Economic and Social Council

Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating socioeconomic consequences must not leave anyone behind, speakers told the high-level political forum on sustainable development as it opened its 2021 session today.

As the COVID-19 crisis has pushed between 119 and 124 million people into extreme poverty, Governments around the world must enact policies that are coherent, inclusive and informed by high-quality data as they emerge from the pandemic and refocus their sights on achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, speakers in the Economic and Social Council integration segment stressed today.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to a joint thematic event of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on least developed countries, on the theme “Diversifying the financing toolbox to enhance investment in least developed countries”, today:

Beginning its 2021 Management Segment today, the Economic and Social Council adopted eight resolutions and eight decisions while considering several reports on various topics, many of which were sensitive to COVID-19’s unprecedented impact on the United Nations work around the world.

Reform of the United Nations development system has strengthened cooperation, coordination and collaboration among its member agencies worldwide despite the COVID-19 pandemic, but more must be done and faster to address such challenges as poverty, migration and climate change, speakers told the Economic and Social Council as it continued its segment on operational activities for development.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed's remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the Economic and Social Council Operational Activities segment, today:

Countries must up the ante on development cooperation, which is vital to tackle the dual challenge of recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and fighting climate change, speakers said today as the Economic and Social Council concluded a two-day forum on the subject.

The global COVID-19 pandemic is testing international development cooperation like never before, magnifying existing challenges, but also creating a unique opportunity to embrace risk-informed approaches in the final push towards the Sustainable Development Goals, speakers said today as the 2021 high-level meeting of the Development Cooperation Forum got under way.

The sixth annual Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals concluded today with panel discussions focusing on emerging trends and challenges, as well as the Technology Facilitation Mechanism established by the United Nations to support implementation of the Goals.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message, delivered by Maria Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, to the Economic and Social Council Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals, held today: