Economic and Social Council: Press Release


SOC/4891

The digital divide — between younger and older persons, industrialized and developing countries or rural and urban areas — is exacerbating existing patterns of inequalities, delegates in the Commission for Social Development stressed today, as they explored ways to equitably use technology to surmount the most pressing obstacles to “building back better”.

DSG/SM/1500

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:

GA/EF/3537-ECOSOC/7027

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”.

ECOSOC/7025

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.

ECOSOC/7024

The Economic and Social Council’s high-level segment concluded on 17 July with calls to strengthen multilateralism and forge an inclusive path to recover better from the COVID-19 pandemic, yet failed to adopt a Ministerial Declaration approved at the closing of its 2020 high-level political forum session, held from 7 to 17 July via videoconference due to coronavirus-related restrictions at United Nations Headquarters.

ECOSOC/7023

Continuing its 2020 Management Segment in a virtual format today, the Economic and Social Council heard updates from across the spectrum of its subsidiary bodies, each of which have grappled with the pervasive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it considered reports on the recent work of committees ranging from the Commission on the Status of Women to the United Nations Forum on Forests.

ECOSOC/7022

Addressing what has become the worst human crisis in decades requires a new dynamic to overcome the widespread negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Economic and Social Council’s President said at its 2020 high-level political forum on sustainable development, held from 7 to 17 July via videoconference due to coronavirus-related restrictions at United Nations Headquarters.

ECOSOC/7021

All stakeholders must work together to prevent a reversal of decades of progress on development goals during these unprecedented times that require deep reflection and strong action, the Secretary-General said at the Economic and Social Council’s integration segment, held on 7 July via videoconference due to restrictions at United Nations Headquarters related to the COVID-19 pandemic.