Realizing 2030 Agenda Requires Teamwork to Rebuild Trust in Government, Ensure Fair Globalization, High-Level Political Forum Hears, as Ministerial Segment Begins
From UN press release dated July 17th
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/ecosoc6860.doc.htm
The loss of confidence and trust between people and Governments, multilateral institutions and international organizations highlighted the paradox that problems were increasingly global in nature and could not be solved by individual countries, participants heard today, as the ministerial segment of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development got under way.
Globalization and progress had dramatically increased global trade and wealth and the number of absolute poor had declined, but it was also true that inequality had increased, stressed António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his opening statement, as the Council began its annual three-day segment with a series of reports, presentations and a ministerial-level general debate.
Calling the large number of people who had been left behind and the severe challenges brought on by high unemployment serious obstacles to development, the Secretary-General said the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aimed at a fair globalization and to create conditions for people to trust again; not only in political systems but also in multilateral forms of governance and international organizations like the United Nations.
Urging leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change, he emphasized that the green economy was becoming the economy of the future, and that green business was good business. Those that did not embrace that trend stood to lose or would fail to gain economic leadership in the years to come, he warned.
Pointing to the eminent fourth industrial revolution, he called on leaders to anticipate trends and work together to move away from being reactive in order to foresee what was coming and tailor investment accordingly. In that context, reform must take place at all levels, including within the United Nations development system. Only by working together would leaders be able to rebuild the trust that was needed to ensure the fair globalization that the world so desperately needed, he added.
“We have arrived at a period of unprecedented and stunning inequality,” declared Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, in a keynote address. Global output this year was estimated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) at $127 trillion, an average of $17,000 per each man, woman and child. That sum was enough to end poverty, ensure universal access to health care and quality education, and provide the investments needed to transition to climate-responsible policies. Yet, startling challenges persisted, he said, emphasizing that money that went to finance war and conflict could easily fund sustainable development for every person on the planet.
Spotlighting the world’s powerful coal, oil, and gas lobby, he warned: “It will kill the planet if it survives in its current form.” In that context, he urged the super-rich who resisted taxation and managed the levers of power to accept their responsibilities. “There seems to be no limit to the greed,” he lamented, noting that despite the extraordinary wealth in the world, 1 billion people still struggled to survive every day.
Indeed, the world was facing challenging and turbulent times, said Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava (Zimbabwe), President of the Economic and Social Council, who noted that although the prevalence of extreme poverty had steadily declined in recent decades, the total number of people living in extreme poverty — more than 767 million in 2013 — remained unacceptably high. Inequality among and within countries remained deep; conflicts, tensions and terrorism were threatening humanity; and global temperatures were rising. In the face of those rising challenges, solidarity and working together was more important than ever.
“We all know the basic steps ahead,” said Peter Thomson (Fiji), President of the United Nations General Assembly, who stressed that the necessary resources must be mobilized to meet the world’s sustainable development objectives. Awareness of the Goals must be global so that all citizens understood they had rights and responsibilities on the long road to international sustainability.
Following the opening session, the Council reviewed the main messages from the Forum’s first week of deliberations, as presented by Economic and Social Council Vice Presidents Marie Chatardova (Czech Republic), Cristián Barros Melet (Chile), Jürgen Schulz (Germany) and Nabeel Munir (Pakistan). It also received reports from the ministerial chairs of the Regional Forums on Sustainable Development: Lahcen Daoudi, Minister Delegate to the Head of Government in charge of General Affairs and Governance of Morocco; Francisco Guzman, Chief of Staff of the President of Mexico and Executive Secretary of the National Council for Sustainable Agenda of Mexico; Rosemarie Edillon, Undersecretary for Planning and Policy, National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines; Gervais Meatchi, Director of Planning and Development of Togo; and Laurence Monnoyer-Smith, Commissioner-General for Sustainable Development and Inter-Ministerial Delegate for Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environment, Energy and Seas of France.
