Your Excellency, Abdulla Shahid, President of the General Assembly,
Your Excellency Ambassador Djani, G20 Co-Sherpa of Indonesia,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to join the President of General Assembly in conveying my sincere gratitude to Ambassador Djani for joining us today at this briefing to the UN General Assembly. I would also like to acknowledge the Presidency’s inclusive approach and active outreach to the United Nations.
Indonesia assumed the G20 Presidency at a critical juncture. The global economy is weakening, with growth forecasts being revised downwards. Compounding the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are increased risks and uncertainties - catastrophic climate events, rising food and energy prices, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical tensions. All of these push us further away from the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.
Against this backdrop, Indonesia has adopted a balanced focus on both immediate recovery efforts and longer-term sustainable development pathways. The UN welcomes the three G20 priorities, namely 1) global health architecture; 2) sustainable energy transition; and 3) digital transformation under the overarching theme of “Recovery Together Recover Stronger”. We commend Indonesia’s efforts to mainstream the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs across all workstreams of the G20.
Dear colleagues,
The pandemic has caused development setbacks, deepened inequalities, and increased extreme poverty in developing countries. Countries are recovering at a very uneven pace. For many developing countries, the crisis is a daily reality.
Emergency support provided by the G20 and IFIs in response to the pandemic played an important role in helping developing countries weather the crisis. With the heightened uncertainty, it is crucial that the G20 maintain a strong focus on supporting the most vulnerable countries and continue to address their debt vulnerabilities and liquidity needs.
But even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was collectively off-track to achieve the SDGs by 2030. We must drive a major SDG investment push with the support of an enabling global financial architecture. To support this effort, the Secretary-General has proposed to convene a Biennial Summit between the members of the G20 and of the UN Economic and Social Council, the Secretary-General and the heads of the international financial institutions.
Let me now turn to the three priorities of the G20 under the Indonesian Presidency.
First, global health architecture.
The pandemic is not over. The full implementation of the Global Vaccination Strategy must remain our priority. We must urgently close the funding and supply gaps while significantly boosting the capacity of developing countries to distribute and administer vaccines.
Global health threats require a robust multilateral and multisectoral response. We welcome all efforts to strengthen the lead role of WHO and address the funding gap in pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR). The G20 work on PPR and financing must reflect the views of the broader UN membership.
Second, sustainable energy transition
The world’s progress towards carbon neutrality can be tracked with one simple key performance indicator: renewable energy. The shift to align public and private financial flows with the achievement of Net Zero emissions and SDGs must be accelerated. The G20 has a critical role to catalyze the shift.
COP26 provided building blocks to cement the way forward on mitigation, adaptation and finance. We must support developing countries to recover in a way that is low-carbon and climate-resilient without worsening their indebtedness. Developing countries need reassurance that their ambition will be met with much-needed financial and technical support. Solidarity and trust begin with the $100 billion dollars, promised over a decade ago.
Third, digital transformation.
Digital inequality is a consequence and a subset of broader economic and social inequalities. Policies to solve the digital divide need to be multidimensional, encompassing technological, economic, educational, and social dimensions.
Digitalization is moving much faster than governments are able to regulate it This is particularly the case for many developing countries that lack a voice at the global level. It is vital that the G20 advance the global discussion on the digital transformation in an equitable manner.
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
While collaborating on the three priorities, the UN and G20 have also engaged in a wider range of areas. To support the Presidency’s vision to make the G20 outcome more concrete, the UN system is working with the G20 Indonesian Presidency to develop G20 concrete deliverables addressing all dimensions of sustainable development.
Mr. President,
Ambassador Djani,
Let me end by acknowledging once again the strong and active engagement of the Indonesian G20 Presidency with the UN. The UN system stands ready to support the Indonesian Presidency’s vision for a G20 Summit that delivers concrete results for the achievement of the SDGs and one that renews effective and inclusive multilateralism.