Closing Remarks at the Tenth Inter-Agency Consultative Group Meeting for LLDCs

Excellencies, 
Colleagues, 
Ladies and gentlemen,

We now close our tenth Inter-Agency Consultative Group Meeting. 

I  thank you all for your great level of participation today.

This is testimony to the importance and high priority we all attach to effectively supporting the LLDCs in accelerating the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action.

As I said at the opening, more than ever we must work as ONE to mitigate the manifold impacts of the current pandemic.  

We must stay on high alert as the health, social, economic and institutional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to unfold in the LLDCs.

The road ahead is full of complex challenges.

Only together will we be able  rise to these challenges.

The effective support of the UN system is  more important than ever under the current circumstances. We must live up to the challenge through action.

 I thank you for your contribution to our collective effort. 

Thank you for your inputs and comments on the UN Roadmap for Accelerated Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action.

I hope that we will continue to work in the same collaborative spirit we had today and make the best use of each of the special strengths  of our respective organizations, in the implementation of the Roadmap.

The challenge does not come in neat parcels or sectors. The challenge is in the complex and often time- sensitive inter-relationships of issues demanding we truly work together.

We also heard from the LLDC Group Chair on the importance that the Group attaches to the development of the UN Roadmap.

We heard loud and clear the 
Group’s appreciation to the UN system but also the call for our continued support and cooperation.

This should give us all that extra energy  to enhance on ‘delivering as one’ in our support to the LLDCs and their peoples.

I look forward to receiving your additional inputs or comments on the Roadmap by 30 June.

After that, we will finalize the Roadmap and share the final version with the inter-agency group.  
As indicated, we will jointly organize a side event during the HLPF focused on the Roadmap, the Decade for Action and COVID-19.

This event will be a very good opportunity to share and discuss the Roadmap with the LLDC Group.

More than ever we are 
committed to building stronger and more effective partnerships.

 To do so, we will shortly circulate draft terms of reference for the IACG. We welcome your comments on these terms of reference and any additional suggestions on ways in which we can improve the effectiveness of the work and results of the IACG. 

We will let you know when the next meeting will take place and in what format.
So, our work has just started!

Thank you.