Coherent Policies, Vaccine Equity Needed to Pull World through Pandemic, Economic and Social Council Subsidiary Bodies Stress, as Coordination Segment Concludes
‘The More Partners We Have, the Better’, Says Chair of Two-Day Session, as Delegates Offer Ideas to Streamline Climate, Education, Employment Actions
With support for the United Nations, the world’s regions are fighting back against a lopsided global COVID-19 recovery, working at the nexus of economic and sustainable development to build their productive capacities, address the climate crisis and reduce the risk of future pandemics, the Economic and Social Council’s coordination segment heard today as it concluded its inaugural session.
Against the backdrop of developing countries’ halting efforts to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, the two-day meeting focused on how the Council’s work can be leveraged to realize an inclusive, resilient global recovery guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Today’s presentations, interventions and panel discussions highlighted the work being done across the Council’s network of subsidiary bodies in the economic, social, cultural, educational, health and related fields.
During a morning panel, the Executive Secretaries of the United Nations five regional economic commissions reported on both progress and challenges ahead. Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), said that, while COVID-19 has been a major setback for sustainable development, it also sparked new policy impulses to address long-standing problems. Among other initiatives, she described the establishment of normative frameworks in such crucial areas as transport and environment, while outlining ECE’s advisory, capacity-building and statistical support to countries in the region.
Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said the regional commission was among the first institutions on the continent to streamline access to COVID-19 vaccines, providing some 440 million doses at a time when vaccines were still hard to come by across the world. It also prioritized its support to women — who were hit hardest by the pandemic’s job losses — by providing them with coding training and other technological skills. Going forward, two of ECA’s priorities will be promoting intra-Africa trade networks and developing cross-cutting insurance systems for future crises.
Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), described Latin America as one of the world’s most economically unequal regions, with many people working in informal sectors and millions pushed into poverty over the course of the pandemic. Emphasizing the need to reopen schools — which remain closed throughout much of the region — she outlined plans to create national childcare systems that will help women who have been forced to leave the work force to return. Agreeing with other speakers that vaccine equity remains the single most important factor in pandemic recovery, she also outlined plans to boost Latin American vaccine and pharmaceutical production through a regional procurement system that does not rely on external donors.
Also presenting during that panel discussion were Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Throughout the day, the Council also heard presentations — beamed into the General Assembly Hall — by the Chairs of its various subsidiary bodies, ranging from the United Nations Statistical Commission to the Commission on Science and Technology for Development and the Commission on the Status of Women, followed by an interactive dialogue, during which delegates made comments and posed questions on their work. It held a final panel discussion on the theme “Recovery from the pandemic through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, 14, 15 and 17”.
Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said in a closing video message that the Economic and Social Council will build on the coordination segment’s policy discussions to develop focused recommendations in support of the 2030 Agenda’s implementation. Describing the Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals as the essential road map to help countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, he urged States to prioritize employment creation, environmentally sustainable growth, social protection, inclusive governance and women’s empowerment, while fulfilling the pledge to leave no one behind.
Making several closing reflections, Suriya Chindawongse (Thailand), Council Vice-President and Chair of the coordination segment, said the two-day session allowed the views of Council’s various arms to be heard. The Partnership Forum, convened just one day before the coordination segment, also allowed a vast array of stakeholders to participate in the Council’s discussions. “We have tried to instil an inclusive mindset on the challenges we are facing,” he said. While there seems to be unanimity on the magnitude of those challenges, the process of identifying effective solutions is more difficult and requires the full diversity of actors that fall under the Council’s scope to work together. While in an ideal world all the planet’s challenges could be addressed at the same time, in the real world, resources are limited and “time is not on our side”.
Noting that today’s challenges — including the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19, and the climate crisis — are being made even more difficult by existing inequalities, he cited steep disparities between developed and developing countries in such areas as vaccine access, social protection, digital tools and fiscal space. Most countries will need to make choices about which problems can be addressed, he said, calling for efforts to chart a holistic approach. Noting that many speakers throughout the coordination segment called for more accessible development financing, a more equitable financial system, urgent vaccine access for developing countries and catalytic investments by the private sector, he outlined ways the Economic and Social Council is responding to those priorities and leveraging the expertise of a wide variety of stakeholders. “The more partners we have the better, because we are all in this together,” he said.