Also today, the Council heard voluntary national reviews from Brazil, Luxembourg, Nepal, Monaco, Japan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Kenya, Netherlands, Chile and Malaysia, during which countries detailed their progress and challenges in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
In the afternoon, the Council took up the Secretary-General’s reports on “Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions through promoting sustainable development, expanding opportunities and addressing related challenges” and “Beyond gross domestic product: multidimensional poverty and the Sustainable Development Goals”, as presented by Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs. A report from the Committee for Development Policy’s nineteenth session was also presented to the Council by Committee Chair José Antonio Ocampo.
A general debate also took place, which included statements from high-level officials and representatives of Ecuador (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), Maldives (on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States), Zambia (on behalf of the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries), European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development (on behalf of the European Union), Sri Lanka (on behalf of the “Group of 15” developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America), Grenada (on behalf of the Caribbean Community), Luxembourg (on behalf of the Group of Friends of Children and Sustainable Development Goals), Philippines (on behalf of the Like-Minded Group of Countries Supporters of Middle-Income Countries), Chad (on behalf of the African Group).
Also participating in the general debate were speakers for Romania, Monaco, Netherlands, Dominican Republic, Mexico, South Africa, Lithuania, Thailand, Guatemala, Slovenia, Indonesia, Denmark, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Republic of Moldova, Belgium and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Council will meet again at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 18 July, to continue its general debate.
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Joint Efforts Can Rebuild Trust Needed to Make 2030 Agenda Key to Fair Globalization, Secretary-General Tells High-Level Political Forum
press release issued July 17th
Source: https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sgsm18615.doc.htm
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, in New York today:
Twenty years ago, when I was starting my functions as Prime Minister of Portugal, the world was surfing a wave of optimism. The cold war had ended, technological prosperity was in full swing, the Internet was spreading and there was the idea that globalization would not only increase global wealth, but that it would trickle down and would benefit everybody on our planet.
Twenty years afterwards, I would say that the picture is mixed. It’s true that globalization, technological progress have dramatically increased global trade, global wealth, it is true that the number of absolute poor has been reduced and that living conditions have improved all over the world but it is also true that globalization and technological progress together have been factors of increase of inequality. Eight persons in the world have as much wealth as half of the world population.
At the same time, it is clear that people were left behind in the rust belts of this world, and youth unemployment became a severe problem in different regions of our planet, not only undermining the future of those young people, but also being an obstacle to the development of their countries and in some situations being a part of the global threat created by the fact that without hope they can easily be recruited by extremist organizations, and we see that impact in global terrorism today. Now, it is true that that has generated a loss of confidence, loss of trust between peoples and Governments or political establishments, between people and international organizations like the United Nations, and between people and the idea of globalization itself, of global governance and of multilateral institutions.
I think it is important to recognize that there is a paradox because problems are more and more global, challenges are more and more global, there is no way any country can solve them by itself. And so we need global answers and we need multilateral governance forms, and we need to be able to overcome this deficit of trust, and that, in my opinion, is the enormous potential of the 2030 Agenda; because the 2030 Agenda is an agenda aiming at a fair globalization, it’s an agenda aiming at not leaving anyone behind, eradicating poverty and creating conditions for people to trust again in not only political systems, but also in multilateral forms of governance and in international organizations like the United Nations.
At the same time, it’s clear that when one looks at today’s economy, the global economies are improving, probably more slowly than we would like, but the areas of fragility are also increasing — political fragility, institutional fragility, but also development fragility, and societal fragility; and fragilities to a large extent are responsible for many of the conflicts today and for the spreading of those conflicts and the linking of those conflicts to the global threat of global terrorism.
And this is why it is true that the agendas of sustainable development and the agendas of preventing [conflict] and sustaining peace need to be linked. But, here, there is a caveat — that link should not be a pretext to move resources from development to security; on the contrary, that should make us understand the centrality of development in what we do and the need to make sure that with that centrality of development we are able to fully recognize that sustainable and inclusive development is in itself a major factor of prevention of conflict as it is a major factor for the prevention of natural disasters and other aspects in which the resilience of societies is so important today.
