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.
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.
Standing in solidarity with those least able to protect themselves from the COVID-19 pandemic is not only the right thing to do, but the only way the world will overcome this, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Economic and Social Council, which launched a global call to action at its 2020 Humanitarian Affairs Segment, convened from 9 to 11 June via videoconference due to coronavirus-related restrictions.
The Economic and Social Council held its 2020 management segment via videoconference today, hearing the introduction of reports from its subsidiary bodies and four resolutions and seven decisions contained therein, to be adopted by the silence procedure at a later date due to restrictions related to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
As COVID-19 continues to expose fragilities across the globe, the United Nations has a “triple imperative” of helping countries respond, safeguarding development gains and ensuring that recovery aligns with efforts to achieve greater well-being for people and planet, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Economic and Social Council, as he outlined priorities for the system’s operational activities.
The Commission on the Status of Women opened its sixty-fourth session today, adopting a political declaration commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the landmark Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which together offer the world’s most progressive blueprint for achieving gender equality.
The Commission for Social Development concluded its fifty-eighth session today, forwarding three resolutions — including the first-ever text on homelessness to be approved by a United Nations intergovernmental body – to the Economic and Social Council for adoption.
From income-linked caps on rents and homebuilding incentives to the power of sport to affect change, speakers today put forward a range of potential solutions to the complex and global challenge of homelessness, as the Commission for Social Development concluded the general debate of its fifty-eighth session.
The legacies of conflict, colonialism and a lopsided global financial system took centre stage as drivers of inequality — and in turn, homelessness — as the Commission for Social Development continued its general discussion today.
Tackling homelessness throughout the world means tackling social issues as vast and varied as income inequality, housing shortages, racism and women’s empowerment, the Commission for Social Development heard today, as speakers who have personally experienced homelessness shared their thoughts with Member States and representatives of non-governmental organizations on the third day of its fifty-eighth session.
