Geopolitical Tensions, Food and Energy Insecurity Putting Sustainable Development Goals at Risk for Most Vulnerable States, Delegates in Second Committee Stress
Publication year
Resource type
UNCCD Library
Material Type
Web resource
Meetings Coverage
General Assembly
Second Committee
Seventy-seventh Session,
10th & 11th Meetings (AM & PM)
GA/EF/3569
10 October 2022
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) tackled the issue of sustainable development today, with Csaba Kőrösi (Hungary), President of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly, setting the tone by calling for reversing the trend of increasing inequalities and citing a massive financing gap for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Noting that $4.3 trillion is needed per year to meet the Goals, he encouraged discussions by the Committee on developing strategies that will assist economies to recover sustainably. Pointing to the need to develop methodology of measuring sustainability transformation, he said that the work under way by the high-level panel on the multidimensional vulnerability index is a step in the right direction to achieving the “Beyond GDP [gross domestic product]” initiative.
IBRAHIM THIAW, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, presented the report on its implementation in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa (document A/77/215). While emphasizing that 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of humanity and threatening nearly half of the global GDP, he shared that the world has begun to tackle this issue. At the last Conference of the Parties, held in May in Côte d’Ivoire, Heads of State committed to giving heightened priority to the issues of drought and land loss. The Group of 20 (G20) global land restoration initiative aims at reducing land degradation by 50 per cent by 2040, he added.
He stressed that transformative policy frameworks, market signals and initiatives still need to be implemented, building on the increased awareness that land restoration is “an energy and food solution, a climate solution, a nature solution, a solution to boost livelihoods, jobs and welfare”. Also underscoring that women have unequal and limited access to land in the vast majority of countries, he noted that such inequalities are a hinderance to any economic development and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
On the report’s recommendations, he pointed out the need for appropriate legal frameworks for women’s land rights. Sharing that building the world’s resilience to droughts is highlighted as an urgent issue in the report, he also stated that addressing forced migration and displacement driven by desertification and land degradation is essential to protect young people from illicit activities.
Turning to specific points, he stated that COVID‑19 was “a postcard from the future”, reminding the international community of the need to be prepared for future pandemics by recognizing that vaccines are the only reliable defence. The organ must strengthen its commitment to curtailing climate change through renewable and sustainable efforts, he continued, recalling the importance of looking at the linkages between climate change and water. Stating that innovation through “partnering high-tech with traditional knowledge” is crucial, he pressed the Committee to work to close the digital divide, which has become a new face of inequality.
The report titled “Towards the achievement of sustainable development: implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through sustainable consumption and production, building on Agenda 21” (document A/77/210) presents an update on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, taking into account the impacts of the COVID‑19 pandemic and the recovery. It offers examples of the United Nations development system’s support for the establishment of sustainable production and consumption patterns.
The report “Ensuring access to reliable, sustainable and modern energy services for all at affordable cost” (document A/77/211) provides an overview of the progress made towards achieving Goal 7 on clean energy at an affordable cost. It also presents an update of the implementation of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (2014-2024).
Finally, the report on “Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions” (document A/77/217) points out that mountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change, extreme weather events, deforestation, soil degradation, pollution and natural hazards, and that recovery is slow when crises occur. The report calls for urgent action for inclusive, resilient and sustainable development of mountain regions.
General Assembly
Second Committee
Seventy-seventh Session,
10th & 11th Meetings (AM & PM)
GA/EF/3569
10 October 2022
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) tackled the issue of sustainable development today, with Csaba Kőrösi (Hungary), President of the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly, setting the tone by calling for reversing the trend of increasing inequalities and citing a massive financing gap for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Noting that $4.3 trillion is needed per year to meet the Goals, he encouraged discussions by the Committee on developing strategies that will assist economies to recover sustainably. Pointing to the need to develop methodology of measuring sustainability transformation, he said that the work under way by the high-level panel on the multidimensional vulnerability index is a step in the right direction to achieving the “Beyond GDP [gross domestic product]” initiative.
IBRAHIM THIAW, Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, presented the report on its implementation in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa (document A/77/215). While emphasizing that 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of humanity and threatening nearly half of the global GDP, he shared that the world has begun to tackle this issue. At the last Conference of the Parties, held in May in Côte d’Ivoire, Heads of State committed to giving heightened priority to the issues of drought and land loss. The Group of 20 (G20) global land restoration initiative aims at reducing land degradation by 50 per cent by 2040, he added.
He stressed that transformative policy frameworks, market signals and initiatives still need to be implemented, building on the increased awareness that land restoration is “an energy and food solution, a climate solution, a nature solution, a solution to boost livelihoods, jobs and welfare”. Also underscoring that women have unequal and limited access to land in the vast majority of countries, he noted that such inequalities are a hinderance to any economic development and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
On the report’s recommendations, he pointed out the need for appropriate legal frameworks for women’s land rights. Sharing that building the world’s resilience to droughts is highlighted as an urgent issue in the report, he also stated that addressing forced migration and displacement driven by desertification and land degradation is essential to protect young people from illicit activities.
Turning to specific points, he stated that COVID‑19 was “a postcard from the future”, reminding the international community of the need to be prepared for future pandemics by recognizing that vaccines are the only reliable defence. The organ must strengthen its commitment to curtailing climate change through renewable and sustainable efforts, he continued, recalling the importance of looking at the linkages between climate change and water. Stating that innovation through “partnering high-tech with traditional knowledge” is crucial, he pressed the Committee to work to close the digital divide, which has become a new face of inequality.
The report titled “Towards the achievement of sustainable development: implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including through sustainable consumption and production, building on Agenda 21” (document A/77/210) presents an update on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, taking into account the impacts of the COVID‑19 pandemic and the recovery. It offers examples of the United Nations development system’s support for the establishment of sustainable production and consumption patterns.
The report “Ensuring access to reliable, sustainable and modern energy services for all at affordable cost” (document A/77/211) provides an overview of the progress made towards achieving Goal 7 on clean energy at an affordable cost. It also presents an update of the implementation of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Energy for All (2014-2024).
Finally, the report on “Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions” (document A/77/217) points out that mountain ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change, extreme weather events, deforestation, soil degradation, pollution and natural hazards, and that recovery is slow when crises occur. The report calls for urgent action for inclusive, resilient and sustainable development of mountain regions.
Keywords
SDGs targets
desertification
drought
land restoration
land rights
migration
displacement