Second Committee

One out of every three people residing in cities around the globe lived in a slum, and unless the problem was dealt with, another 400 million people would join their ranks by 2020, Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today, as it continued its consideration of sustainable development.

If Member States accepted a lesser deal during the upcoming Copenhagen Climate Conference than what was scientifically needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions, they would be threatening the very existence of small island countries, the representative of the Federated States of Micronesia told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) as it began its consideration of sustainable development today.

30 October 2009

General AssemblyGA/EF/3261

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

Sixty-fourth General Assembly

Second Committee

26^th Meeting (PM)

In the wake of the economic crisis, a “new regime” of governance was under way in the global financial system, several experts told the Second Committee this afternoon during a panel discussion on “Revitalizing the international financial system”.

Information and communications technology must be harnessed to eradicate poverty, several delegates told the Second Committee today, as the Committee concluded its consideration of information and communications technologies for development.

Israel’s restriction of Palestinian movement and access to natural resources has deepened the hardship suffered by the Palestinians, Amr Nour, the director of the Regional Commissions New York Office told the Second Committee this afternoon.

With the well-being of the world’s natural resources and physical environment hanging in the balance, senior officials from the five United Nations Regional Commissions shed light on their respective efforts to protect the populations and economies they served during an interactive dialogue with the Second Committee this afternoon on “regional perspectives on the economic impacts of climate change.”

Green growth would help mitigate climate change, it was good for the economy and the world had the money to fund it, several experts told the Second Committee today during a panel discussion on “Green growth and sustainable development.”

In a world where 1 billion people already suffered from chronic hunger, global food supplies must increase by 50 per cent to meet expected demand from a growing world population, the United States delegate told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today, as the Committee concluded its consideration of agriculture development and food security.

Five days after celebrating the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the international community still had a long way to go to erase the vast socio-economic inequities that existed from Argentina to Zimbabwe, several speakers told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today, as it began its consideration of the eradication of poverty and other development issues.