as ending poverty, reducing inequalities and strengthening social protections and health systems, including universal health coverage.
Mr. RYDER said many low- and middle-income economies are struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels of employment and job quality. Noting that social protection has played a key role in an unprecedented global policy response, he said countries with strong social protection systems were able to guarantee access to health care, ensure income security and protect jobs. Building universal social‑protection systems is the “high road” to a human-centred recovery. Moreover, responses to COVID-19 and the climate crisis cannot be disconnected, or sequenced — it is imperative to act concomitantly on both. It is essential to carefully manage a just transition to sustainability. The success of the Secretary‑General’s Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, launched in September 2021, requires engagement by Member States, international financial institutions, social partners, civil society and the private sector, which will be critical to define a common road map and institutional mechanisms. ILO will convene a Global Forum from 22 to 24 February to develop proposals for a multilateralism that is more networked, inclusive and effective in the pursuit of a human-centred recovery.
Ms. JAKAB said the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted more than ever before how closely health and social economic development are interlinked. The pandemic has created deeply unequal social, economic and health consequences, with glaring inequalities — between countries, as well as among population groups within countries. An inclusive recovery requires reinvigorating commitments — outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals — to create comprehensive social protection floors in all countries, he said, noting that currently, only 47 per cent of the world’s population is covered by one or more element of the social protection floor. Affirming that the World Health Organization (WHO) calls for universal health coverage and endorses the ILO call for universal social protection, he said the Council offers an important means through which the global community makes progress towards this goal. The close links among human, animal and environmental health demand close collaboration and coordination among the relevant sectors, adopting a “One Health” approach. To address the threats, national and global policies must be renewed, with investments made in transparent and equitable governance systems that build the health of “people and planet”. The decision made by Member States at the special session of the WHO World Health Assembly and at the recent Executive Board to negotiate a treaty on pandemic preparedness and response is an important step.
Ms. DEL CARMEN SQUEFF recalled that the Commission for Social Development is responsible for monitoring implementation of the 1995 World Summit for Social Development outcome, as well as the social dimension of the 2030 Agenda. This year’s session will start on 7 February, with priority focus on ending poverty and hunger. Countries responded quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic to protect their people, with 3,333 social‑protection measures implemented between 20 March 2020 and 14 May 2021. In Argentina, a debit card was introduced to allow beneficiaries to buy two products from a basic food basket. Gender equality must be at the heart of recovery strategies, she said, drawing attention to the global tracker of gender responses to COVID-19 launched by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment (UN-Women) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Recalling that the Commission’s last session analysed the issue of digital inclusion from a gender perspective, she stressed the importance of synergies among the Council’s subsidiary bodies and proposed that its various Commissions work in a more coordinated manner. “It is time for the invisible people have a voice at the United Nations and that we address their problems,” she said.
In the ensuing interactive dialogue, the representative of Colombia, speaking on behalf of the Like-Minded Group of Middle-Income Countries, called for a people-centred recovery, stressing the need to ensure equitable access to vaccines as a global public good. Immunization rates among middle-income countries are well below those of high-income counterparts, he said, calling on the United Nations and relevant stakeholders to coordinate efforts to address the gaps. Innovative solutions to scale up vaccine production in developing countries are needed. “No one is safe until everyone is safe,” he emphasized.
The representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as an observer, said that COVID-19 rages on alongside a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Expressing support for a legally binding agreement on marine litter and plastic pollution, he stressed the need to adopt an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework. As a green recovery must include sustainable urbanization, he commended the Council for its role in the April 2021 meeting on the New Urban Agenda, adopted in 2016 at the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III). Also, education for all is vital to recovery and development, he said, pointing to efforts by the European Union and its partners to minimize the impact of the pandemic on learning and the well-being of children.
The representative of Japan said the revitalization of discussions on human security is essential, drawing attention to the forthcoming UNDP special report on human security. In the area of health, the pandemic affirmed the imperative of securing global health as a global public good. Japan understands the value of quality health care and is determined to maintain its leadership to achieve universal health coverage, from a belief that these two concepts will be fully considered by the Economic and Social Council, including in the Forum on Financing for Development and during the high-level political forum.