Panel Discussion V
The Coordination Segment’s fifth panel, on the theme “Leveraging regional perspectives for an inclusive and resilient recovery guided by the 2030 Agenda”, featured five panellists representing various regions: Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC); Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP); Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA); and Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). They shared regional perspectives on how efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and complement those to recover inclusively from the COVID-19 pandemic, while providing a preview of each regional forum’s upcoming work.
Ms. ALGAYEROVA, opening the discussion, said that, while the pandemic is a setback for sustainable development and has widened existing inequalities, it has also prompted new policy impulses to shape a transformative recovery that addresses long-existing challenges. The Regional Forum for Sustainable Development brings together multiple perspectives and actors to draw lessons to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and will be held back to back with the second ECE Forum of Mayors, exploring ways to link local and national actions in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Describing the establishment of normative frameworks in such areas as transport and environment, she added that system of national environmental performance reviews brings together expertise across multiple sectors to provide advice on realizing the 2030 Agenda, while also outlining the Commission’s provision of advisory, capacity-building and statistical support.
Ms. ALISJAHBANA said the Asia Pacific Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, now in its ninth year, provides a chance to mobilize regional energy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and now to help countries recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. She cited ESCAP’s Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report and Asia Pacific Partnership Report, which document solutions that work to leave no on behind. Outlining a few priorities for 2022, she said ESCAP is working to help countries scale up social protection and ensure universal health coverage. It is also helping countries integrate policy action into their national COVID-19 recovery strategies, from Indonesia to Fiji, and build a holistic climate-health nexus and a “sustainable green-blue recovery”. It is also working to establish “climate smart trade” practices that ensure goods and services move safely across borders, especially in times of crisis. Outlining ESCAP’s efforts on inclusive financing for development, she spotlighted its “debt‑for‑climate swaps” initiative and its provision of sustainability bonds for least developed countries.
Ms. DASHTI said the Arab region has one of the highest inequality rates globally, with a projected increase during the pandemic, and an estimated $462 billion required to foster a fast and more inclusive recovery. Sharing ESCWA’s work to tackle inequality, limited fiscal space and inefficiencies in spending on COVID-19 recovery, she said support for regional Member States includes the launch of a Climate/Sustainable Development Goal Debt‑Swap Mechanism. She also pointed to the Ministerial Declaration adopted at the Arab Ministerial Forum on building a vision for a post-COVID-19 reality, during which ministers agreed on the principles of social protection coverage, financing, shock‑responsiveness and governance.
As optimizing fiscal spending and enhancing its efficiency are key to addressing limited fiscal space, she said ESCWA has developed a “smart spending” approach to assist States through its Social Expenditure Monitor. The forthcoming Arab Forum for Sustainable Development will not only highlight challenges, but also raise the ceiling on what the United Nations and the region can achieve, she said, adding that “we know that it will take the efforts and creativity of multiple stakeholders to pull us through to an inclusive and resilient recovery”.
Ms. SONGWE, spotlighting ECA’s strong relationship with the African Union, said the regional commission was among the first institutions on the continent to streamline access to COVID-19 vaccine doses. It provided some 440 million of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a time when doses were hard to come by around the world. At the height of the pandemic, ECA also focused on support to women — who were hit hardest by the pandemic’s job losses — including by providing them with coding training and other technological skills. She also outlined the regional commission’s work to support the creation of sovereign wealth funds within countries, adding that, going forward, it will focus on developing cross‑cutting insurance systems for future pandemics and other crises, ensuring access to financing, addressing the climate crisis through carbon pricing and other market-based mechanisms, and enhancing intra-continental trade.
Ms. BÁRCENA said regional integration and solidarity are essential to address global asymmetries and disparities between developed and developing countries, which are deepening as the COVID-19 crisis continues. Latin America has one of the most unequal regional economies in the world, with high numbers of people working in informal sectors and millions more people pushed into poverty over the course of the pandemic. Emphasizing the need to reopen schools which remain closed throughout much of the region, she also outlined plans to create national childcare systems that will help women who have been forced to leave the work force to return. Vaccine equality remains the single most important factor in pandemic recovery, she stressed, noting that many countries in the region have not yet reached the target of vaccinating 70 per cent of their populations. Among other priorities, she outlined plans to support the region in boosting vaccine and pharmaceutical production through a regional procurement system; tackle the impact of climate change; enhance financial liquidity; combat tax evasion; and expand digital access. She also advocated for reform of the global debt architecture.
