Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

11 July 2022

Excellencies,

Dear friends,

 

Today’s event, on risk-informed development, and on “Building back better from the coronavirus while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” is indeed welcome.

 

After nearly three long, challenging years, the world and its 8-billion people are longing for peace of mind, for change, and for a safe harbor.

 

We can help to give them this.

 

COVID-19 exposed the underlying vulnerabilities that pervade our society; it is on us now to take steps to rectify those gaps and to not just build back what was, but to build what can be.

 

In doing so, we must emphasize the principles of prevention, of resilience, and of development that is sustainable and risk-informed.

 

In short, our societies must be able to withstand the shocks that are coming.

 

This requires good, solid, and reliable data.

 

It requires policies and programmes that draw upon this data and the information on hand.

 

It requires the adoption of multi-hazard DRR strategies that are comprehensive, encompassing not only natural hazards but emerging threats, such as pandemics, health emergencies, and biological threats.

 

And it requires predictable, reliable and sufficient financing for disaster risk reduction and risk-informed development.

 

As I emphasized at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, in Bali in May, the implementation of the Sendai Framework is our best chance to ensure a prevention-oriented and risk-informed approach to COVID-19 recovery, one that helps to address climate change, and to make progress against the SDGs.

 

Dear friends,

 

The COVID-19 crisis has shown that disaster risk reduction is everybody’s business.

 

The Global and Regional Platforms on Disaster Risk Reduction have taken stock of efforts, and provided guidance on how we can reduce risk and its drivers, and pursue risk informed development.

 

Now, as we look towards the midterm review of the Sendai Framework next year in the General Assembly, let us seize the opportunity to renew commitment to implementation, and to fortify our development efforts with a risk-informed, resilience driven approach.

 

And let us work together to ensure that all countries, particularly those most in need, have the capacity and financial support needed to make meaningful progress.

 

I thank you.