Mr. Chairman,Distinguished Delegates,Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to join Ambassador Ion Jinga, Chair of the 54th session of the Commission for Social Development in welcoming you to this important session. I also thank you, Ambassador Jinga and members of the Bureau for your able leadership.
This session of your Commission has special significance. As Ambassador Jinga mentioned, yours is the first functional Commission to meet following a momentous 2015.
During the past year, the world adopted four landmark agreements that are destined to shape a new era of sustainable development. The year began with the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in March, followed by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development in July, the historic 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September and the climate change agreement in Paris last December.
These milestone agreements send the very powerful message that the international community is committed to leaving no one behind as it embarks on this new journey.
As the Secretary-General has stated, the 2030 Agenda is the “most inclusive development agenda the world has ever seen”. Building on the progress achieved under the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals such as those contained in the World Summit for Social Development, the new agenda places people and planet at the centre of development.
Excellencies,Ladies and gentlemen,
The work of this Commission is particularly important to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is expected, together with other functional commissions, to play a critical role in the follow-up and implementation of the new global agenda. This includes providing a platform for Member States to deliberate on social policies to advance social development and to share country experiences and challenges; as well as raising awareness and mobilizing global action to implement the new agenda.
Distinguished Delegates,
Enormous progress has been made since Copenhagen. Since 1990, more than one billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty and the proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions has fallen by almost half. Significant progress has also been made in achieving universal primary education, adult literacy, promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, and in reducing maternal and child mortality.
Despite these successes, progress remains uneven.
Many countries continue to grapple with the after effects of the global financial and economic crisis, particularly its impact on jobs, poverty, inequality and exclusion. The world economy has not improved sufficiently to alleviate the fears of many. Falling commodity prices have refocused attention to the sustainability of growth in many resource-dependent developing countries, including the ability of these countries to sustain critical public investments in poverty eradication programmes, education, health and infrastructure.
The challenge on the jobs front remains daunting. According to the International Labour Organization, we need to create over 600 million new jobs by 2030, about 40 million each year, if we are to keep pace with the growth of the global working age population. There is also the need to improve conditions faced by the 780 million working poor - those women and men who are working but are not earning enough to lift themselves and their families out of $2-a-day poverty.
High and increasing levels of inequality remain in many countries, reducing the impact of growth on poverty reduction. Furthermore, millions of women, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, and indigenous peoples continue to face exclusion from mainstream social, economic and political life. A lack of equal opportunity implies that these social groups cannot realize their full potential, hindering our ability to realize inclusive and sustainable development. Let us therefore reaffirm the Copenhagen commitment to changing laws and practices and removing those physical and institutional barriers that hamper full participation by all.
Addressing these pressing challenges requires that this Commission, through its deliberations, provide the kind of policy guidance that will help countries take bolder steps to build more inclusive societies; societies where the hopes and aspirations of all citizens are supported by social and economic policies that work together to foster inclusive and equitable growth, job creation, and provide quality education, health care and social protection.
Distinguished delegates,
With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Commission is presented with new challenges and opportunities. You can enhance your work in promoting progress in social development in the context of the new Agenda. You can integrate your work related to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, youth, older persons and families, into ensuring that no one is left behind. You can build on your strength in fostering an integrated policy approach to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
I am confident that the Commission will step up its efforts to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development while continuing to implement its mandate emanating from the World Summit for Social Development.
You have my department’s full support in your endeavours.
I look forward to following the deliberations of the Commission and their outcomes.
Thank you.
I am pleased to join Ambassador Ion Jinga, Chair of the 54th session of the Commission for Social Development in welcoming you to this important session. I also thank you, Ambassador Jinga and members of the Bureau for your able leadership.
This session of your Commission has special significance. As Ambassador Jinga mentioned, yours is the first functional Commission to meet following a momentous 2015.
During the past year, the world adopted four landmark agreements that are destined to shape a new era of sustainable development. The year began with the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in March, followed by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development in July, the historic 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in September and the climate change agreement in Paris last December.
These milestone agreements send the very powerful message that the international community is committed to leaving no one behind as it embarks on this new journey.
As the Secretary-General has stated, the 2030 Agenda is the “most inclusive development agenda the world has ever seen”. Building on the progress achieved under the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals such as those contained in the World Summit for Social Development, the new agenda places people and planet at the centre of development.
Excellencies,Ladies and gentlemen,
The work of this Commission is particularly important to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is expected, together with other functional commissions, to play a critical role in the follow-up and implementation of the new global agenda. This includes providing a platform for Member States to deliberate on social policies to advance social development and to share country experiences and challenges; as well as raising awareness and mobilizing global action to implement the new agenda.
Distinguished Delegates,
Enormous progress has been made since Copenhagen. Since 1990, more than one billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty and the proportion of undernourished people in the developing regions has fallen by almost half. Significant progress has also been made in achieving universal primary education, adult literacy, promoting gender equality and empowerment of women, and in reducing maternal and child mortality.
Despite these successes, progress remains uneven.
Many countries continue to grapple with the after effects of the global financial and economic crisis, particularly its impact on jobs, poverty, inequality and exclusion. The world economy has not improved sufficiently to alleviate the fears of many. Falling commodity prices have refocused attention to the sustainability of growth in many resource-dependent developing countries, including the ability of these countries to sustain critical public investments in poverty eradication programmes, education, health and infrastructure.
The challenge on the jobs front remains daunting. According to the International Labour Organization, we need to create over 600 million new jobs by 2030, about 40 million each year, if we are to keep pace with the growth of the global working age population. There is also the need to improve conditions faced by the 780 million working poor - those women and men who are working but are not earning enough to lift themselves and their families out of $2-a-day poverty.
High and increasing levels of inequality remain in many countries, reducing the impact of growth on poverty reduction. Furthermore, millions of women, youth, persons with disabilities, older persons, and indigenous peoples continue to face exclusion from mainstream social, economic and political life. A lack of equal opportunity implies that these social groups cannot realize their full potential, hindering our ability to realize inclusive and sustainable development. Let us therefore reaffirm the Copenhagen commitment to changing laws and practices and removing those physical and institutional barriers that hamper full participation by all.
Addressing these pressing challenges requires that this Commission, through its deliberations, provide the kind of policy guidance that will help countries take bolder steps to build more inclusive societies; societies where the hopes and aspirations of all citizens are supported by social and economic policies that work together to foster inclusive and equitable growth, job creation, and provide quality education, health care and social protection.
Distinguished delegates,
With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Commission is presented with new challenges and opportunities. You can enhance your work in promoting progress in social development in the context of the new Agenda. You can integrate your work related to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, youth, older persons and families, into ensuring that no one is left behind. You can build on your strength in fostering an integrated policy approach to contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
I am confident that the Commission will step up its efforts to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development while continuing to implement its mandate emanating from the World Summit for Social Development.
You have my department’s full support in your endeavours.
I look forward to following the deliberations of the Commission and their outcomes.
Thank you.
File date:
Wednesday, 二月 3, 2016