And indeed, if one looks at the global megatrends — population growth, climate change, food insecurity, water scarcity, chaotic urbanization in certain parts of the world — it is also true that all these megatrends are interacting with each other, are stressing each other. And we have to recognize that climate change became the main accelerator of all other factors. This is also the moment to clearly say that [with] the link to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, there must be a very strong reaffirmation of our commitment to the Paris Agreement and to its implementation with enhanced ambition, because the Paris Agreement, by itself, is not enough for the objectives that the world needs in relation to global warming. And this is something that I believe is very important, not only because of its absolute need for humankind and the future of the planet, but because it is also the right and smart thing to do. We are seeing that the green economy is becoming more and more the economy of the future, that green business is good business, and those that will not bet on green economy, on green technologies, will inevitably lose, or not gain economic leadership in the years to come.
At the same time, it is very important that we recognize that we need not only be able to respond to the problems of those that are living in societies and that are under Government responsibility, but that human rights are also the rights of the people on the move, refugees and migrants, and so leaving no one behind will also have to inspire us to find ways to look into migration with a different perspective, not with a perspective of rejection, but understanding that is also an important component in solving global problems and that we need to find more legal avenues of migration and more ways to respect the human rights of migrants to make sure that they are not left behind in today’s world. We know that the global megatrends are also making more and more people move in our world to prevent unnecessary movements, and to make sure that those movements that take place, take place in a regular way is another very important objective of not leaving anyone behind.
And then there is a central question of funding. And I think it is important to reaffirm today very clearly that developed countries need to abide by their commitments in relation to official development aid, but at the same time that is not enough to fund the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We need to create conditions to help States be able to mobilize more of their own resources, and that has to do, on one hand, with tax reforms within States, but also on mobilizing the international community to fight together tax evasion, money-laundering and illicit flows of capital that are today making sure that more money is coming out of developing countries than the money that goes in through official development assistance (ODA).
And at the same time, we need to make sure that the international financial institutions are able to leverage resources and to multiply their capacity to fund the implementation of the SDGs, and also that we help countries to be able to access global markets, financial markets, and to be able to attract private investment, without which it would be absolutely impossible to achieve these Goals. And let’s also not only think about the problems of today, but also the problems of tomorrow.
We are facing a fourth industrial revolution that will have a dramatic impact on labour markets. And this will be a problem for many developing countries that today rely on cheap manpower as their competitive advantage; and cheap manpower will probably see many jobs destroyed in the near future, with robotization and other forms of automation. And at the same time, a problem for many developed countries — look at the possibility that one day in a country like the United States no more drivers might be necessary, no more drivers for cars, for trucks, and that is probably a very important source of employment in all societies in the world.
We need to be able to anticipate these trends, we need to be able to work together as countries, international organizations, not to be reacting, but to be foreseeing what is coming and investing in education, in training, in new skills, in the adaptations of the labour markets to be able to cope with the challenges of the future. And for all that we also need to be able to reform — reform at the country level, reform at the United Nations level and that of other organizations. Countries will look in different ways, depending on different situations, on a country-by-country basis, into their governance mechanisms, into the way they are able to guarantee the participation of citizens, of businesses and of civil society in development objectives. In the ways they are able to fight corruption, or to guarantee not only civil and political rights, but also economic, social and cultural rights.
And as in the United Nations, we need to be able to understand that, even if the United Nations development system has produced many important contributions, namely in the context of the implementation of the [SDGs], we are not fully ready for the new challenges of the present 2030 Agenda. That is why I presented to [the Economic and Social Council] a first report on the reform of the United Nations development system. I will not be repeating here the 38 measures that are included in this first report but just say that there are a few central areas of concern. First, the idea that we need to have at the country level empowered resident coordinators and more effective country teams, more coordinated and more able to deliver support to Governments according to Government strategies — because Governments and countries are the leaders of the implementation of the Agenda - and to be more accountable to those Governments at the country level. At the same time, to have this level of coordination, transparency, accountability at the global level, being in this case accountable to [the Economic and Social Council] and to the General Assembly of the United Nations, and to consider that gender parity in the United Nations must also be an instrument in order to support gender mainstreaming, in the application of all policies that relate to the 2030 Agenda and to its objectives from the eradication of poverty to all the different areas, in the different sectors in which we need to be effective.
