Remarks by Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly to opening plenary of the Ministerial Conference of the Group of 77 and China

Opening Plenary Session of the Ministerial Conference of the Group of 77 and China

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15 December 2022

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are at a watershed moment, in urgent need of crisis management and transformation on several fronts.

Our world is grappling with multidimensional, multifaceted crises triggered by the pandemic, steep inflation, growing debt burdens, the adverse effects of climate change as well as old and new geopolitical tensions.

To overcome these challenges and to create a sea change in the implementation of our 2030 Agenda we need the voice of the developing world louder and more united than ever.

Already before the pandemic, many countries were off track in fulfilling the SDGs by 2030. By now, things have gone from bad to worse.

With these cascading crises, the most vulnerable have been hardest hit.

Many have been pushed into extreme poverty and debt distress, rolling back hard-won gains.

This is all the more reason why we need your ideas, solutions and actions today.

Excellencies,

At present, there are 15 processes launching within the General Assembly, including the preparatory work for the SDG Summit in September, which will mark the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda.

The SDG Summit – and other high-level events on water, financing, health, and pandemic preparedness – will offer historic opportunities to accelerate transformation for sustainable development.

Next September’s ministerial preparatory meeting for the Summit of the Future will be another opportunity to speed up SDG implementation.

I encourage G77 members to actively engage in these processes and high-level meetings to secure as many and as strong political pledges as possible.

We need to agree on real game-changers, unlocking new commitments and spurring the adoption of innovative policies that are grounded in science.

Dear friends,

An integrated approach to achieving the SDGs is imperative.

We must learn to work across disciplines.

The devastating floods in Pakistan and the deadly deluges across most of Africa this year, have affected millions – but water is also a solution for climate action.

The integration of water and climate policies is vital for guarding societies against disasters, for supporting biodiversity and, in general, for protecting our planet.

Our 8 billion shareholders demand measurable change – seen in the crops they can plant, food they can afford, fuel they can buy, services they can use – and opportunity they can gain.

Growth that is not only about quantities. Growth that is bringing a higher quality. Growth that really goes “beyond GDP”.

To boost these changes, we need an international financial system based on inclusion.

A system that treats countries as equals. Fosters investments that are climate smart and SDG-aligned. And frees developing countries from the vicious spiral of debt and interest.

Your conference is aimed at identifying measures to overcome immediate challenges and addressing the structural changes that we need.

Indeed, it can be a crucial step in that direction.

“No one can whistle a symphony” as the saying goes. “It takes a whole orchestra to play it.”

I wish your orchestra all the best for today’s deliberations.

I thank you.

 

 

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