Presentations by Subsidiary Bodies
The Chairs of the Economic and Social Council’s functional commissions and expert bodies presented the work of their respective bodies, contributions and plans for implementation of the 2030 Agenda and recovery from the pandemic, in a joint video presentation, followed by a session on “Reflections on the work of ECOSOC Subsidiary Bodies”, which featured a live, interactive exchange with Member States, the Bureau of the Council, Chairs and bureaux of other subsidiary bodies and Executive Secretaries of the regional commissions.
GABRIELLA VUKOVICH (Hungary), Vice-Chair of the Statistical Commission at its fifty-second session, outlined the forthcoming fifty-third session. Topics to be addressed include Sustainable Development Goal Indicators, coordination, open data, national accounts and climate change statistics, in addition to such high-level topics as re-evaluating the role of the national statistical offices as “data stewards” in the larger data ecosystem, and sustainable funding and investments in data. Aligned with the Council’s review of its subsidiary bodies, the Commission will also have before it the revision of its 50-year-old terms of reference to address the evolving and expanding statistical and data ecosystem and the modernization of national statistical systems.
ENRIQUE A. MANALO (Philippines), Chair of the Commission on Population and Development at its fifty-fifth session, said highlights from 2021 include the adoption by consensus of a resolution on food security and nutrition, calling for keeping food and agriculture supply chains, as well as health systems and universal health coverage systems functioning during the pandemic. The Commission urged Member States to enable equitable, affordable and timely access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines, including through the COVAX Facility. More broadly, the Commission seeks to fully implement the Programme of Action of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, which is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Its fifty-fifth session will focus on the theme “Population and sustainable development, in particular, sustained and inclusive economic growth”. The Commission could benefit from greater collaboration with the Statistical Commission on population data, and with the Commission for Social Development on strategies to achieve inclusive and sustainable development, he said.
MARÍA DEL CARMEN SQUEFF (Argentina), Chair of the Commission for Social Development at its sixtieth session, said the upcoming session, to be held from 7 to 16 February, will focus on “Eradicating Poverty and Hunger”. Given that the pandemic affected millions of people falling into extreme poverty and food insecurity, the Commission has become more useful than ever to help understand the problems that affect vulnerable groups. The emerging issue will focus on national policies and measures to combat hunger and poverty, with a view to encouraging the sharing of good practices and creation of opportunities for international cooperation.
MATHU JOYINI (South Africa), Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women at its sixty-sixth session, said the forthcoming session, to be held from 14 to 25 March, will consider the priority 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”, and the topic “Harnessing COVID-19 recovery for gender equality and a sustainable future” as its emerging issue. The outcomes of the priority and emerging issue themes will serve as the contribution to the 2022 theme of the Council and high-level political forum, she said, anticipating continued engagement with sister commissions and the entire Council system in a joint mission to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
GHISLAIN D’HOOP (Belgium), Chair of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs at its sixty-fifth session, said it will continue working to accelerate the implementation of joint commitments, especially in areas significantly affected by the pandemic. A priority in the months ahead will be to do more to improve availability and access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, he said, adding that the Commission counts on these matters being considered during the high-level political forum in July and reflected in the Ministerial Declaration.
TAKESHI HIKIHARA (Japan), Chair of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its thirty-first session, noted the Commission’s contributions towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions. In March 2021, the fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice adopted the Kyoto Declaration on “Advancing Crime Prevention, Criminal Justice and the Rule of Law: Towards the Achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. Mindful of the need to build back better from COVID-19, in November 2021, the Commission held the first round of thematic discussions on crime prevention, to foster implementation of the Kyoto Declaration. It will continue to advance crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law, in its joint efforts to pursue the 2030 Agenda.
MANSOUR AL-QURASHI (Saudi Arabia), Chair of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development at its twenty-fifth session, recalled key messages and recommendations from its previous session. Describing these outcomes, he said that the pandemic accelerated digitalization in all areas, while highlighting the persistence of digital divides. Treating diseases that disproportionately affect the poor remains a priority — despite the pandemic – and countries should upgrade their capabilities, digital connectivity, regulatory frameworks for digital health, and support local innovation and indigenous technologies. As coordinated policy responses are needed against COVID-19 and similar crises, countries must improve their science-policy interface and address inequalities in capabilities. The next session, to be held from 28 March to 1 April, will discuss the role of science, technology and innovation in building back better from COVID-19 while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
MIRIAM MAC INTOSH, Chair‑designate of the seventeenth session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, said its last session considered the pandemic’s impact and how to address related challenges. The Forum held a high-level round table, adopted its 2022-24 workplan and launched the first Global Forest Goals Report and an online clearing house with databases on forest financing opportunities. The upcoming session will consider, among other things, preparations for the midterm review of the International Arrangement on Forests in achieving its objectives.