The representative of China described how COVID-19 has brought severe shocks to the global economy and capital markets, pointing to a global development initiative launched by his country’s President, which provides feasible paths to implement the 2030 Agenda and recover from the pandemic. China has donated more than 2 billion doses of vaccines. It is critical that countries tap into their economic potential by stimulating the growth of new industries, he added.
The representative of the United States said his country leads efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 and has donated 4 billion vaccine doses to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, in support of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility. The United States has also donated some 1.2 billion doses to over 110 countries with no political strings attached. The United Nations and the Economic and Social Council should explore cost efficiency measures to advance global health security, he said, calling for more accountability and transparency in the United Nations system. He added that regional commissions can play a role in addressing unique local challenges.
The representative of Lebanon called for greater South-South and triangular cooperation in tackling challenges related to pandemic recovery, including in vaccine equity and technology transfer. Only 30 per cent of Lebanon’s population is vaccinated, including migrants and refugees. Expanding social protection and universal health coverage should not lead to more debts in the poorer countries, he stressed, underscoring more broadly the need to prioritize education in the work of the Economic and Social Council.
The representative of Malawi, speaking for the Group of the Least Developed Countries, said these States continue to face poverty, hunger, a lack of access to education and the negative effects of climate change, as well as the pandemic, which has made it difficult for them to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The Council should focus on universal access to vaccines, poverty, debt relief, implementation of official development assistance (ODA) targets, improved access to technologies — including clean energy — and investment in the green economy. Noting that these countries had anticipated the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which was postponed due to the pandemic, she said the Doha Programme of Action for this conference is already agreed and awaits adoption.
Wrapping up the discussion, Mr. RYDER said the one underlying message is that policy interventions must be multidimensional. Universal access to vaccines, social protection, anti-poverty measures, education, gender and climate change, cannot be addressed separately. Responding to a question about renewing the social contract between Governments and peoples, he said the Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions addresses social contract issues. The Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda report is also aligned with both the Accelerator and the new coordination segment.
Ms. JAKAB said vaccine equity is a major priority and called for addressing shortages in 34 countries, where the immunization rate is below 10 per cent, in order to attain the global 70 per cent target by mid-2022. Noting that WHO is working on a new legal instrument, he underscored the need to go beyond pandemic recovery towards implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It is vital to rebuild essential services and invest in universal health coverage, he said, including measures to tackle non-communicable diseases.
Ms. DEL CARMEN SQUEFF said all speakers today issued an appeal for vaccine equity and inclusive recovery from the pandemic. Recovery must go hand in hand with an economic boost that allows States to tackle sovereign debt. Renewing the social contract is a good way to rethink such actions, she added.
Also speaking were representatives of Mexico, Guatemala and Morocco, as well as an observer for the Holy See.
Panel Discussion II
The Council then held a panel on the theme “Protecting the planet”, with a focus on addressing challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, including pollution in COVID-19 recovery efforts, as well as ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. Delivering presentations were: Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); Miriam Mac Intosh, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation of Suriname and Chair-designate of the seventeenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests; Stephan Sicars, Managing Director, Directorate of Environment and Energy, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO); and Mathu Joyini, Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations and Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women at its sixty-sixth Session.
Ms. ANDERSEN, in video remarks, said the health impact of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste are obvious — from droughts, floods and heatwaves to plastic and air pollution. The “One Health” approach, which is gaining traction, views human, animal and planetary health as one and the same. She pointed to the new “One Health” High-Level Expert Panel and the Global Leaders Group, adding that “we must use this political momentum to promote integrated, multi-sector and multi-stakeholder initiatives”. Under such initiatives, actions can affect real progress.
Citing several examples, she pointed to coordinated surveillance and early warning systems on zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance and other emerging health threats. Initiatives can also improve science for more coordinated interventions and create incentives to enhance sustainable farming practices and trade in domestic and wild animals. For its part, UNEP works with WHO, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other partners in such areas as how best to bring environmental data into surveillance and early warning risk‑assessment processes within the health sector. Success depends on strong financial support, she said, noting that the $220 million in commitments in 13 countries made in 2020 are a fraction of the annual $3.4 billion required to prevent pandemics. The triple planetary crisis is a grave public health issue, one that will cost not just lives, but huge amounts of financing for Governments and businesses, she said, adding that investing in a “One Health” approach as part of efforts to return to living in harmony with nature is undoubtedly a smart move.
