Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Economic and Social Council segment on Operational Activities for Development: presentation of report and vision for the continuation of United Nations reform and the implementation of the 2020 Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review in times of crisis, held today:
The Economic and Social Council, acting without a vote, adopted three decisions today, including one setting out the theme of its upcoming humanitarian affairs segment, while also electing members to 15 subsidiary bodies.
The Economic and Social Council, holding its first in-person meeting in 2021, adopted a range of decisions today, extending COVID-19-related procedures, rescheduling delayed meetings and filling several vacancies, including on the Executive Board of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).
The Economic and Social Council adopted three decisions related to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations and postponed a decision today, stemming from COVID-19 pandemic-related changes to its working methods, on whether to reopen its 2020 session to reconsider the draft ministerial declaration of its high-level political forum on sustainable development, held in July.
The Economic and Social Council elected several countries to fill 15 outstanding vacancies in eight of its subsidiary bodies while also nominating Germany as a member of the Committee for Programme and Coordination.
The Economic and Social Council adopted the provisional agenda for the 2021 session of the Committee on Non‑Governmental Organizations today, adopting a decision that adjusts the subsidiary body’s meeting schedule in response to the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the Joint Meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Peacebuilding Commission, “Fostering global solidarity in response to coherent and conflict sensitive responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and its socioeconomic impacts”, held on 19 November:
Significant investment in infrastructure will be needed to ensure that developing countries can fully recover from the COVID‑19 pandemic, speakers told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) and Economic and Social Council today as they held a joint meeting titled “Developing sustainable infrastructure and utilizing science and technology in response to COVID‑19”.
The Economic and Social Council, holding the first plenary meeting of its 2021 session in the General Assembly Hall today, adopted four resolutions and one decision, took note of more than 50 texts adopted by the silence procedure during COVID-19-related restrictions at Headquarters and filled subsidiary body vacancies, but failed to agree on a draft ministerial declaration on sustainable development ahead of the Decade of Action on achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Economic and Social Council’s mandate remains as relevant as ever, encompassing the three simultaneous global challenges Member States are facing — the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the existential threat of the climate catastrophe — its newly elected President said today at the first meeting of its 2021 organizational session, held via videoconference due to COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions at United Nations Headquarters.