MAUREEN RUSKIN (United States), Chair of the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals at its tenth session, highlighted recommendations developed under its auspices and outlined the work of two sub‑committees. Countries can use these recommendations as a model for their national regulatory instruments to ensure harmonization with rules already applicable at the international level, implementing them while they provide workers and consumers with consistent information on the hazards of the chemicals they import, produce, handle, transport or use. To facilitate the global supply chain of COVID-19 vaccines and help mitigate the spread of the pandemic, the Transport and Dangerous Goods Sub-Committee, at its December 2020 session, confirmed that such vaccines authorized for use, including those in clinical trials, are not subject to the United Nations model regulations as currently written. The Committee will consider other such recommendations at the forthcoming session in December 2022, alongside a Council draft resolution on its work with the organ in 2023. The recommendations endorsed by the Committee are incorporated every two years into new revised editions of the three instruments under its responsibility for worldwide implementation and use.
ELSA BEATRIZ GARCIA BOJORGE (Mexico), Chair of the Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting at its thirty-eighth session, highlighted such achievements as the Guidance on Core Indicators for company reporting on sustainability impact, the Accounting Development Tool and elements of its thirty-eighth session. It had called upon the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to convey to the newly created International Sustainability Standards Board the views of the working group on sustainability reporting. It also called on UNCTAD to support regional efforts and partnerships in promoting a common approach to sustainability reporting, and to monitor the implementation of recommendations by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. The Working Group’s efforts in 2022 are thus fully aligned with the theme of the Council and high-level political forum, including by promoting the preparation of reliable and comparable sustainability reports that enable responsible investment and facilitate the mobilization of funds for Sustainable Development Goals investment.
PIERRE JAILLARD (France), Chair of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names at its second session, said its strategic plan and work programme until 2029 recognizes the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, monitoring of the Goals must be supported by thematic analyses based on geospatial data, of which geographical names are a core element. Other activities include an exploration of current and potential connections between geographical names standardization and the environment. The Group’s central tenet is forging and maintaining relations with relevant organizations, as outlined in a decision from the first session, which itemized the United Nations bodies and agencies and the international groups with which it intends to strengthen relations or create new ones, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
PALOMA MERODIO GÓMEZ (Mexico), Co-Chair of the Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management at its eleventh session, said location‑based information now underpins all activities. Its full integration with other data relevant to daily lives is key to providing better information and shared understanding, which, in turn, enables stakeholders to achieve local, national and global goals, including the 2030 Agenda, COVID-19 recovery and the climate agenda. As such, the Committee is focused on implementation, anchored by the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework, which provides the pathway to address national development priorities, implement the 2030 Agenda, respond to and recover from the pandemic and tackle other complex issues. To meet the growing demand for geospatial knowledge, innovation and capacity development, the Committee provides oversight in the establishment of the United Nations Global Geospatial Knowledge and Innovation Centre in Deqing, China, and the United Nations Global Geodetic Centre of Excellence in Bonn, Germany. For their part, the Committee Co-Chairs are working with Member States to report on the implementation of Council resolution 2016/27 on “Strengthening institutional arrangements on geospatial information management”.
JOSÉ ANTONIO OCAMPO (Colombia), Chair of the Committee for Development Policy at its twenty-third session, highlighted recommendations from its 2021 session, which asserted that, in recovering from this multidimensional crisis, development should be reframed towards equality, resilience and environmental sustainability, and not return to pre-crisis patterns. The Committee recommends action in such areas as public health, finance and debt relief, climate change and social protection, and that the Council put in motion an open and transparent process to identify and implement changes that will ensure that the multilateral system supports equitable, sustainable and resilient development through structural transformation. Among other things, the Committee called for specific support to all least developed countries. In its upcoming session, it will continue to extend support to least developed countries, including by enhancing its monitoring of those countries graduating or that have recently graduated. It also will focus on industrial policy and productive capacity, which it considers essential in efforts to recover from the pandemic, as well as in tackling unacceptable levels of global inequality, mitigating climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
GERALDINE FRASER-MOLEKETI (South Africa), Chair of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration at its twentieth session, said 11 principles provide a framework for assessing institutional capacities and are meant to assist countries in identifying ways to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. She touched upon references made to 62 commonly used strategies for their implementation.