Mr. SICARS said the Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency advocates for a just transition to a resource‑efficient and circular economy. Indeed, more efficient use of resources will have multiple positive effects, including curbing of consumption to reduce the impacts of resource‑generation and ‑waste on climate, pollution and biodiversity. In addition, economic growth can be generated by awakening the potential of any product in any country to serve longer or to be used as a resource itself. Further, the resource dependence of countries can also be reduced, hence their resilience improved, he said, noting that such results are linked with several Sustainable Development Goals.
With a membership of 15 States and the European Commission, and with UNEP and UNIDO providing operational support, the year-old Alliance’s motivation is based on global material consumption, its expected growth rate and the negative impact it has — and will increasingly have, according to estimates by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The global population growth and expectation of a minimum level of development for everyone has rendered the current linear economy model unsustainable. Through a just transition to circular economies, however, inclusive and environmentally sound, sustainable economic growth can be achieved. Members have drafted working papers on such issues, soon to be available online for use by member countries in policy‑making and in international forums, he said, encouraging more Governments to take the lead in promoting a just transition to a circular economy and resource efficiency, and calling for the economic transformation the world needs to ensure the well-being of its people.
Ms. MAC INTOSH said the twenty-sixth session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) placed forests and other nature-based solutions in the centre of discussions, producing the Glasgow Climate Pact — which recognizes the need to tap into their potential to better mitigate and adapt to climate change — and the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which was signed by more than 142 countries, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the world’s forests, to halt and reverse loss and land degradation by 2030. There is growing recognition that healthy forests and other ecosystems are vital to protect the planet and build resilience. Through reversing deforestation and sustainably managing forests, their ecosystems can sustain and help to lift millions out of extreme poverty, build resilient economies and societies, safeguard biodiversity and combat climate change. Forests also provide a natural buffer against transmission of zoonotic diseases and reduce the risk of pandemics.
To fully recover from the pandemic and address climate and nature crises, she said efforts must reverse forest loss and degradation by placing healthy ecosystems and resilient communities at the centre of such efforts. It is essential that Governments, the United Nations and other partners take decisive action to integrate forest-based solutions into their immediate and long-term responses and use this opportunity to realize the vision enshrined in the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests. The forthcoming United Nations Forum on Forests will consider the second assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on forests and the forest sector, as well as preparations for the midterm review of the International Arrangement on Forests, established in 2000, in achieving its objectives. Addressing the greatest crises offers an opportunity to scale up and invest in forests and nature-based solutions, thereby assisting in accelerating the progress and transformation towards shared goals and commitments.
Ms. JOYINI said the sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women will focus on the theme “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes”. Highlighting the Secretary-General’s latest report to the Commission, she said COVID-19 has revealed that climate and environmental crises and disasters disproportionately affect the livelihoods of women and girls. As such, it is important to facilitate women's employment in decent, green and blue jobs as part of COVID-19 economic recovery in such sectors as sustainable energy, agriculture, forestry and fisheries. Doing so will advance both gender equality and environmental sustainability.
Pointing to other action areas, she said efforts must focus on universal social protection and care systems and policies to make it possible for women and girls to participate in and lead climate, environment and disaster action. Recovery from the pandemic will only be effective if it is a recovery for all people. Highlighting calls in the 2030 Agenda and the Council for gender equality, she said among agreed conclusions are specific steps to make use of the gender mainstreaming strategy across the peace and security, human rights and development pillars. No country has achieved gender equality, but if the Council and all its subsidiary bodies systematically integrate this perspective in all its work, it will be possible to overcome systemic inequality and deliver results for all women and girls.
