UNITED NATIONS, Jul 06 (APP): The UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President, Pakistani Ambassador Munir Akram, Tuesday underscored the need for a committed multilateral effort to “bounce back and rebuild” the coronavirus-affected countries and to enable them realize the vision of anti-poverty 2030 development agenda.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact everywhere, with health systems stretched and shattered, and lives and livelihoods devastated,” he said while opening the high-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF), which will run through July 15.
Welcoming leading figures from government, business and civil society, including Senegalese President Macky Sall, International Monetary Fund’s head Kristalina Georgieva and World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as keynote speakers, Ambassador Akram said their presence was a testament of the importance “we all accord to the work of the United Nations”.
The theme of this year’s HLPF is “sustainable and resilient recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the decade of action and delivery for sustainable development”.
HLPF is the core United Nations platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on: no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; decent work and economic growth;
reduced inequalities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; peace, justice and strong institutions, and partnerships in depth.
The ECOSOC chief, in his remarks, said the pandemic, besides its adverse social and economic impacts, exacerbated existing problems and challenges, and unveiled deep-rooted inequalities as well as rolled back decades of progress on the SDGs.
The pandemic-related economic downturn pushed well over an additional 100 million people into extreme poverty, with the loss of an equivalent of 255 million full-time jobs, he said. An additional 101 million children and youth had fallen below the minimum reading proficiency level.
For the developing countries, Ambassador Akram said, revenues had been eviscerated, debt liabilities had become large, and there was little fiscal space to recover from the pandemic and keep their economies afloat.
The 2021 HLPF, he said, provided a paramount opportunity to show the member states’ unwavering commitment for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
Over the next several days, he said, “We will also exchange and reflect on policies to achieve a sustainable and resilient recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic…”
“We will also learn from the 43 countries, who will present their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) of how they were impacted by the pandemic and what measures they are undertaking to open the pathway to a more equitable world living in harmony with nature. Their pandemic response will also inform our collective response.”
Ambassador Akram added, “It is through the 2021 HLPF that we can provide a further basis for a committed multilateral effort to bounce back, rebuild, and resume and accelerate SDG progress to ultimately realize the vision of the 2030 Agenda.
“It is through the HLPF that we can give strong impetus to international solidarity and boost efforts to support the response to Covid-19 in the poorest and most vulnerable countries and ensure universal access to vaccine.”
