NOON BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS BY PAULINA KUBIAK GREER,
SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT ABDULLA SHAHID
United Nations Headquarters, New York

 

HLPF OPENING

Starting today with the High-level Political Forum or HLPF.

The President of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, spoke at the opening of the High-level segment.

This year’s Forum comes at a defining moment, he said.

“The volume, magnitude, and scale of complex challenges to sustainable development are arguably both unprecedented and unrelenting.”

President Shahid laid out five key recommendations during this HLPF.

  • We must take action, that includes investment in innovation, technology and behavioral change.
  • We must learn the lessons from COVID and invest in actions to protect the most vulnerable.
  • We must push to reform the international financial system, in debt relief, vulnerabilities, and in Overseas Development Assistance and humanitarian aid.
  • We must commit to addressing the situation of the most vulnerable countries. This includes advancing the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index. This is a tool that the President hopes will be done before the end of his Presidency, to help countries access sources of financing.
  • And last… we must renew the commitment to the sustainable development of Africa, including support for universal COVID vaccination, food security and energy.

Next week, President Shahid and the President of ECOSOC, Collen Vixen Kelapile, will convene a special dialogue on the sustainable development of Africa. That’s on 20 July. And you will have a press release later today.

In the meantime, the President’s remarks to the HLPF are in your inboxes and online.

 

GOVERNMENTS FORUM

Still on the topic of HLPF…

President Shahid yesterday spoke about the crucial role that local and regional governments play in providing some of the most essential services and infrastructure, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Cities and mayors must be empowered to fulfill their role as ‘first responders’ and be equipped to respond to future crises, he said.

President Shahid also stressed the importance of electing more women for public offices in order to enhance women’s representation and empowerment.

The remarks were made at the fifth High-Level Local and Regional Governments Forum at the HLPF.

 

SCHEDULE

And from the President’s schedule today, among his many appointments, I will highlight that President Shahid is today meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres. This is their monthly meeting.