MATHEW GBONJUBOLA (Nigeria), Co-Chair of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters at its twenty-third and twenty-fourth sessions, said it has an important role in advancing implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially as countries rebuild from pandemic disruptions. The Committee fully embraces the role of tax not only as a tool for mobilizing resources for sustainable development, but also for fighting environmental degradation and ensuring equality. It has produced detailed guidance on such issues as carbon taxation, tax treatment of Government-to-Government aid and taxing extractive industries. It is focused on health and wealth taxes and the relationship of tax, trade and investment, and has explored opportunities to work with other subsidiary bodies to advance effective, efficient and fair tax systems for sustainable development.
ANNE NUORGAM (Finland), Chair of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at its twentieth session, said the pandemic has highlighted again the lack of disaggregated statistical data on the situation of indigenous peoples. It is crucial to reinvigorate Member States’ commitment to collect, disseminate and use disaggregated data to support evidence-based policymaking and programming. The Permanent Forum reminds Member States that the “build back better” concept provides opportunities to recognize and value the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples in safeguarding and conserving the environment — actions which can significantly advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Centred on the theme “Indigenous peoples, business, autonomy and the human rights principles of due diligence including free, prior and informed consent”, the Permanent Forum will consider the different impacts of COVID-19 across all Goals and will hold regional dialogues on indigenous peoples and pandemic recovery. While it issues recommendations directly to United Nations agencies on specific areas of work they should undertake, the Permanent Forum would find it helpful if the Council could enhance coordination of relevant subsidiary bodies on certain agenda items to advance its recommendations on data disaggregation and indigenous women.
In the ensuing interactive dialogue, representatives from around the world reflected on those presentations and outlined their countries’ positions on proposals raised in the informal note prepared by the Secretariat for the day’s discussions. Delegates offered action-oriented ideas for increasing coherence — both among the subsidiary bodies, and between them and Member States — in carrying out the 2030 Agenda and recovering from the pandemic.
In that context, the representative of Pakistan, speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said the subsidiary bodies have a significant contribution to make in ensuring universal access to vaccines, spurring action on climate change and biodiversity loss, and reforming the global financial architecture to enable the provision of concessional financing to developing countries and an end to illicit financial flows. He called for the sharing of best practices related to social protection systems. Other areas of attention should include the formation of national systems that provide universal health coverage, efforts to enable a more ambitious response to climate change and biodiversity loss, and programmes to address the financial needs of developing countries. Further, the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters has a role to play on fostering cooperation to tackle tax avoidance and evasion.
The representative of France, speaking on behalf of the European Union, said the bloc can support most of the suggestions outlined in the informal note, particularly the aim of streamlining and strengthening the contributions of the subsidiary bodies under one joint Economic and Social Council theme. However, one vital area missing from the note’s priority areas is climate change. She outlined the European Union’s position that every subsidiary body should contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Glasgow Climate Pact. Applauding the work of the functional commissions, notably the Commission on the Status of Women and the United Nations Forum on Forests, which address the climate and environment crises from their respective angles, she said no true recovery from the pandemic will be possible without a “green and blue recovery”. The vital issues of youth and gender equality are mentioned in the note, but should be further strengthened.
The representative of Antigua and Barbuda, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States, said the 2021 quadrennial comprehensive policy review of the United Nations operational activities for development will facilitate better alignment with the work of subsidiary bodies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement targets. Streamlining programmes will be crucial in that regard. Turning to the recent volcanic event in Tonga, he expressed regret that a response was only possible five days after the disaster, given the recent multi-country office review. “Having pondered the unique circumstances we face, we now think it is time to address them through response measures that are timely and effective,” he said, urging the Council to work holistically to address concerns of most the vulnerable by complementing the work of United Nations Charter bodies. He went on to ask how ECLAC can assist countries in advancing the 2030 Agenda.
The representative of Indonesia, speaking also for Australia, Norway and Peru as the Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends for Disaster Risk Reduction, said the pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for a whole-of-society and all-of-Government approach towards prevention, and risk-informed recovery and development. Resilience to disasters is fundamental to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Sendai Framework Midterm Review will provide the Council with a more in-depth understanding of the extent to which economic and social development policies are reducing risk, rather than creating one.
