– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
14 October 2019
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
It is an honour to address the opening of the Second Committee.
I congratulate the Chair, Ambassador Cheikh Niang and the Bureau Members on their elections. I also acknowledge the hard work of the Secretary and her team. I wish you all every success in the coming Session.
Excellencies,
I thank you for your engagement in the events of High-Level Week which addressed issues of relevance to this Committee. ?
We are four years into the implementation of Agenda 2030, the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The adoption of these frameworks represented a paradigm shift in how we view development. The Sustainable Development Goals rest with all governments to implement.
We have seen countries take important strides in achieving basic goals and target; but if we are to achieve all of the SDGs within 2030 we need to step up.
?The global response has not been ambitious enough. It is time to galvanize multilateral action to ensure that we leave no one behind. My priorities for the Seventy-Fourth Session are anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We must re-focus our efforts on poverty eradication. We are not on track to achieve the target of eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030.
Furthermore, hunger has been on the rise globally for the past three years. In a world where one third of food produced is lost or wasted, we care certainly able to address hunger.
The youth showed leadership by calling for action on the climate emergency. We have heard them and we must respond by taking concrete actions. It is up to you to further our efforts on climate action throughout the deliberations of this Committee, as well as at the upcoming COP 25 in Chile, as we approach a landmark year in the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Of course, we cannot effectively tackle climate without considering our oceans and biodiversity. The UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon and the Biodiversity Summit will offer platforms to mobilize action on these important issues.
Excellencies,
One in five children are not in school today. More than 600 million youth around the world lack basic math and literacy skills.
None of our goals will be achieved without an educated population Quality education is a major priority of the Seventy-Fourth Session of the General Assembly.
We must ensure that youth have the education and skills to thrive in an increasingly digitalized world. In relation to the latter, we will address Rapid Technological Change this Session when I convene a mandated High-Level Thematic Debate on this matter.
To make progress in any area of work, we must include all stakeholders. We will not have a UN that excludes. I urge you to consider the specific needs and contexts of all Member States throughout your deliberations.
We have taken action to address the challenges facing Small Island Developing States, including through the convening of the SAMOA Pathway Midterm Review during the High-level Week. Soon, we will conduct the Mid-Term Review of the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries. Our work must not end there.
The review of the High-Level Political Forum and ECOSOC will produce a more effective architecture for implementing the 2030 Agenda and raise ambition for the next cycle of implementation. I will work closely with all Member States to make the HLPF fit for purpose, as we chart the course for the Decade of Action
When we speak of inclusion, we speak of all stakeholders – in particular those at greatest risk of being left behind.
Beijing +25 offers an opportunity to recommit to women’s rights and empowerment. We must take actions every day to ensure the full and equal participation of women at every level of decision-making.
Excellencies,
The review of the High-Level Political Forum and ECOSOC will produce a more effective architecture for implementing the 2030 Agenda and raise ambition for the next cycle of implementation. I will work closely with all Member States to make the HLPF fit for purpose, as we chart the course for the Decade of Action.
I will also work with the President of ECOSOC, as well as the General Committee and indeed all Member States, to ensure the alignment of the agenda of the General Assembly with the 2030 Agenda to address the gaps and duplication across our work.
Excellencies,
The political declaration adopted at the SDG Summit calls on us to gear up for a decade of action and implementation at the speed and scale required. Progress is still possible, but only if we act now. ?
The reality is that we will not reach our objectives unless we finance sustainable development. We need to address structural issues and impediments. We need financial integrity. We must scale up existing development cooperation efforts and promote new and innovative initiatives. We need to close $2.5 trillion financing gap.
In conclusion, let me assure you that the impact of your deliberations reaches far beyond this building. Your efforts will improve the lives of the people we serve.
I urge you to work diligently, and in good faith to achieve consensus on the wide range of issues on the agenda of the Second Committee.
I look forward to hearing from you throughout your deliberations.
I thank you