I thank the president of the General Assembly and the President of the ECOSOC for their joint briefing. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the Chair of G-77 and China.
We appreciate the focus of today’s briefing on ongoing efforts to ensure coherence, synergy and complementarity in the work of the General Assembly and the ECOSOC.
My delegation co-facilitated the alignment of the agendas of the General Assembly, ECOSOC, and their subsidiary bodies with the 2030 Agenda during the 75th session of the UNGA. The agreed outcome of the process laid some common principles to drive better interagency coordination to address gaps, overlaps, and duplications of SDGs implementation that will bring about transformative and impactful results on the ground.
This is more important than ever before. The outbreak of the Omicron has pushed us further off-track in our recovery efforts from the pandemic. The alarming rise of poverty and inequality, job losses, health, education, and other infrastructural challenges have put us at high risk of a longer cycle of recession.
Against this backdrop, we endorse your views on impactful, inclusive, and efficient multilateralism; enhanced FFD, and increased support for countries in special situation.
Let me highlight a few specific points in this regard:
First, the immediate need is to ensure safe and affordable vaccines for everyone, everywhere. This should be an overarching priority of both the General Assembly and the ECOSOC in 2022.
We wish to continue our discussions about the most pragmatic ways to achieve our shared vision of universal vaccination during the upcoming high-level vaccines’ events of the PGA, the thematic debates on “Our Common Agenda”, as well as the FFD and HLPF.
Second, we look forward to building on our achievements on Climate Change issues in Glasgow to reach higher ambition in COP-27 in Egypt.
We wish to work with our partners for creating necessary impetus towards higher NDCs commensurate with 1.5-degree target, enhanced financing, technology transfer and addressing loss and damage issue.
We encourage both the General Assembly and the ECOSOC to create more opportunities for meaningful multistakeholder dialogues on these issues.
There should also be sharper spotlight on critical issues on biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, sustainable recovery from the pandemic in the lead up to the biodiversity summit, ocean conference etc.
Third, according to UNESCO, close to half the world’s students are affected by partial or full school closures. While the advanced countries could swiftly move to online platforms, the developing countries and the LDCs were pushed further behind due to lack of resources and technologies.
Against this backdrop, my Prime Minister called on the world leaders to declare remote learning and online education a global public good. We count on your support to place this issue high on the UN agenda.
Fourth, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the burgeoning digital and technological divides between the countries of the North and the South. The silver lining, however, is the enhanced focus of the UN system, including the ECOSOC subsidiary bodies, the Funds and programmes on this issue.
We wish to engage more deeply with other members during the upcoming STI forum to leverage further the power of STI and ensure meaningful transfer of technologies for the benefits of all.
Fifth, The LDCs, LLDCs, SIDs, and African countries are suffering seriously and disproportionately for so long. For these countries, a reinvigorated international support is required more than ever before. We, therefore, feel that the deliberations and strategic priorities of the UN should put the needs of these vulnerable countries at the front and center.
As one of the Co-chairs of the recently concluded LDC 5 preparatory committee meetings, we look forward to receiving your continued support to make the upcoming LDC5 Conference a success. We count on the continued support of all the Member States for the implementation of the Doha Progarmme of Action for the LDCs.
Finally, we need a better accountability framework for implementing the resolutions and decisions as well as the key deliverables of important meetings of the General Assembly and the ECOSOC.
The ECOSOC subsidiary bodies, regional commissions, and the funds and programmes can play a critical role in this regard. They should constantly track the impacts of their work on the ground in an evidence-based manner. The General Assembly and ECOSOC should find more effective ways to integrate better the important lessons coming from the field in their deliberations.
Collaboration with World Bank Group, IMF and relevant economic and financial agencies is also now more critical than ever before to drive coherent actions on SDGs, climate and biodiversity, vaccines, financing, and other common challenges.
I would rest it here. I thank you all.