Delegates then exchanged experiences and suggestions in the ensuring discussion, with the representative of Finland noting that the high-level political forum takes place in a year packed with events aimed at galvanizing action to protect the planet. Synergies between these various meetings and processes must be strengthened to ensure accelerated and joint action to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. Recalling the 2021 Ministerial Declaration’s call for increased climate action and accelerated work to combat biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, he said effective, coordinated and consistent international cooperation and political will is needed to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. In addition, the gender differences in realizing Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation must be a central part of the discussion, with the agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women session in March feeding into deliberations of the high-level political forum in July.
The representative of Egypt said that, leading up to COP27 in Sharm El Sheik later this year, his delegation will work with all parties to shift from pledges to delivery and achieve a balance between adaptation and mitigation. Underlining an urgent need for clear indicators on implementation — especially delivery of pledges on finance — and on adaptation, loss and damage, he said: “Protecting our planet, preserving our environment and addressing climate change requires a comprehensive and synergized approach.”
In a similar vein, Kenya’s representative said his country’s commitments to protect the environment are in line with the aspirations of the Decade of Action on Ecosystem Restoration, anchored in national policies and legislation. Highlighting the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly, taking place in Nairobi this month, he said: “Let us unite to build back better, to urgently deal with the vulnerabilities of our societies and our economies, for a resilient and inclusive post-COVID-19 recovery.”
Some delegates elaborated on ways to reduce pollution, with Peru’s delegate pointing to marine plastic and microplastic litter, which affects nearly all aspects of sustainable development. Ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference, he called for actions to protect marine life and tackle pollution. Similarly, the representative of the Republic of Korea said the United Nations system should give heightened attention to litter on land and in the sea, including plastic pollution, disposable containers and face masks.
The United States representative said the climate crisis is a priority for his delegation, including efforts aimed at scaling up clean energy transitions. He also called for more investment in areas including food security.
Raising several concerns, China’s representative said a people-centred approach is needed to accelerate green economies. Priorities include promoting the full implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and practising true multilateralism to upgrade coordination. China takes an integrated approach to resource management, and climate change features prominently in its national development initiative, he said, adding that efforts in developing countries are ongoing under the South-South cooperation umbrella.
Panellists responded to inquiries and shared their perspectives on some of the issues highlighted.
Mr. SICARS said partnerships and cooperation are critical to maximize pandemic recovery efforts. Circular economy and resource efficiency initiatives can enhance business practices that, in turn, advance progress in various areas, from climate protection to gender equality. Indeed, the circular economy, while not the answer for the entire world, can increase inclusion and advance development issues.
Ms. MAC INTOSH said unlocking the potential of forests and offsetting the impact of the climate crisis hinges on sustainable management and tackling deforestation. Moving from pledges to delivery is essential. All countries — especially developing nations — must be assisted in forest management plans. Efforts must also level the playing field for States in terms of science and technology, she said, emphasizing that developing countries face different challenges.
Ms. JOYINI, noting that gender equality was not often mentioned during the discussion, encouraged Member States to ensure this issue receives the attention it deserves. Acknowledging that many States have taken actions to address the disproportionate impact of climate change and the pandemic on women and girls, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s report on the matter, she expressed confidence that women would be recruited as leaders in successful climate actions and pandemic recovery efforts.
Also participating in the discussions were representatives of Sweden, Colombia, Senegal and Bolivia.
Panel Discussion III
The Council’s next panel discussion focused on the theme, “Pathways for a resilient and inclusive economic recovery”. It featured the following panellists: Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP; Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF); and Gabriella Vukovich, President of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office and Vice-Chair of the Statistical Commission at its fifty-second session. Among the topics considered were measures needed to ensure that COVID-19 recovery efforts — including stimulus packages — promote a sustainable and inclusive recovery, reduce risks and build resilience to future shocks, and help galvanize investments in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr. STEINER said the latest omicron variant surge of COVID-19 is reminding the world that the pandemic does not take a break, and “there is a mountain to climb before we shift into endemic status across the world”. Currently, only 11 per cent of people living in low-income countries have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more vaccines have been delivered as booster shots in the richest countries than first shots in low-income countries. Many developing countries are also finding it difficult to access the finance needed to power the recovery, while others are in debt distress, he said, noting that 82 developing nations are considered “fiscally vulnerable” and Governments are finding it harder to provide vulnerable people with the support they need.