The representative of Bulgaria underscored the need for Member States to take part in the review of the Council subsidiary bodies, which she is facilitating. “This is a Member State‑driven process, and I cannot emphasize that enough,” she said, urging them to provide feedback to the subsidiary bodies. Once their inputs are received, discussions will start on the recommendations. While the form of the end product is to be decided collectively, the focus should be on the substance. As for the timeline, all subsidiary bodies are asked to provide their assessments and recommendations between now and April, and based on those, she intends to start the discussions in April towards a final product in June.
Ms. FRASER-MOLEKETI, responding to issues raised, affirmed that Committee of Experts on Public Administration has ensured the alignment of its work with the 2030 Agenda, a motivation which feeds into the ambitious programme for its upcoming session in April, when the Committee will explore building strong institutions to tackle climate change and sustainably manage natural resources. The Committee will also share lessons learned in building institutions in conflict-affected settings, such as Afghanistan. Noting progress made in participatory budgeting, among other matters, she stated that countries are invited to engage in dialogue pertaining to achieving the Goals, from an institutional perspective. Strong institution-building is a crucial element in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and protecting countries from future shocks.
Ms. BÁRCENA, responding to a question on financing development, said the issue is being addressed at the highest levels. In this regard, the proposed biennial summit of representatives of the Group of 20, Economic and Social Council, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is pertinent, she said, also touching on other relevant initiatives and proposals, including that of special drawing rights for climate action, and the debt swap initiative for a Caribbean Resilience Fund.
The representative of Czech Republic said that as a new member of the Economic and Social Council, his country remains committed to the revitalization process of the United Nations, including this Council and its subsidiary bodies, to make them “fit for purpose” in addressing current global challenges. With its wide range of segments, fora and subsidiary bodies, the Council system should remain an open and unique platform for dialogue among countries and stakeholders, providing for coherent policy guidance. A stronger and better coordinated Council will contribute to achieving the objectives outlined in the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda report.
Mr. ABDEL-MONEIM said the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has published three important documents on vaccines since the start of the pandemic. It has engaged in constructive dialogue with States parties to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to assess the exact impact of the pandemic on these rights, in particular on Article 12 — on the right of everybody to the enjoyment of health — which must be implemented.
Ms. CARMEN-SQUEFF underscored the importance of building bridges among the commissions, enabling them to work in a coordinated fashion and analyse their work methods. The goal is not to divide the system into “hermetic departments”, but rather to facilitate a cross-cutting approach. Echoing suggestions for the bodies to hold intersessional meetings to consider topics on their agenda on a more regular basis, she noted that a preparatory meeting of the Commission for Social Development on 9 December 2021 featured a presentation by Maximo Torero of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which enriched the discussion ahead of the Commission’s session this month, which tackles the eradication of hunger and poverty.
Mr. D’HOOP, emphasizing the need for the Commission on Narcotic Drugs to work together on the review of functional bodies, said that, since the pandemic, Council subsidiary bodies have made joint efforts to support Member States in addressing the increase in abuse of narcotic drugs, and access and availability of controlled substances, including painkillers. He emphasized the need to strengthen horizontal cooperation on cross-cutting issues between subsidiary bodies, and underscored the importance of an intergovernmental exchange of information on post-pandemic recovery and on responding to future crises.
Mr. OCAMPO underlined the importance of productive capacity and economic growth as an essential element in post-COVID-19 recovery, due to the collapse of employment in developing countries, as underscored repeatedly by the International Labour Organization (ILO). In relation to taxation, he said a new round of negotiations must take place during the current presidency of the Group of 20 by Indonesia to rebalance the negotiations that took place in 2021, which were not favorable for developing countries.
Ms. VUKOVICH said that the importance of statistics in analysing complex issues was highlighted by the 2021 Sustainable Development Report, which also emphasized the role of reliable data as a key element in post-pandemic recovery. She called for vulnerable data infrastructure to be addressed, and said the Statistical Commission aims to adapt its working methods to fast‑changing data landscapes, reiterating the slogan, “better data for better life”.
Mr. MANALO said the deliberations of the Commission on Population and Development on the interrelation between population, sustainable economic growth and development, will bolster efforts to tackle environmental degradation and climate change. As a data-driven Commission, it places a priority on demographic data to fulfil the pledge of leaving no one behind, he said, assuring that its work will be led by Member States.
