UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 78 SECOND COMMITTEE (ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL) GENERAL DEBATE - CANZ JOINT STATEMENT
2 October 2023
Statement by H.E. James Larsen, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Australian Mission to the United Nations
Thank you, Chair.
I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of Canada, New Zealand and my own country, Australia.
I congratulate you, on your election to the helm of this Committee.
Allow me also to express our thanks to Ambassador Stoeva of Bulgaria, Chair of the 77th Session Bureau, for her committed and effective steering of the Second Committee in 2022.
At the mid-point of the 2030 Agenda, the work of the Second Committee this year will be important for accelerating implementation of our shared commitments to inclusive and sustainable development.
With only 15 percent of targets on track, it is clear that we are far behind where we need to be.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear disrupter of our efforts to end poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
But even before COVID, the pace of poverty reduction was slowing, and the economic recovery over the last two years has been uneven.
Climate change and environmental degradation continue to threaten the success of 2030 Agenda, exacerbating development challenges, and eroding the gains we have achieved.
In Africa, agricultural productivity has dropped by a third, and the Caribbean faces the loss of half its tourism revenue because of extreme weather.
In the Pacific, climate change remains the single greatest threat to livelihoods, security and wellbeing.
We must respond urgently to the global challenge of climate change, fulfil our commitments under the Paris Agreement, and accelerate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
And we must drive implementation of the outcomes of recent landmark conferences, including the Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction, and the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity.
Fundamental to a stable and prosperous global community is achieving gender equality.
Our families, our communities and our economies benefit when women and girls are safe from violence, are economically secure and meaningfully represented in all levels of decision-making.
Gender-responsive sustainable development efforts are critical in regaining lost ground, and in taking us further.
CANZ will work tirelessly to ensure a gender-responsive approach is reflected across the breadth of the Committee’s work.
We will also champion inclusivity in resolutions, lift the voices and perspectives of Indigenous and First Nations Peoples, and ensure our work stays true to our commitment to ensure that no-one is left behind.
The United Nations and international financial system must be fit for purpose if we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
We must find more practical and sustainable solutions for development financing, and we look forward to discussions on these important issues ahead of a Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.
This is also an important year for our efforts to ensure the United Nations responds to the needs of countries in special situations.
Following the Fifth International Conference on Least Developed Countries in Doha in March, we must drive implementation of the Doha Program of Action for LDCs.
And with the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States and the Third International Conference for Landlocked Developing Countries both taking place in 2024, we have an opportunity to transform these important agendas, align them with the Sustainable Development Goals, and ensure the United Nations system responds better to the needs and unique circumstances of SIDS and LLDCs.
In that regard, we welcome the finalisation of the report of the High-Level Panel on a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, and look forward to consultations with all Member States on next steps for this important agenda.
It is clear we cannot take a ‘business as usual approach.’
We need to transform the work of the Second Committee to ensure we make a real contribution towards achieving sustainable development.
It is imperative that the Second Committee implement effective and efficient working methods that support consensus outcomes, collegiality and the completion of sessions within set timeframes.
Many of our resolutions are outdated and lack impact.
CANZ has consistently called on Member States to restructure the Committee’s agenda based on one criterion: relevance to 2030 Agenda and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda which, combined, form our global development roadmap.
These are and should remain the principal frameworks which guide the focus of our work.
You can expect CANZ to be a strong voice in the room calling for resolutions to be more than mere rollovers.
At times this will mean taking hard decisions to remove no longer relevant paragraphs.
But we believe the work of this Committee will be substantially improved by ensuring our resolutions are tight, focused and action oriented.
Chair,
Canada, New Zealand and Australia remain deeply committed to accelerating progress towards the 2030 Agenda, together with all colleagues in this room.
Thank you.