Despite gains in least developed countries in education, health and electricity access, the situation remains “sobering” amid persistent poverty and reversals in funding, speakers warned the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today, as it took up reports on the issue.
With the international financial system still an impediment to driving forward action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and adaptation to the climate crisis, speakers stressed the need to reform its accessibility and architecture, while still others warned that conflict also reverses development, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) continued its general debate today.
With an annual Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) financing gap estimated at more than $4 trillion, global growth projected to expand by only 2.6 per cent in 2026 and over 800 million people still living in poverty, speakers today called for efforts to “double down” on translating global aspirations into tangible outcomes as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) opened its general debate.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) elected Suela Janina (Albania) Chair on 2 June.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) opened its eighty-first session today, approving a programme of work covering international trade and development, international cooperation to combat illicit financial flows, poverty eradication and information and communications technology (ICT) for sustainable development.
The General Assembly took action on dozens of draft resolutions and decisions emerging from its Third (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural), Second (Economic, Financial) and Sixth (Legal) Committees today, defying slowdowns caused by protracted procedural wrangling that threatened to reshape the day’s proceedings.
Concluding its seventy-ninth session today, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) — while not taking a decision on its agenda item concerning revitalization of its work — heard that its working methods must be improved despite a lack of consensus on how best to do so.
Acting on the recommendations of its Second Committee (Economic and Financial), the General Assembly today adopted 39 resolutions — eight by recorded vote — and two decisions on topics ranging from Palestinian natural resources, entrepreneurship and small island States to international trade, adverse climate impacts and global tax cooperation.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) concluded its seventy-ninth session today, approving four draft resolutions and two draft decisions on a range of topics, with a vote on a text taking up international tax cooperation.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today approved 15 draft resolutions and various amendments, with texts ranging from international trade and communications technology to protecting global climate and women in development.