And finally, that funding needs to be in line with the objectives of coherence and the objectives of accountability that I have mentioned, and that is why we have the idea to propose a funding compact to guarantee exactly that coherence instead of the dispersion of funding that do not take into account the objectives that in each country, each Government is able to put in place for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
And I think that looking at this assembly, one can only be enthusiastic about the fact that there is a very strong commitment, not only for implementation of the Agenda, but a very strong affirmation of support for multilateral governance as the way to lead the 2030 Agenda, respecting the leadership of Member States, but recognizing that only by working together can we rebuild the trust that is needed, and we can make the 2030 Agenda that factor that brings the fair globalization the world needs in the present times.
Special Representative, Briefing Security Council on Iraq, Stresses Need to Address People’s Long-Standing Grievances, Needs, Aspirations
UN PRESS RELEASE dated 7. 17. 17
https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sc12913.doc.htm
Fresh from victory in retaking the northern city of Mosul from terrorists, Iraq must now address the long-standing grievances, needs and aspirations of its people, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General told the Security Council today, paving the way towards national settlement and reconciliation.
Ján Kubiš, who is also the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), said Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi attributed that 10 July victory over Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) to the Iraqi security forces, as the only fighting force on the ground, and their “exceptional” efforts to save civilian lives. Yet, the city’s historic liberation should not conceal the fact that the road ahead was challenging, notably in reclaiming territories in the Governorates of Ninawa and Anbar, Hawija District in Kirkuk Governorate, and elsewhere.
Presenting the Secretary-General’s latest report (document S/2017/596), he emphasized the need for demining, stabilization and reconstruction to enable the return of internally displaced persons. The enforcement of law and order, rule of law, justice and accountability, as well as reforms, good governance and development were also critical. “Da’esh’s ultimate defeat can only be secured through inclusive solutions,” he said, welcoming the guidance of the Al-Marja’iyya, who in their victory sermons, pressed those in power to view citizens as equals, regardless of religion, sect, ethnicity or nationality.
In that context, he expressed concern over the rising sentiment in favour of collective punishment of families perceived to be associated with Da’esh. UNAMI had prioritized justice for those affected by human rights violations committed in the ongoing armed conflict. It was pursuing a national strategy that aimed to allow domestic courts jurisdiction over international crimes, which would complement international efforts to gather evidence on crimes committed by ISIL.
Further, he said, as the fight to eliminate Da’esh was nearing a close, the United Nations was repositioning its response to sexual violence to support the reintegration of survivors into their communities. It also had engaged with senior Iraqi officials on the establishment of the Interministerial Committee on Grave Child Rights Violations.
Mohammed Sahib Mejid Marzooq (Iraq) congratulated Government forces and their partners in liberating Mosul from the terrorist gangs of Da’esh. In those operations, the Government had prioritized “people before land”, working to ensure civilian safety. The fatwah issued by the supreme religious authority also had lent great momentum to that fight and work to preserve Iraq’s territory.
He said that, in the liberated areas, Iraq was restoring services and paving the way for 3 million displaced persons to return home. It was in dire need of international support, especially in removing mines and other ordinances planted by Da’esh. Such efforts were part of a plan for domestic governance which required financial and technical support, and consultations from international partners.
Welcoming efforts by Kuwait to alleviate the suffering of displaced Iraqis, as well by the European Union in supporting humanitarian and reconstruction needs, he reiterated the vital role of UNAMI and the United Nations country team in addressing those concerns.
Indeed, he said, Iraq was a unified federal State that enjoyed sovereignty based on a democratic federal Constitution adopted in 2005 by all segments of the population in a transparent referendum. It reaffirmed the values of citizenry and political representation for all in its ministries and independent agencies. With that in mind, it was important to implement resolutions 2170 (2014), 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), and strengthen the rule of law. Iraq was considering alternative ways to bring about justice, including through a draft resolution on evidence collection in crimes committed by Da’esh, and he pressed the Council to demand that Turkey withdraw its forces from Iraq.