Also spotlighting the challenges of rising energy and food prices, higher interest rates and supply‑chain issues, he listed several reasons for hope, including that the United Nations system is still working on the ground to support people in 170 countries. “What the United Nations lacks in fiscal might, it makes up in effective, timely support on the ground,” he said, adding that the Organization’s responses are tailored to diverse country contexts. Going forward, he listed three priorities on the multilateral agenda. First, swift action is needed to get the world vaccinated against COVID-19. Second, the global system must expand fiscal space and drive financial flows that align with the Sustainable Development Goals in 2022. Third, “we need to set the stage for the future” by enhancing energy access, and technological and financial transfers to help countries simultaneously advance low-carbon economies and improve human development.
Ms. GRYNSPAN, recalling that global GDP rebounded in 2021, said that recovery has not been inclusive nor resilience-building. “If we have learned anything from this pandemic, it is that unequal systems are inherently brittle,” she said, noting that UNCTAD estimates the cost of the pandemic for developing countries at $13 trillion. Astonishingly, however, in many advanced countries the change in long-term growth rates is almost negligible. Citing additional risks, such as rising inflation and subsequent monetary tightening in the developed world, she said such trends may render debt management even more difficult in the global South. Calling for urgent scaled-up support, she recalled UNCTAD adopted its Bridgetown Covenant in October 2021, outlining States’ desire for research, technical cooperation and consensus-building, as well as vaccine equity, investments in trade and infrastructure resilience, financial resilience for developing countries and better debt management, among other priorities.
Ms. VUKOVICH recalled that the Statistical Commission recently adopted its latest “System of Environmental-Economic Accounting — Ecosystem Accounting”, an integrated framework on the environment-economy nexus that helps users go beyond GDP in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. Unlike GDP metrics, the framework accounts for natural capital, ecosystem services flows and the conditions of ecosystems. It also supports “thematic accounting”, which organizes data around specific policy-relevant environmental themes, such as biodiversity, climate change, oceans and cities. More than 35 countries compile “SEEA Accounts”, and that number is expected to grow in the coming years.
Citing calls by the Secretary-General and others to go beyond traditional GDP metrics, he said data from SEEA Accounts can provide crucial information on Sustainable Development Goal targets including poverty eradication, zero hunger, affordable and clean energy, and responsible consumption and production. As the COVID-19 pandemic put enormous strain on national statistical offices, the implementation of SEEA Accounts requires extensive coordination and greater institutional collaboration.
Mr. BO said momentum in the global recovery from COVID-19 is slowing as policymakers face an obstacle course of challenges, including the omicron variant, supply chain disruptions, rising inflation and record debt. Inflation has risen, with price pressures expected to persist. “Even as recoveries continue, the deeply worrisome divergence in prospects across countries persists,” he said. Against that backdrop, he echoed calls for an acceleration of vaccination efforts, especially in low-income countries, and urged stakeholders to pave the way for a transformational recovery, citing IMF’s new Resilience and Sustainability Trust to help low-income and vulnerable middle-income countries address longer-term structural challenges. He also called for efforts to ensure a fair transition that promotes inclusive growth, outlining a range of IMF initiatives alongside ILO, UN-Women and other partners in countries around the world.
As delegates took the floor in the subsequent discussion, many echoed the panellists’ concerns about an insufficient and inequitable global recovery. Some speakers outlined specific challenges facing their economies, productive capacities and national health architecture. Meanwhile, others called more broadly for bolstered development financing, emphasizing that developing countries stand at a critical juncture.
The representative of Indonesia said COVID-19 recoveries must focus not only on the pandemic, but on building a fairer global system and preparing for the next crisis. “It is not a question of if, but when another pandemic will come,” he said. Echoing the panellists’ calls for vaccine equity, he also advocated for efforts to bridge the digital divide, advance a just energy transition and create a new international pandemic treaty for better preparedness.
