– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
9 July 2020
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I thank the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries for convening this side-event in the margins of the High-Level Political Forum, at this extraordinary and trying time caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This new reality brings to the front burner the urgency for action on the question of landlocked states in the global agenda.
It is inspiring to see that the pandemic has not deterred your quest to see achievement of the Vienna Program of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries and in that regard, I welcome the Roadmap to accelerate its implementation.
Excellencies,
The Roadmap is a concrete follow up from the Midterm Review that I had the honor to convene in December 2019, in which we adopted a political declaration that aligned the objectives of the Vienna Programme of Action with the Sustainable Development Goals.
During my presidency of the 74th session of the General Assembly, the SDGs have remained the hallmark of my priorities in four cardinal areas: poverty eradication and zero hunger, quality education, climate action and inclusion.
As the 74th session draws to a close, my conviction on the achievement of the SDGs by every country is even firmer. We should not allow the pandemic or any other obstacle to impede our resolve to see concrete actions in all Member States.
Excellencies,
LLDCs have progressively improved in their human development index between 2014 and 2018 by 1.5%.
Some trade corridors have already achieved the target of the Vienna Program of Action and participation in regional trade agreements have continued to increase in all regions since 2014.
In this regard, I must commend your governments and other partners for providing stimulus packages in spite of your pre-existing challenges even before COVID-19.
We must seize the momentum from the Midterm Review and take steps to accelerate the implementation of the Vienna Program of Action with the support from the United Nations system, including its regional commissions. The Roadmap is a valuable tool to guide the work of the UN family and other stakeholders with concrete proposals for action.
During my presidency of the 74th session of the General Assembly, the SDGs have remained the hallmark of my priorities in four cardinal areas: poverty eradication and zero hunger, quality education, climate action and inclusion
Excellencies,
Despite the grim scenario caused by COVID-19, we must not relent in our pursuit of a better world for all persons. In this regard, I add my voice to yours by calling for increased progress in the Vienna Program of Action.
The reality of the pandemic invites us to build a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient future. It is high time we began to take decisive local action regarding the global transition to the green and blue economy.
As we take the first steps in the Decade of Action and Delivery to implement the SDGs, I urge all governments to refocus on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and utilize their national SDG implementation plans as part of this roadmap for the Vienna Program of Action.
We are called to invest in infrastructure to ensure that everyone, has the opportunity to attain their full potential in a changing digital world.
We cannot allow the digital divide to deepen. In this decade we must not fail in laying the foundation for all nations to prosper.
As such, policy responses must be inclusive and targeted at making the lives of the most vulnerable groups, particularly women, youth, the elderly and persons living with disabilities, better.
We should continue to utilize multilateral fora and platforms to build consensus that will make this program effective.
We should harness regional dialogues both within and outside the UN.
Such cooperation, Excellencies, underscores the importance of partnerships in order to achieve the Vienna Program of Action. These have proven invaluable in combating illicit financial flows and its propensity to facilitate crime and unproductive uses.
As the United Nations marks its 75th anniversary this year, we must recommit to its core values, and remember who it is that we serve.
Excellencies,
While you deliberate on the Vienna Program of Action and its Roadmap, bear in mind that there are billions of individuals, with hopes and fears and aspirations, who depend on the choices we make.
I thank you all for inviting me to this side event. I urge that, although the road before us is laden with challenges, we must not waiver, or surrender to cynicism on the accelerated implementation of the Vienna Program of Action.
I wish you the best in your deliberations. I thank you.
