Your Excellency Ambassador Shava, Vice President of the Economic and Social Council,Distinguished Ministers,Excellencies,Representatives of NGOs, civil society and the private sector,Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to introduce the Report of the Secretary-General on the 2016 ECOSOC main theme and the Note by the Secretary-General on this year’s ECOSOC thematic discussion.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Report of the Secretary-General, document E/2016/64, focuses on the main theme of “Implementing the post-2015 development agenda: moving from commitments to results”.
This Report analyses measures to ensure that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda begins on a strong foundation. It focuses on designing and implementing national sustainable development strategies and policies.
The 2030 Agenda represents a paradigm shift in development and international cooperation. It requires policies based on the principles of universality, policy integration and leaving no one behind. These means that delivering on the SDGs will require policy integration and maximizing synergies across the economic, social and environmental dimensions.
To move together from commitments to results, we must share knowledge and exchange experiences at all levels.
In view of this, we present the analysis of the Secretary-General’s Report according to the following five priority areas:
The implementation of the Agenda is country-based, complemented by regional and global actions. The Report discusses national-level implementation based on an analysis of countries’ stated needs, as well as early implementation experiences in some countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Report notes that countries are already aligning existing national policies and strategies with the 2030 Agenda. Several countries are sharing their early experiences this week as part of the Voluntary National Reviews of the HLPF.
Furthermore, the Report stresses that a revitalized global partnership for sustainable development will be essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda. This should include a broad range of multi-stakeholder partnerships to meet the needs of people and the planet.
To support implementation, the United Nations development system is currently aligning itself with the 2030 Agenda. The ECOSOC Dialogue on the longer-term positioning of the United Nations development system has recently offered a number of recommendations in this regard.
The Report concludes with the central role of the ECOSOC system in supporting follow-up and review of implementation. This includes the Council’s segments, HLPF and the functional and regional commissions, expert bodies and forums.
Excellencies,
The Note by the Secretary-General for the thematic discussion, document E/2016/70, focuses on “Infrastructure for Sustainable Development for All”.
Infrastructure is fundamental to sustainable development. Decisions on infrastructure have profound economic, social and environmental impacts. Properly planned and implemented infrastructure is a pre-requisite for advances across all Goals and Targets.
Infrastructure is addressed directly by the 2030 Agenda through SDG 9, and is a cross-cutting element for other SDGs.
In the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, Member States highlighted the global infrastructure gap as a significant challenge. An annual estimated financing gap in developing countries is between 1 and 1.5 trillion US dollars.
The Addis Agenda also established a Global Infrastructure Forum, led by the multi-lateral development banks.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Note of the Secretary-General analyses the role of resilient infrastructure in advancing sustainable development. It offers policy priorities for sustainable infrastructure; discusses the role of the United Nations system; and presents key policy messages and recommendations.
Designing and building resilient, sustainable and inclusive infrastructure is a universal challenge to be prioritized as a key tool for achieving sustainable development.
Infrastructure requires long-term planning, financing, and institutional strengthening. Both Governments and private actors have a role.
The Note recommends that policymakers ensure that infrastructure policies and investments are integrated, risk-informed and inclusive, and that the benefits of infrastructure are shared broadly.
The 2030 Agenda provides an overarching framework for the United Nations development system to support efforts for sustainable infrastructure development.
In this regard, the Note suggests three particular roles for the UN system:
The outcome of this discussion may also inform the Inter-agency Task Force report on Financing for Development. This report will include a section on infrastructure, as well as the 2017 Global Infrastructure Forum.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The current global environment is likely to affect the early phases of implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
The mid-2016 update of the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects presents an outlook of the world economy. Weak global growth continues to linger, and we do not foresee a broad-based turnaround this year.
Continued weak investment and slow productivity growth is likely to challenge the longer-term potential of the global economy.
Global leaders will need to address economic growth prospects for effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Global leaders are also confronting the challenge of bringing together the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development, and translating them into coherent policy frameworks for sustainable development.
For example, in the area of climate change, the 2016 United Nations World Economic and Social Survey concludes that policies to build climate resilience will need to address the root causes of poverty and vulnerability.
These reports all aim to inform the discussions of the 2016 High-level Segment of ECOSOC, and to support the realization of the 2030 Agenda and our collective aspiration to leave no one behind.
Thank you.