The representative of Grenada, also speaking in her capacity as Co-Chair of the Economic and Social Council’s Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up, said the 2022 Forum can help countries move forward on debt and liquidity matters, digitalization, climate finance, taxation and trade and investment. Urging Member States to participate in that process, she said financing for development is essential to ensuring that recovery and progress are being shared equally around the world. “The urgency has never been higher,” she said.
The representative of Nigeria, also focusing on the urgent need for financing, said a sustainable global recovery will be impossible if developing countries are held down by debt. Stressing that a non-discriminatory, equitable international trading system is crucial to help the poorest countries recover, he called for a restructuring of the global tax system to enable bolder investments in education, health care, agriculture, technological advancement and energy, among other priority areas.
The representative of the United States said his country is committed to supporting low- and middle-income nations, including through private sector financing, urging the Economic and Social Council to help States build on those investments while promoting environmental sustainability and human rights. He also called for global efforts to increase transparency and ensure that all development efforts are free of corruption, waste and abuse.
The representative of Bangladesh advocated for COVID-19 vaccines to be urgently declared a global public good. Vaccine technologies must be transferred to developing countries and production and distribution capacities urgently scaled up. He also underscored the need to align COVID-19 recovery efforts with climate resilience, prioritize the needs of least developed countries and foster inclusive growth in such crucial areas as health, education and job creation.
Mr. STEINER, responding to comments, cited a remarkable degree on unanimity on the immediacy and magnitude of the problems at hand. Noting that the global response “simply has not risen to the challenge”, he said the world is not yet in a “build back better” mode, as in many cases it remains driven by redundant paradigms and wrong matrixes. Calling for a shift in those frameworks and instruments, he said the private sector can indeed play an important role, but must, itself, be better understood by countries and societies.
Ms. GRYNSPAN, elaborating on UNCTAD’s Bridgetown Declaration in response to one comment raised, said it was among other efforts to address the question of development financing more seriously. Debt management, climate financing, fair trade facilitation, digitalization and efforts to fight illicit financial flows also feature prominently in that document, she added.
Mr. BO outlined additional IMF efforts, including meetings over the coming months to address debt issues and ensure a more just and sustainable COVID-19 recovery. Through its Resilience and Sustainability Trust project, it is also working to include small States, vulnerable middle-income countries and low-income countries in a range of transformative projects, including on climate resilience and pandemic preparedness.
Ms. VUKOVICH said the COVID-19 crisis shows how crucial accurate data are for preparedness planning and building resilience. Noting that data‑collection systems remain extremely vulnerable around the world, she called for more investment in them.
Also participating in the discussion were the representatives of Belize, Kazakhstan, Peru and Costa Rica.
Panel Discussion IV
The Council next held an interactive discussion on the theme “Harnessing science, technology and innovation, including digital technologies”, featuring the following speakers: Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Catherine M. Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mansour al-Qurashi, General Manager for International Affairs of the Communications and Information Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia and Chair of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development at its twenty-fifth session; and Takeshi Hikihara, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations in Vienna and Chair of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its thirty-first session.
The panel examined the role of United Nations system, including Council subsidiary bodies, in promoting the use of science, technology and innovation, digital technologies and the Internet in inclusively recovering from the pandemic, strengthening innovative data solutions for effective evidence-based policymaking, and closing the digital divide.
Mr. ZHAO, in video remarks, said the world is entering the third year of the pandemic at a heightened moment of uncertainty. For ITU, accelerating progress to the Sustainable Development Goals, as summarized by the promise to leave no one behind, means “leaving no one offline”. While ITU figures reveal that the first year of the pandemic saw the largest annual increase in the number of Internet users in a decade, there are vast disparities in access, with 96 per cent of the 2.9 people who are still offline living in developing countries, and persisting digital gender gaps in least developed and landlocked developing countries. He went on to highlight work by ITU that aims to redress inequalities in access, including through a project, Giga, an ITU-UNICEF initiative to connect every school to the Internet, which has already mapped over 1 million schools in 41 countries, as well as the expected launch of a $5 billion connectivity bond to accelerate critical infrastructure investments. With the surge in information and communications technology (ICT) use, he underscored the need for international technical standards to address climate change, spotlighting the adoption of a new ITU standard detailing the emission-reduction trajectories needed to cut the ICT sector’s greenhouse‑gas emissions by 45 per cent, in line with climate targets set in the Paris Agreement. Emphasizing the importance of collaborations for inclusive access, he enumerated a number of projects — including one with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to enhance the digital skills of young people in Africa — and several others to advance inclusive access to new and emerging technologies, including the recently launched AI for Good Neural Network, a new community platform to step up global collaboration on the use of AI to drive sustainable development.
