– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
10 September 2020
His Excellency Secretary-General of the United Nations Mr. Antonio Guterres,
Your Excellency Mr. Adonia Ayebare
Permanent Representative of Uganda, President of the 19th Session of the High-level Committee on South-South Cooperation, and Co-facilitator of BAPA+40
Your Excellency Mr. Jorge Chediek, Envoy of the Secretary-General for South-South Cooperation
Senior UN Officials,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
I thank the UN Office for South-South Cooperation for organizing this event to mark South-South Day. I welcome today’s launch of the 3rd volume of Good Practices in South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Development. Such publications remain a great source of peer learning and knowledge-sharing.
At the outset of the Decade of Action and Delivery to implement the Sustainable Development Goals, it is essential that we utilize the South-South Cooperation framework. As noted by BAPA+40 in 2019, this approach has the potential to contribute to achieving our targets on poverty eradication, zero hunger, climate change and inclusion. Moreover, South-South cooperation is critical as countries contend with social and economic consequences of COVID-19.
Excellencies,
I extend my sympathies to those who have experienced loss as a result of COVID-19, and express my solidarity to Member States who are contending with the greatest disruption to the world since the creation of the United Nations 75 years ago.
COVID-19 has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities, with people who were previously in precarious situations being plunged even deeper into poverty and hunger. It is estimated that 71 million people will fall into extreme poverty by the end of this year. Furthermore, it is expected that up to 120 million people will become undernourished in this year alone.
We need to focus on specific actions that will alleviate the impact on the well-being and livelihoods of people in developing countries in particular. We must apply a gender lens to our response planning as women have been disproportionately affected by the crisis. Moreover, we have to account for the specific needs of children.
Many developing countries are dealing with severe economic repercussions of the pandemic, due in part, to a slump in commodity prices, a reversal of financing flows, remittances, and reduced tourism has receded gains which were hard won. With little capacity for fiscal stimulus packages, rising debt levels severely limit country’s ability to provide essential public services such as healthcare and social protection. We must move swiftly on debt and concessional finance to support the most vulnerable people we serve.
As the global economy reboots, the global South must forge a more ambitious path to ensure that we build back better. In order to safeguard the future, we must work in a sustainable manner: addressing structural problems in global and national economies and investing in human capital.
To minimize real risks of rising debt levels, we need political will and steadfast international cooperation, and I call on all Member States to help ensure crucial liquidity for many developing countries.
I welcome the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) supported by the G-20. I trust that today’s event will catalyse further action towards all seven action areas of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. To build resilience for the poorest and most vulnerable people, we must ensure sufficient financing. This is a global pandemic, and as such our response must be global, comprehensive and well-coordinated.
South-South finance is critical to progress. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has suggested that liquidity reserves of some Southern countries can support the balance of payment crisis facing small and medium sized economies. It has also underlined the importance of intra-South trade.
As the global economy reboots, the global South must forge a more ambitious path to ensure that we build back better. In order to safeguard the future, we must work in a sustainable manner: addressing structural problems in global and national economies and investing in human capital.
We must act now to strengthen healthcare systems, in line with the landmark political declaration on Universal Health Coverage adopted during the High-Level Week of the 74th session of the General Assembly. By galvanizing multilateral action we can pool our resources to advance scientific research on disease control. To build back better, we must ensure affordable and equitable access to vaccines, treatment and medical supplies.
Furthermore, I urge Member States and UN entities to leverage South-South and Triangular cooperation to bridge the digital divide and ensure universal access to global public goods and services such as tele-medicine and remote-learning.
Excellencies,
As we mark the annual South-South Day, I encourage Member States to continue to support the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation and its initiatives. South-South and Triangular cooperation will be critical as we begin the Decade of Action and Delivery to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2015 we pledged to leave no one behind; we cannot renegade on that promise at a time of crisis.
I thank you.