I have the honour to introduce the Report of the Secretary-General on the 2016 ECOSOC main theme and the Note by the Secretary-General on this year’s ECOSOC thematic discussion.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Report of the Secretary-General, document E/2016/64, focuses on the main theme of “Implementing the post-2015 development agenda: moving from commitments to results”.
This Report analyses measures to ensure that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda begins on a strong foundation. It focuses on designing and implementing national sustainable development strategies and policies.
The 2030 Agenda represents a paradigm shift in development and international cooperation. It requires policies based on the principles of universality, policy integration and leaving no one behind. These means that delivering on the SDGs will require policy integration and maximizing synergies across the economic, social and environmental dimensions.
To move together from commitments to results, we must share knowledge and exchange experiences at all levels.
In view of this, we present the analysis of the Secretary-General’s Report according to the following five priority areas:
- First, the scope and implications of the new Agenda;
- Second, moving from commitments to results at the national level;
- Third, delivering results through a revitalized global partnership;
- Fourth, support from the United Nations development system; and
- Fifth, ECOSOC system support for implementation.
The implementation of the Agenda is country-based, complemented by regional and global actions. The Report discusses national-level implementation based on an analysis of countries’ stated needs, as well as early implementation experiences in some countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Report notes that countries are already aligning existing national policies and strategies with the 2030 Agenda. Several countries are sharing their early experiences this week as part of the Voluntary National Reviews of the HLPF.
Furthermore, the Report stresses that a revitalized global partnership for sustainable development will be essential to achieving the 2030 Agenda. This should include a broad range of multi-stakeholder partnerships to meet the needs of people and the planet.
To support implementation, the United Nations development system is currently aligning itself with the 2030 Agenda. The ECOSOC Dialogue on the longer-term positioning of the United Nations development system has recently offered a number of recommendations in this regard.
The Report concludes with the central role of the ECOSOC system in supporting follow-up and review of implementation. This includes the Council’s segments, HLPF and the functional and regional commissions, expert bodies and forums.
Excellencies,
The Note by the Secretary-General for the thematic discussion, document E/2016/70, focuses on “Infrastructure for Sustainable Development for All”.
Infrastructure is fundamental to sustainable development. Decisions on infrastructure have profound economic, social and environmental impacts. Properly planned and implemented infrastructure is a pre-requisite for advances across all Goals and Targets.
Infrastructure is addressed directly by the 2030 Agenda through SDG 9, and is a cross-cutting element for other SDGs.
In the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, Member States highlighted the global infrastructure gap as a significant challenge. An annual estimated financing gap in developing countries is between 1 and 1.5 trillion US dollars.
The Addis Agenda also established a Global Infrastructure Forum, led by the multi-lateral development banks.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Note of the Secretary-General analyses the role of resilient infrastructure in advancing sustainable development. It offers policy priorities for sustainable infrastructure; discusses the role of the United Nations system; and presents key policy messages and recommendations.
Designing and building resilient, sustainable and inclusive infrastructure is a universal challenge to be prioritized as a key tool for achieving sustainable development.
Infrastructure requires long-term planning, financing, and institutional strengthening. Both Governments and private actors have a role.
The Note recommends that policymakers ensure that infrastructure policies and investments are integrated, risk-informed and inclusive, and that the benefits of infrastructure are shared broadly.
The 2030 Agenda provides an overarching framework for the United Nations development system to support efforts for sustainable infrastructure development.
In this regard, the Note suggests three particular roles for the UN system:
- integrated policy advice and capacity-building;
- supporting partnerships; and
- supporting infrastructure data for global follow-up and review.
The outcome of this discussion may also inform the Inter-agency Task Force report on Financing for Development. This report will include a section on infrastructure, as well as the 2017 Global Infrastructure Forum.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The current global environment is likely to affect the early phases of implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
The mid-2016 update of the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects presents an outlook of the world economy. Weak global growth continues to linger, and we do not foresee a broad-based turnaround this year.
Continued weak investment and slow productivity growth is likely to challenge the longer-term potential of the global economy.
Global leaders will need to address economic growth prospects for effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Global leaders are also confronting the challenge of bringing together the economic, social and environmental dimensions of development, and translating them into coherent policy frameworks for sustainable development.
For example, in the area of climate change, the 2016 United Nations World Economic and Social Survey concludes that policies to build climate resilience will need to address the root causes of poverty and vulnerability.
These reports all aim to inform the discussions of the 2016 High-level Segment of ECOSOC, and to support the realization of the 2030 Agenda and our collective aspiration to leave no one behind.
Thank you.
File date:
Tuesday, July 19, 2016