Ms. RUSSELL emphasized the need to urgently address the mounting global education crisis, pointing out that 616 million children are affected by school closures. It is crucial to consider how innovation, technology and partnerships can fuel collective efforts to address the crisis, she said, emphasizing the need to help countries keep school open, through prioritizing vaccinations for teachers and school staff, and to help children — particularly those who had not yet mastered basic literacy and numeracy — to recover their lost education. It is also essential to restore children’s physical and emotional well-being, and to address the needs of the most marginalized, including girls, ethnic minorities and children caught in humanitarian crises. Pointing out that education disruptions in low-and middle-income countries have left up to 70 per cent of 10-year-olds unable to read, she stressed: “That is inequitable and unacceptable.” UNICEF is working to remove barriers to access and to meet needs in every context, she said, outlining tailor-made catch-up programmes in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and several pandemic‑response projects using digital tools, including the Giga initiative, in collaboration with ITU. Recalling a joint statement issued by 172 Member States and Permanent Observers at the start of the pandemic, calling on the world to protect children from the multiple impacts of COVID-19, she stressed: “You had the foresight to recognize then that this pandemic had the potential to create a lost generation of children. It is up to all of us to ensure that this does not happen.”
Mr. AL-QURASHI, emphasizing the criticality of science, technology and innovation, said stakeholders at the Commission on Science and Technology for Development have shared many instances of new and innovative applications to support global efforts to confront the pandemic, care for patients and develop treatments and vaccines, illustrating how these solutions can enhance productive capacities in tackling global challenges such as clean energy and reducing inequality. However, he underscored the need to develop an urgent and adequate response via science, technology and innovation solutions to tackle the pandemic, as well as the climate emergency, biodiversity loss and pollution, among other issues. Outlining recommendations, he said ensuring equal access to the benefits offered by science, technology and innovation in health care is vital to preventing future health crises. He stressed the need to develop institutional capacities, action plans and practical tools for including vulnerable groups. He also emphasized the need to mainstream the gender perspective by enhancing diversity in research and development teams, and called for greater international cooperation to ensure inclusive and sustainable “globalization with a human face”, recalling a proposal by UNCTAD to create a United Nations centralized database of open-source appropriate technologies, which would enable individuals and communities to fabricate their own products for less than the price of purchasing them.
Mr. HIKIHARA said the pandemic has sharpened the “double-edged sword” of digital technologies when dealing with crimes: presenting tools to strengthen criminal justice systems, as well as new opportunities for criminals. The Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice sets policy guidance to counter new and emerging crimes, and promotes the use of technological innovation, including digital technologies. Spotlighting the adoption of the Kyoto Declaration at the fourteenth Crime Congress in March 2021, he said it demonstrates Member States’ shared recognition that criminal justice systems must be improved through promoting appropriate use of technology, including digitalization, in the context of pandemic. The Commission will address the issue further during a thematic discussion on “Strengthening the use of digital evidence in criminal justice and countering cybercrime, including the abuse and exploitation of minors in illegal activities with the use of the Internet”, organized during its thirty-first regular session in May. It also prepared a resolution titled, “Strengthening criminal justice systems during and after the coronavirus disease pandemic”, which was adopted by the General Assembly in December 2021.
In the ensuing interactive dialogue, the representative of Singapore, underscoring the need for the United Nations system to level up access to the 3.7 billion people who remain digitally disconnected, called for the formulation of common rules and principles, efforts to close the digital divide — including through education in digital skills and literacy — and progress on the Secretary‑General’s proposal for a global digital compact. Emphasizing the need to use technology to enhance social welfare, he spotlighted Singapore’s Digital Readiness Blueprint, which focuses on inclusivity, to ensure no pocket of the population is left behind in the push towards digitalization.
