Your Excellency, Mr. Nabeel Munir, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council,Excellencies,Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am honoured to address this distinguished assembly on behalf of Under-Secretary-General, WU Hongbo.
I wish to congratulate you, Vice-President Munir, for convening a rich and fruitful set of discussions this week. The distinguished participants – from Member States, civil society, academia and the private sector – have engaged in discussions that will guide us in our effort to better support implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and eradicate poverty in all its forms.
The Economic and Social Council is the principal inter-governmental body of the UN that provides policy guidance and innovative thinking on new and emerging development issues. In line with that mandate, this meeting has succeeded in forging discussion on adopting a holistic approach to poverty eradication globally. It has jump-started the discussions that will inform the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development and the ECOSOC High-level Segment.
Mr Vice-President,Distinguished Delegates,
Your discussions have emphasized that progress has to be achieved across all SDGs if poverty is to be eradicated in a sustained and inclusive manner. Integrated approaches maximize the synergies between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, and limit potential and perceived trade-offs between Goals and targets.
Social policies have been a crucial pillar in the fight against poverty. They will continue to be the centrepiece in making social inclusion a reality. This is all the more important as economic growth has not always generated progress in an inclusive manner.
Large segments of society have been left behind. Policies related to health, education, employment and social safety nets, including the provision of subsidized goods and conditional cash transfers, have all been critical. These initiatives must be enhanced through an integrated vision and plan.
But social policies alone do not constitute a full solution. A mix of well-integrated policies is required to fully address poverty. Fiscal, monetary and financial, trade, industrial and labour policies all have impacts on poverty and inequality. This does not imply the absence of specialization and expertise. Rather, it underlines the interconnection between policy areas and actors to build synergies. And it requires strong leadership by Government and engagement of all stakeholders.
Mr Vice-President,Ladies and Gentlemen,
Poverty eradication remains the overarching focus of the UN development system, and will continue to guide our work. In a globalized world, the interconnected and multiple phenomena that affect people’s lives require collective action and integrated policy solutions, both within countries and internationally.
This also means adopting an integrated approach to implementing the mutually reinforcing roadmaps agreed upon internationally, including the Addis-Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
This places the United Nations in a unique position to strengthen its interagency collaboration. This Integration Segment itself is proof of the breadth of expertise that the UN system offers, as well as the guidance it can receive from its Member States. We look forward to deepening our thinking and analysis on these issues, including at the upcoming High-Level Political Forum and High-level Segment.
DESA is fully ready to support efforts in that direction. Our work spreads across all three dimensions of sustainable development, with activities ranging from capacity building, to macroeconomic and social analysis, and support to inter-governmental discourse. Together with our partners in the UN system, we will continue to sharpen our role as an important partner for countries, especially in confronting global challenges requiring collective action. We can and must do even better.
Distinguished guests,Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to forge a truly integrated response to sustainable poverty eradication, we must enhance our management and coordination practices, better align our funding and expertise to this objective, reinforce partnerships and foster innovation. We will also do our part to strengthen inter-agency as well as inter-governmental processes for the UN to better deliver as one.
We will continue to engage with new partners and explore new and innovative ways to reach those most in need, and to do so within a strong United Nations system institutional framework.
Thank you for your kind attention.
I am honoured to address this distinguished assembly on behalf of Under-Secretary-General, WU Hongbo.
I wish to congratulate you, Vice-President Munir, for convening a rich and fruitful set of discussions this week. The distinguished participants – from Member States, civil society, academia and the private sector – have engaged in discussions that will guide us in our effort to better support implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and eradicate poverty in all its forms.
The Economic and Social Council is the principal inter-governmental body of the UN that provides policy guidance and innovative thinking on new and emerging development issues. In line with that mandate, this meeting has succeeded in forging discussion on adopting a holistic approach to poverty eradication globally. It has jump-started the discussions that will inform the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development and the ECOSOC High-level Segment.
Mr Vice-President,Distinguished Delegates,
Your discussions have emphasized that progress has to be achieved across all SDGs if poverty is to be eradicated in a sustained and inclusive manner. Integrated approaches maximize the synergies between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, and limit potential and perceived trade-offs between Goals and targets.
Social policies have been a crucial pillar in the fight against poverty. They will continue to be the centrepiece in making social inclusion a reality. This is all the more important as economic growth has not always generated progress in an inclusive manner.
Large segments of society have been left behind. Policies related to health, education, employment and social safety nets, including the provision of subsidized goods and conditional cash transfers, have all been critical. These initiatives must be enhanced through an integrated vision and plan.
But social policies alone do not constitute a full solution. A mix of well-integrated policies is required to fully address poverty. Fiscal, monetary and financial, trade, industrial and labour policies all have impacts on poverty and inequality. This does not imply the absence of specialization and expertise. Rather, it underlines the interconnection between policy areas and actors to build synergies. And it requires strong leadership by Government and engagement of all stakeholders.
Mr Vice-President,Ladies and Gentlemen,
Poverty eradication remains the overarching focus of the UN development system, and will continue to guide our work. In a globalized world, the interconnected and multiple phenomena that affect people’s lives require collective action and integrated policy solutions, both within countries and internationally.
This also means adopting an integrated approach to implementing the mutually reinforcing roadmaps agreed upon internationally, including the Addis-Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement.
This places the United Nations in a unique position to strengthen its interagency collaboration. This Integration Segment itself is proof of the breadth of expertise that the UN system offers, as well as the guidance it can receive from its Member States. We look forward to deepening our thinking and analysis on these issues, including at the upcoming High-Level Political Forum and High-level Segment.
DESA is fully ready to support efforts in that direction. Our work spreads across all three dimensions of sustainable development, with activities ranging from capacity building, to macroeconomic and social analysis, and support to inter-governmental discourse. Together with our partners in the UN system, we will continue to sharpen our role as an important partner for countries, especially in confronting global challenges requiring collective action. We can and must do even better.
Distinguished guests,Ladies and Gentlemen,
In order to forge a truly integrated response to sustainable poverty eradication, we must enhance our management and coordination practices, better align our funding and expertise to this objective, reinforce partnerships and foster innovation. We will also do our part to strengthen inter-agency as well as inter-governmental processes for the UN to better deliver as one.
We will continue to engage with new partners and explore new and innovative ways to reach those most in need, and to do so within a strong United Nations system institutional framework.
Thank you for your kind attention.
File date:
Wednesday, May 10, 2017