– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mr. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly
27 January 2021
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
I welcome you all to this joint briefing.
First instituted in the 73rd session in 2019, joint briefings are intended to underscore the commitment of both the General Assembly and ECOSOC to the principle of mutually reinforcing efforts in support of the work of the United Nations. I know I speak on behalf of both President Akram and myself when I say that we stand firmly behind this principle.
Such a principled approach is needed now more than ever, with recovery from COVID-19 looming before us and with urgent action needed to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda. It is imperative that the General Assembly and ECOSOC make every effort to cooperate, to strengthen efforts, to address overlapping mandates, and to improve the efficiency, content and quality of our work, within the United Nations system.
Allow me to touch upon several key areas where we envision ever-closer collaboration in the year ahead.
First, in terms of business continuity, I am pleased to say that, with the cooperation of the Secretariat and Member States, we have been able to fulfill all core mandates of the General Assembly for the main part of the session, including the conclusion of the work of the six Main Committees. I commend Member States for their support in this regard.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
I thank you all for your perseverance, patience, and vigilance during this very challenging time, and I reiterate my appreciation for your support to business continuity at the United Nations.
Looking ahead, the General Assembly will continue its review of ECOSOC and the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. I am pleased to note that I have appointed the Permanent Representatives of Austria and Senegal to secure the best possible outcome for this process.
On this, I must acknowledge the central role of ECOSOC in the discussion of the sustainable development agenda and the role of the HLPF as the primary platform for deliberations in that regard. The first four-year cycle (2016-2019), and the first ever virtual HLPF last year, have provided us with ample opportunities to examine what has worked well and to ensure that the relevance of this critical platform is maintained. I look forward to the continuation of this process.
My third point refers to the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review and the reform of the UN development system. Providing targeted and comprehensive UN system support to Member States is crucial to achieving the SDGs and recovering better from COVID-19. I commend the membership on the adoption of the QCPR, which will directly impact the support provided to countries during this critical time.
2021 is a critical year for the General Assembly and ECOSOC to shift the world onto a better, more sustainable, more resilient, more equitable track. Step by step, we are seeking to make our work more efficient and more effective. The political will to make progress resides within us. Let us continue to take concrete steps to make this a reality.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
Nowhere will this be more necessary than amongst Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States.
LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS represent almost half of the United Nations membership, yet are faced with a disproportionate number of challenges and burdens related to their specific geographies, locations, and a multitude of socioeconomic factors. These challenges have only been further highlighted by the current crisis, which lays bare the reality that LDCs are highly vulnerable to unforeseen shocks and crises.
I am pleased to note that addressing the issues of countries in special situations is one of my priorities for the session. And I have appointed a Board of Advisers on LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS to advise me and my Office going forward. Additionally, I look forward to the mandated joint event on LDCs, on 18 June this year, which I will convene with the President of ECOSOC. The meeting will be convened under the theme “accelerated implementation of the 2030 Agenda in LDCs to leave on one behind in the context of COVID-19”.
My final point is on the need to firmly address recurring gaps in financing for development and to link this to recovery efforts from COVID-19.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
Immediate and urgent support is required to not only address chronic gaps in financing, but to deal with the acute situation within which we find ourselves. Debt sustainability and debt standstill are necessary for all developing countries, especially for those already at high or increasing risk of external debt distress. We must consider bold and necessary policies of debt forgiveness, not just debt rescheduling, if we are to make a lasting impact. This becomes only more important in light of efforts to recover from the global pandemic and to undertake the largest ever global vaccine campaign.
With trillions of dollars pouring into recovery efforts, and with clear setbacks to development gains across the board, it is imperative that we aim for a transformational recovery that allows us to recover better. As I have so often said, what has set us back can also propel us forward. The SDGs provide a roadmap for resilient recovery. And we must use this opportunity, however mired in tragedy it is, to move forward with vision and vigor. Opportunities, such as closing the digital divide, must be pursued now more than ever.
On the issue of vaccines, I repeat my plea to Member States to pursue a fair and equitable approach. We entered this pandemic together, we have struggled together, let us emerge together. I urge all countries to support the COVAX Facility and multilateral efforts to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines.
I look forward to working with the President of ECOSOC on the special segment of the FFD Forum, particularly as it relates to recovery from COVID-19. Likewise, I point to our “#Vaccines4All” initiative and encourage Member States to join us in drumming up public and political support for access to COVID-19 vaccines as a ‘global public good.’
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
Let me reiterate the need for ever-closer collaboration and cooperation between the General Assembly and ECOSOC, and to pursue progress against the Alignment Process towards that end.
On this point, I am pleased to note that the work of the Permanent Representatives of Bangladesh and Slovenia, as Co-Chairs for this process, has begun, and I believe that, through the positive engagement of Member States, there is solid ground to achieve progress. A United Nations that is fit for purpose, with the capacity to adequately address our world’s challenges, is a shared priority for our presidencies.
With this mind, you can trust that the Offices of both ECOSOC and the General Assembly will work to ensure alignment and coordination on meetings and thematic events. As case in point:
– I will convene the ‘High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought’, in April 2021, which will precede and feed into ECOSOC’s ‘Forum on Forests’.
– And a ‘Thematic Debate on Digital Cooperation and Connectivity’ will be held in close conjunction with ECOSOC’s, ‘Science, Technology and Innovation Forum’, and ECOSOC’s Commission on Science and Technology for Development, to maximize thematic synergies.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
The issue of racial discrimination continues to haunt peoples the world over and must be a consistent and core issue of the United Nations, as it correlates directly to the Charter of the United Nations and the human rights pillar on which it stands. 2021, will mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. This is an important milestone for the fight against racism. In this regard, I commend the UN Secretariat’s efforts to address racism within the system and I look forward to collaborating with our colleagues in ECOSOC to continue to address this challenge.
Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
2021 is a critical year for the General Assembly and ECOSOC to shift the world onto a better, more sustainable, more resilient, more equitable track. Step by step, we are seeking to make our work more efficient and more effective. The political will to make progress resides within us. Let us continue to take concrete steps to make this a reality.
Thank you very much.
