Distinguished Experts,Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to be here with this group of very distinguished experts today, and to welcome you all to the Expert Group Meeting on the World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) 2017.
2015 was a historic year for the UN system as a whole. It hosted four major conferences – Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan; Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Climate Change in Paris, and; the Sustainable Development summit in New York. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commenced in January this year.
In preparation for the 2030 Agenda, we looked to lessons from the past, particularly the experience of the MDGs and other UN conferences. The successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda will largely depend on our capacity to learn from the past; to be aware of the positive lessons from years of development thinking and practice; and to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.
I strongly believe that history gives us great lessons. About 2,500 years ago, Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, said to his students. “温故知新 (wen gu zhi xin)”; “we should review the past to gain insights into the present.”
Next year we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of WESS, the oldest publication of its kind that examines the global economic performance by an international organization. The first volume was issued in 1948 as the World Economic Report 1947 to survey current world economic conditions and trends. Since then, the publication has undergone a few changes in its title and expanded its analysis from contemporary economic conditions to long-term issues in the economic and social areas and, more recently, environmental issues.
The main focus of the WESS, however, has remained intact. Its focus on long-term problems of general interests for the global community at large and the UN member States in particular continues. The Survey has broadened the development debate beyond economic and finance considerations by introducing social and political dimensions. Its objective has always been to strengthen international debate by assisting the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council in identifying and understanding new and emerging economic development issues and challenges. Ultimately it aims to “promote the solution of international economic problems, higher standards of living, full employment and conditions of economic and social progress and development”, a quote from the UN Charter.
Distinguished experts,
It is therefore very fitting that as we celebrate its 70th anniversary, we reflect on the intellectual contribution the WESS has made to development theory and practice over the years. I am very proud of the fact that the WESS pioneered innovative development agendas and is “ahead of the curve” on many issues. It has also dealt with recurring issues such as instability in the global economy, capital flows, and international development strategies. It has spent considerable efforts in analyzing new, emerging issues, such as the New International Economic Order in the 1980s, the debt crisis, growth divergence among countries and, more recently, the challenges of sustainable development.
I am well aware that some of you sitting in this room have contributed to the WESS as leadauthors, consultants or reviewers. I am very grateful for your past efforts and dedication.
Your critical reviews, self-reflection by some of you, and your discussions over the next 2 days will inform the forthcoming WESS 2017, which, I am confident, will attract wide-ranging interests from policy makers, academia and others who are interested in development of the global economy.
In the next 2 days, we need your help in identifying the lessons we must learn from 70 years of continuous publication of WESS. How does the historical review of WESS inform the current development agenda? What lessons must we learn on how to translate the vision, as expressed into aspirational development agendas into actual commitments and policy implementation? What must we learn from the review of WESS that will help us to expedite the transformation envisaged in the 2030 Agenda?
Distinguished guests,
In your capacity as leading experts in your field, we need your wisdom on the relevance of the review of 70 years of WESS in light of the 2030 Agenda.
I would like to encourage you to take up these questions in your discussions.
Let me conclude with my sincere thanks to all of you for your work, your time and dedication. We count on your expert knowledge to enlighten our way to the development challenges we face at present and in coming years.
I wish you every success in your deliberations in the next 2 days.
Thank you very much for your attention.
It is a great pleasure to be here with this group of very distinguished experts today, and to welcome you all to the Expert Group Meeting on the World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) 2017.
2015 was a historic year for the UN system as a whole. It hosted four major conferences – Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan; Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Climate Change in Paris, and; the Sustainable Development summit in New York. Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commenced in January this year.
In preparation for the 2030 Agenda, we looked to lessons from the past, particularly the experience of the MDGs and other UN conferences. The successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda will largely depend on our capacity to learn from the past; to be aware of the positive lessons from years of development thinking and practice; and to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.
I strongly believe that history gives us great lessons. About 2,500 years ago, Confucius, a Chinese philosopher, said to his students. “温故知新 (wen gu zhi xin)”; “we should review the past to gain insights into the present.”
Next year we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of WESS, the oldest publication of its kind that examines the global economic performance by an international organization. The first volume was issued in 1948 as the World Economic Report 1947 to survey current world economic conditions and trends. Since then, the publication has undergone a few changes in its title and expanded its analysis from contemporary economic conditions to long-term issues in the economic and social areas and, more recently, environmental issues.
The main focus of the WESS, however, has remained intact. Its focus on long-term problems of general interests for the global community at large and the UN member States in particular continues. The Survey has broadened the development debate beyond economic and finance considerations by introducing social and political dimensions. Its objective has always been to strengthen international debate by assisting the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council in identifying and understanding new and emerging economic development issues and challenges. Ultimately it aims to “promote the solution of international economic problems, higher standards of living, full employment and conditions of economic and social progress and development”, a quote from the UN Charter.
Distinguished experts,
It is therefore very fitting that as we celebrate its 70th anniversary, we reflect on the intellectual contribution the WESS has made to development theory and practice over the years. I am very proud of the fact that the WESS pioneered innovative development agendas and is “ahead of the curve” on many issues. It has also dealt with recurring issues such as instability in the global economy, capital flows, and international development strategies. It has spent considerable efforts in analyzing new, emerging issues, such as the New International Economic Order in the 1980s, the debt crisis, growth divergence among countries and, more recently, the challenges of sustainable development.
I am well aware that some of you sitting in this room have contributed to the WESS as leadauthors, consultants or reviewers. I am very grateful for your past efforts and dedication.
Your critical reviews, self-reflection by some of you, and your discussions over the next 2 days will inform the forthcoming WESS 2017, which, I am confident, will attract wide-ranging interests from policy makers, academia and others who are interested in development of the global economy.
In the next 2 days, we need your help in identifying the lessons we must learn from 70 years of continuous publication of WESS. How does the historical review of WESS inform the current development agenda? What lessons must we learn on how to translate the vision, as expressed into aspirational development agendas into actual commitments and policy implementation? What must we learn from the review of WESS that will help us to expedite the transformation envisaged in the 2030 Agenda?
Distinguished guests,
In your capacity as leading experts in your field, we need your wisdom on the relevance of the review of 70 years of WESS in light of the 2030 Agenda.
I would like to encourage you to take up these questions in your discussions.
Let me conclude with my sincere thanks to all of you for your work, your time and dedication. We count on your expert knowledge to enlighten our way to the development challenges we face at present and in coming years.
I wish you every success in your deliberations in the next 2 days.
Thank you very much for your attention.
File date:
Thursday, October 13, 2016