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Add to Preferred SourcesAs the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis continues to wreak havoc across the world – with the most vulnerable suffering the most – the UN chief said that the task of eradicating poverty and achieving the development goals “has never been more challenging, more urgent and more necessary”.
“Our objective remains clear: to help countries navigate and accelerate progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), fully respecting the principle of national ownership”, Secretary-General António Guterres said, opening the first-ever virtual session of the Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) Operational Activities for Development Segment.
While a “renewed spirit of collaboration” and UN reforms have “put us on the right footing”, he flagged that the coronavirus pandemic has “raised the bar even higher”.
“We now have a triple imperative”, the UN chief maintained, namely responding urgently to help stem the transmission and impact of the pandemic; to help people safeguard development gains and protect lives, working with partners to ensure that all recovery efforts follow the 2030 Agenda, and advance the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
In 2018, the Organization reformed its development system, including by making UN Country Teams – under the independent leadership of Resident Coordinators, or RCs – better adapted to local needs.
In confronting this triple challenge, Mr. Guterres outlined that RCs are working with the World Health Organization (WHO) as they lead the health response; the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on socio-economic support involving all Country Team members; and Regional Economic Commissions on debt, trade and other macroeconomic dimensions.
The Secretary-General shared tailored proposals for a better organized, more collaborative UN development system at regional levels, “one that is more able to tackle cross-border challenges and leverage regional policy expertise for SDG results”.
He set out a detailed plan to boost UN efforts across the SDG’s social, economic and environmental dimensions and underscored the need to continue to step up cooperation in core areas that have strong links and the greatest impact, such as rooting out poverty and leaving no one behind, as well as climate change, gender equality, economic transformation and employment and partnerships — including south-south cooperation.
“Working together – with our foot on the pedal and our eyes on the 2030 Agenda – we will get through this crisis and reach our destination — protecting hard-won development progress and accelerating our joint efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in this Decade of Action”, concluded the UN chief.
Original source: UN News
Published on 19 May 2020