UNITED NATIONS – The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Ambassador Dennis Francis, Friday warned that the global community is losing ground on peace, precisely when it is needed most.
Photo courtesy of the UNAddressing a joint briefing of the Presidents of the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Trinidad and Tobago diplomat said It goes without saying that the first few months of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) have not been without challenges and it was important to collectively ponder on viable solutions.
“We are, dear colleagues, losing ground on peace, precisely when we need it most.
Nowhere are the implications of that loss more evident than in our pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG),” he said, noting “as it stands, we are dangerously off course on our targets for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
Francis said that the Secretary-General’s report on “Our Common Agenda” and its recommendations is intended to help kickstart this shift or as Antonio Guterres said “to turbocharge the SDGs.
“I was also pleased and encouraged to see the 2023 SDG Summit deliver a pioneering political declaration during the High-Level Week in September, supporting expedited action.
These are positive steps. But the Summit of the Future, in September, will be the real test of our resolve.”
Francis said it will be the moment for the world leaders to not only scale up commitments, but to also reinvigorate multilateralism to better deliver on whatever it takes to address the myriad of challenges currently confronting the global community.
“We must not miss this opportunity. At the heart of the Summit of the Future is an understanding that its outcomes must emanate from an inclusive and multi-stakeholder process, with the visceral involvement of the young people.”
He said across continents, such as Africa, there is a demographic dividend that must be harnessed through investing in the youth.
“The next generations certainly need better tools and assets to live a meaningful life and engage in the sustainable development of their countries and societies – especially access to quality education, and technology and innovation to close the digital divide.
“With the newly established UN Youth Office, we have the necessary momentum to engage young people in all aspects of the Organization’s work.”
The Trinidad and Tobago Permanent Representative to the UN said the Summit’s outcome will advance discussions on sustainable development and financing for development; peace and security; science and technology; digital cooperation; and global governance; all for our youth and future generations.
But he said capitalizing on its potential, however, requires political will and leadership to ensure this process is sufficiently ambitious in the form of language that is action-oriented.
“Now is not the time to hold back, but to spark action and take an unprecedented giant leap forward – to the shared future we all want.”
He said in support of this effort and to further drum up support and facilitate momentum, he will convene an inaugural Sustainability Week from 15 – 19 April at the United Nations.
“It will include high-level events, covering debt sustainability, tourism, transport, energy, and infrastructure connectivity. It is my hope that this Week will help to galvanise widespread support to enable the General Assembly to make meaningful progress on these and related areas.”
Francis said while the Summit of the Future and Sustainability Week will shape the remainder of the 78th session, there are several other events that will drive action, many of which will be delivered in coordination with ECOSOC.
He said these will include a review of ECOSOC and the High-level Political Forum that will explore avenues for improved coordination between UN organs as well as the one-day thematic event on the El Niño phenomenon, on 30 April, which will generate action-oriented recommendations to address El Nino’s socioeconomic and environmental impacts.
Francis said that the 62nd session of the Commission on Social Development, next week, is an excellent opportunity to build upon the outcomes of the 2023 SDG Summit and generate momentum towards the Summit of the Future.
But he said underpinning all these events and moments must be a renewed commitment to leave no one behind, and to empower all people, in particular women and girls and that he was looking forward to working with ECOSOC on, and participating in, this year’s Commission on the Status of Women.
Francis said he was also looking forward to hosting a meeting to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples on 17 April.
