Dialogue 2 – Achieving a resilient and sustainable recovery

Madam President,

1. Thank you for giving me the floor for the second time, to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

2. The Group welcomes this session on achieving a resilient and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. For our countries, it is fundamental that recovery measures are aligned with the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Agenda and the Paris Agreement. We must build a post-COVID-19 economy that is more inclusive, resilient and responsive to unforeseen economic shocks, such as the current pandemic’s effects on global supply chain and trade, and particularly to the impacts of climate change.

3. Our Group firmly believes that a resilient and sustainable recovery relies on the need for a global consensus centered on the momentum for immediate action. Therefore, the resilience of developing countries is hinged upon a strengthened multilateral architecture and an international rules-based system that creates a level playing field for all countries. Strong partnerships, based on cooperation and mutual respect, is the first step in that direction. The Group reaffirms the fundamental role that the United Nations plays in reinforcing the multilateral system.

4. In addition, the Group reaffirms its unwavering support for the multilateral approach to addressing climate change, within the framework of the UNFCCC as the lead, and to secure full implementation of the Paris Agreement. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the normative framework agreements that are in place must serve as a compass to ensure that recovery strategies are in line with medium and long-term development and climate objectives.

5. Undoubtedly, this pandemic has exacerbated existing poverty, inequalities and vulnerabilities within and between countries, potentially reversing the development gains of the past decades. Eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, remains the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. Again, as stated by the UN Secretary-General at the High Level Event on Financing for Development, the pandemic has demonstrated our fragility, so we need to respond with unity and solidarity and a key aspect of solidarity is financial support.

6. It has also brought to light the investments needed to build a resilient post COVID-19 world at the national, regional and global levels. These include the need to strengthen institutions and social protection systems in health, employment, education, housing, nutrition, gender equality and the environment. But collectively addressing these issues must be guided by the principles of respect for national sovereignty, national ownership, and interdependence. We must take into account differing national realities, capacities, and levels of development as the starting point for a resilient recovery.

7. It cannot be business as usual. We are presented with an opportunity not to reinvent the wheel but to rethink our approaches and strategies for the Decade of Action and Delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. Deliberate efforts will require integrating climate action, gender equality, technological innovation, and non-predatory financing and lending practices into recovery programmes to reduce environmental damage and bridge the digital divide, address biodiversity loss, as well as mitigate economic shocks. Such actions will need to strengthen support for countries in special situations, to increase their capacity for emergency response, while also making decisive shifts towards value-added and sustainable economic growth models.

Madam President,

8. It is essential that a truly transformative recovery from COVID-19 is pursued; one that addresses existing challenges, reduces exposure to future crises and accelerates action to achieve the 2030 Agenda. To ensure that the world emerges stronger from this crisis, we must together stay the course and rebuild trust in the multilateral system, with the United Nations at the center. This pandemic can be envisioned as the catapult for a resilient and sustainable recovery, necessary for developing countries to successfully overcome the obstacles to long-term development.

I thank you