Ms. VANDEN BERGHE, pointing out that “everything happens somewhere”, noted that geospatial data completes the data provided by statistics. “It is important for [achieving the] Sustainable Development Goals that we know what happens where,” she said. On issues raised on the need for adequate disaster response, including the point made about Tonga, she stated that a technical commission came together to support the island with analysis and information. The Committee also pays attention to knowledge and capacity‑building, she added.
Ms. ALGAYEROVA welcomed the suggestion to hold regular meetings between regional commissions and New York, which will enhance cooperation with the Council subsidiary bodies.
Ms. KANA emphasized the importance of international cooperation in tax matters, as well as better coordination among all subsidiary bodies. Fostering an efficient tax system is vital to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, she said, extending an invitation to Member States to participate in the Committee’s work.
Also speaking in the dialogue were representatives of Mexico, Austria, Russian Federation, Brazil, Egypt, Bolivia, Morocco, India, Armenia, Dominican Republic, Peru, Iraq, Lebanon, El Salvador and the United States.
Panel Discussion VI
In the afternoon, the Council held a panel on “Recovery from the pandemic through the lens of Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5, 14, 15 and 17”, featuring the following panellists: Qu Dongyu, Director-General of FAO; Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO; Sima Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women); and José Antonio Ocampo, Chair of the Committee for Development Policy at its twenty-third session.
Mr. QU, via videolink from Rome, said transforming agrifood systems to become more inclusive, resilient, efficient and sustainable will be critical to building back better from the pandemic. It will also be crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 1 on ending poverty, Goal 2 on zero hunger and Goal 10 on reducing inequality. Women, youth, rural communities and indigenous peoples should be key actors across an agrifood system that benefits all of humanity, he stressed, pointing out that the gender gap continues to hamper women’s access to assets, land and other resources. Against that backdrop, FAO’s programmes continue to prioritize rural women's engagement and leadership in agrifood systems, and to improve the status of rural women.
Adding that the COVID-19 crisis has thrown a spotlight on the pivotal role of healthy ecosystems, he said an inclusive and sustainable recovery cannot be achieved without addressing the ongoing loss of natural resources and the degradation of the planet’s terrestrial and marine ecosystems. FAO, together with key partners, supports projects to build resilience and mitigate vulnerability to the impacts of the climate change, including in the fisheries sector. “Our collective and integrated approach to overcome the COVID-19 and future challenges must address compounding shocks, to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience,” he said.
Ms. AZOULAY, in a pre-recorded video, said the pandemic revealed the relevance of international cooperation. While an educational crisis had been brewing, since the pandemic, UNESCO had addressed the emerging challenges and has acted in 110 countries to ensure schooling continued for boys and girls. Never before has the importance of sharing knowledge been so clear, she said, adding that challenges can only be met with cooperative efforts. For its part, UNESCO is mobilizing efforts to protect land, global natural heritage, education and the promotion of technology. The UNESCO Future of Education report calls for action, with better and more investment. The agency will reinforce this call at a summit on education in 2022, to be convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, which will examine past actions and chart a path for the future. UNESCO also has worked to enhance partnerships towards achieving shared goals, she added.
Ms. BAHOUS, described the pandemic as the “big revealer” which exploited and worsened existing inequalities, including the gender gap. Women, who were already disadvantaged in the labour force, have lost their jobs at a faster rate than men and are regaining them at a slower rate. Women were already doing the vast majority of unpaid care work, but were forced to take on even more during the pandemic. Meanwhile, violence against women and girls — already the most pervasive of human rights abuses — has spiralled during the crisis. “So far, the COVID-19 policy response has too often not been inclusive of women´s voices,” she said. However, the recovery still provides a chance to do things differently, address long‑standing challenges and ensure resilience in the face of another major crisis — that of environmental degradation and climate change.
Against that backdrop, she said UN-Women has identified three areas — care, jobs and climate — where policies, action and investments are most needed. Describing care as a public good that generates benefits to societies at large, she said a care-based recovery would invest in women’s re-entry to the workforce, as well as the well-being of children and older people and create decent work in the care economy. Job quality improvements are also needed for the 740 million women in informal employment around the world, as are investments in gender‑responsive social‑protection systems. Noting that women need access to jobs in the green economy, she also called for broader efforts to transition economies from fossil-fuel dependency to environmental sustainability, adding that women leaders are spearheading local initiatives to promote sustainable energy transitions and agroecology.