The representative of Latvia, emphasizing the need for the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice to coordinate New York and Geneva- based processes on science, technology and innovation, and digitalization, highlighted the Technology Facilitation Mechanism established by the 2030 Agenda to facilitate coordination and cooperation on science, technology and innovation within the United Nations system and with the broader stakeholder community. He pointed out, however, that it would benefit from better understanding and awareness of its potential, as well as ongoing workstreams, such as the “STI for the Sustainable Development Goals Road Maps” initiative. He underlined the need to bridge digital divides, especially through promoting digital skills, and to promote gender equality. As Vice-Chair of the Bureau of the Commission on the Status of Women, Latvia looks forward to the upcoming session that will offer an opportunity to highlight women and girls in environmental sciences, among others.
The representative of China, spotlighting his country’s Global Development Initiative, proposed during the last session of the General Assembly, said that technologies play an essential role in pandemic recovery, as well as poverty reduction. The United Nations must play a coordinating role in mobilizing resources of agencies, and in fostering an open, fair and non-discriminatory environment that enables science, technology and innovation to better facilitate COVID-19 recovery and ensure Internet access for all.
The representative of Chile, recalling that the 2030 Agenda recognized science, technology and innovation as a key means to implement the Goals, spotlighted the 2019 Global Sustainable Development Report, which identified technology as a driver of development, and called for inclusive access to them, as well as for capacity‑development of users. Chile prioritizes digital transformation, and recently launched its first national policy for gender equality in digitalization.
The representative of Bangladesh emphasized the need to address persisting gaps in the global distribution of scientific capacity, as well as inequalities within and across societies, especially pertaining to women. Responding to Ms. Russell’s figures about children impacted by school closures, he pointed out that children in many developing countries were pushed even further behind, and asked about how more impactful partnerships can be built to ensure access to education, and to leverage digital platforms.
Mr. ZHAO, addressing points raised on global disparities in technology access and the persisting gender divide, emphasized the role of small and medium‑sized enterprises as a source of innovation, calling for more efforts to be made to support them to mainstream technological development. Turning to the gender divide, he noted that several ITU conferences have focused on the issue, and have discussed ways to encourage girls to join science, technology, engineering and mathematics, including by mobilizing 160 countries to celebrate this on a special day — the last Thursday of April — every year. Recalling the goal of connecting all schools to the Internet — which was set up in 2005 and is being advanced by the Giga project — he pointed out that the goal is achievable, but nonetheless faces barriers, notably the non-profitability of extending Internet access in mountainous regions.
Ms. RUSSELL said the impact of the pandemic has thrown up issues which children cannot overcome on their own, citing the “devastating” stories of children not going back to school, a figure which was as high as 35 per cent in one country. Reiterating that the pandemic has disrupted learning for millions of children, particularly those facing poverty or in situations of conflict, she emphasized the need to ensure access to quality education to all children, stating: “Their futures depend on it; all of our futures depend on it.” She went on to add: “We have the tools and technology; the question is: do we have the will to do it?” UNICEF is committed to working to overcome the learning crisis, but it is a huge undertaking and cannot be done alone.
Mr. AL-QURASHI, stating that the coordination segment will help shape a shared, action-focused vision of international policies to ensure that science, technology and innovation solutions deliver development outcomes while promoting global values, encouraged Member States to work together on common, practical answers to such questions through participation in the platform provided by Commission. “The new coordination segment will help all of us, members of the [Economic and Social Council] system, make our work even more impactful for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and post-pandemic recovery efforts,” he said. The Commission will help developing nations use science, technology and innovation policies to prepare for technological change that will affect markets and societies, he added.
Mr. HIKIHARA emphasized the need to coordinate global efforts to address problems in dealing with new and emerging crimes, which constitutes an indispensable working method to ensure no one is left behind.
Also speaking in the dialogue were the representatives of Slovenia and Guatemala.
Following the conclusion of the panel discussions, the Council heard a summary of the day’s sessions.