More broadly, he said Iraq was working to strengthen its relations with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey and Iran, and continue its relations with Syria. With Saudi Arabia, Iraq had established a coordination council, which both sides would elevate to the required strategic level. They also had opened new cooperation in the areas of politics, security, economics, development, trade, culture and investment, and invigorated private sector partnerships to combat terrorism. Iraq also would host preparatory meetings for the Mecca Conference.
Turning to the Kuwaiti file, he said Iraq was working to locate missing Kuwaiti persons and archives. Furthermore, it was documenting witness information and carrying out field visits and excavations to find the remains of missing persons and Kuwaiti prisoners of war. It would welcome the Council’s response to its request for extending UNAMI’s mandate for one year based on resolution 1770 (2007).
Luis Bermúdez (Uruguay) said Iraq’s victory over Da’esh was a huge step forward in the fight again terrorism internationally. Crimes committed by Da’esh must not go unpunished. The group was the product of a succession of unfortunate events starting with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, followed by the ideological intervention of certain countries in the region which provided arms, troops and supplies. The United Nations must support reforms in Iraq and help ensure stability, he said, underscoring the need to fight corruption and ensure the rights of the entire population.
Sergiy Kyslytsya, Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, encouraged Iraq and its partners to rebuild infrastructure, ensure respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, focus on national reconciliation and facilitate the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons. Proper attention also must be given to the issue of accountability for those who committed crimes against civilians, he said, underlining the need for the Government — with support from UNAMI and others — to undertake comprehensive security sector reforms.
Pedro Luis Inchauste Jordán (Bolivia), noting that 82,000 people had died in the campaign against Da’esh, robustly condemned all acts of terrorism, especially the use of civilians as human shields. Those responsible must be investigated, prosecuted and punished. He emphasized the need to focus on clearing all explosive remnants of war to enable the return of internally displaced persons. He expressed hope that an electoral schedule and legal framework would be the fruit of consensus of all parties and stakeholders, and welcomed Iraq’s efforts regarding missing Kuwaiti citizens and property.
UN NEWS CENTER: Despite some improvements, food security remains dire in Syria – UN agencies
Source: https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=57198
18 July 2017 – In spite of improvements in wheat production in war-torn Syria – about 12 per cent more than last year's record low – the overall food security situation remains far worse than before the conflict, the United Nations food security and emergency food relief agencies have said.
According to UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), total wheat production estimates for 2017 stand at 1.8 million tonnes, in part due to an improved security situation. The estimate is, however, less than half of the pre-conflict ten-year average.
“The small improvement in the availability of food for Syrians is promising, but the needs remain high and more must be done to provide food for families affected by the crisis,” said Jakob Kern, WFP Country Director in Syria, said in a joint news release from the two UN agencies.
“With the evolving security situation, more farmers are expected to have access to cultivate their land again. Now is the time to step up our support, as agriculture is more important than ever for the livelihoods of many,” added Adam Yao, Acting FAO Representative in the country.
The improvements are also in part due to better rains which have increased water flows and water levels in many reservoirs, benefiting crops like wheat and barley, however high cost or unavailability of inputs, such as seeds and fertilizer, and the destruction of irrigation and storage infrastructure have added to the already complicated challenges before food growers.
Furthermore, opening of some supply routes have allowed trade to slowly recover but in many parts such as in eastern Aleppo, where the entire infrastructure and markets were devastated, the recovery has been at a very slow pace.
In the news release, the two UN agencies also noted that humanitarian access to some besieged areas has improved compared to last year but access to some places such as Deir-ez-Zor and Raqqa remain severely constrained.
Across the country, food prices continue to remain at record highs and an estimated 6.9 million Syrians are still food insecure and an additional 5.6 million people are likely to become food insecure without the regular food assistance they receive every month, they added.
The information provided by the UN agencies was gathered during their latest Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM), which visited Syria in May, this year. This is the fourth food security mission to the country since the onset of the crisis and each mission provides an impartial and balanced assessment of the agricultural and food security situation.
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