Mr. OCAMPO said that, prior to knowing the extent of pandemic’s impact, the Committee for Development Policy had underscored how climate change and inequality were driving the 2030 Agenda backwards. This current situation should be taken as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to push for transformation towards equitable and sustainable development, which can be done through production sector policies and other deliberate strategies to build productive capacities. These efforts can take into account, at their core and not at the margin, precisely the Sustainable Development Goals mentioned here — on education, gender and the environment — as well as climate change and inequality. While there are many questions to be answered about how to do that in practice, he said that when formulating its themes for subsequent cycles, the Council could consider framing them in terms of problems around which the system can come together to find solutions.
The sharing of country-level and even subnational experiences on these issues is also invaluable, he said, adding that the Committee would like to see more on lessons learned through both successes and failure in the voluntary national reviews. As noted in its last report, the voluntary national reviews still do not contain evidence of the transformative action needed to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 17 has clear and well-known links across the 2030 Agenda, but without the development of productive capacities and significant movement towards structural transformation, the domestic resource mobilization referred to in target 17.1 will remain marginal compared with the needs of least developed countries and many other developing nations. At the same time, failure by developed countries to meet the targets that refer to official development assistance (ODA), technology transfer, assistance in attaining long-term debt sustainability and others, will severely limit the capacity of the poorest countries to design and enact the productive capacity policies they need. In its last two reports to the Council, the Committee has called for an open and inclusive debate on what needs to change in the multilateral system to support equitable and sustainable development through structural transformation.
In the ensuing discussion, delegates shared concerns, with many underlining the need to work together towards common goals. Echoing this call, Bolivia’s representative said vulnerable sectors and countries have been hardest hit by the pandemic’s broad impact, requiring greater global solidarity. The Council and other bodies have made great contributions, but now efforts must make a true difference in people’s lives, he said, pointing to the more than 650 million students whose education has been affected. Stressing that Internet access should be a human right to broaden access to education, he said actions must also overcome climate change risks and gender inequality, alongside guaranteeing social protection for all. For its part, the Council can show more flexible decision‑making to ensure progress for everyone, he said.
The representative of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction said building resilience is key to realizing the 2030 Agenda. As such, risk reduction must be woven into such efforts. The review of Goal 5 on gender equality provides a critical opportunity to promote gender equality so that women and girls are not left behind, she said. The nature-based solutions required to achieve Goals 14 and 15 will have benefits to other Goals, she said, adding that voluntary national reviews should be linked to the Sendai Declaration adopted at the third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, in 2015.
The representative of the Russian Federation said each region and country has its own priorities, from health to economic development. Of equal importance is the fight against climate change and ensuring clean energy transitions. The 2030 Agenda contains a balanced plan, which can achieve a balanced and effective post-pandemic recovery.
Speakers from several regions shared their ongoing efforts, priorities and concerns, with some posing questions about how best to address them while crafting recovery plans. Qatar’s delegate said that, to recover from the pandemic in a sustainable manner, everyone must have access to life-saving vaccines. COVID-19 has had a deeply negative effect on education, especially for girls, she said, adding that Qatar has taken action in this regard through a range of national efforts alongside other initiatives to tackle climate concerns.
The representative of South Africa said the full realizing of Goal 14 on life below water depends on fulfilling commitments to the 2030 Agenda. South Africa has taken bold steps to reduce poverty, in line with the Goals, through such efforts in enhancing management of coastal areas and biodiversity.
The representative Bangladesh said productive capacity‑building and structural transformation in the manufacturing sector can shift production frontiers, enabling developing countries to accelerate growth and stake out a strong COVID-19 recovery track. Unfortunately, many countries face challenges to accessing credit and markets. He asked about the policies and strategies needed to boost structural transformation and how economies can be leveraged over the next decade to ensure progress.
Mr. OCAMPO, in response, said the Committee for Development Policy believes productive capacity must be the next priority issue for least developed countries. Turning to education, and acknowledging the importance of access to new technologies by all schools in all countries, he said COVID-19 has generated a real problem over the past two years. One recovery priority must be addressing this lag in education.
Ms. BAHOUS, responding to several comments, said a gender-responsive approach to the recovery requires “changing the way things are done”. Unfortunately, despite the relentless advocacy by women’s organizations, the pandemic response has been dominated by men, who currently make up three-quarters of COVID-19 task force leadership. To change this, historically excluded groups must be brought into decision‑making and gender parity must be ensured in all spaces through an inclusive, rights-based feminist approach.
Also participating in the discussions were representatives of Greece, Panama and Portugal.