United Nations Secretary-General urges countries in Asia and the Pacific to give priority to people and the planet |

In a message to the annual session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a blueprint for a robust recovery, leaving no one behind.

“It starts with universal health insurance, social protection and decent work.”

The UN Secretary-General also called for “peace with nature” and increased efforts to tackle the climate crisis, including investments in renewable energy, sustainable food systems and nature-based solutions.

Looking ahead, recovery plans cannot be based on outdated and unsustainable economic models. He added that investments to rebuild the economy should focus on comprehensive and sustainable development that gives priority to people and the planet.

The topic of the session

Series In hypothetical framework April 26-29, countries participating in the 77th session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific will discuss how regional cooperation can help countries, build a better out of the pandemic.

Also on the agenda is the impact of the epidemic on least developed countries, landlocked developing countries in the region and small islands, including equitable distribution of vaccines, financial aid initiatives, debt relief and debt service suspensions.

The committee also discusses the state of implementation of sustainable development in the region amid the epidemic and its social and economic impact, and the involvement of many countries in successive waves of infection with the Coronavirus.

Founded in 1947, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific is the largest of the five regional commissions of the United Nations – in terms of geographical coverage and population – and its membership extends from the island nation of Kiribati in the Pacific Ocean to the east. To Turkey in the west and Russia in the north. , For New Zealand in the south. The ESCAP membership also includes France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Key recovery areas

Identify priorities for aligning recovery with the 2030 Agenda Armida Salsa Ali El-Ghabana, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, call on countries to integrate health risk management into their social and economic strategies and policies and expand social protection to all sectors of society, especially those in the informal sectors and those with Disability and the elderly.

She also stressed the need for sustainable financing, with a focus on investing in resilient economies, enhancing regional trade and transport connectivity to better withstand shocks and disruptions.

In addition, states should ensure that Mrs. Ali al-Jabbana said the recovery is strong, clean and green.

It is time for governments to adopt a climate and environmental approach in line with the Paris Agreement. “Let us urgently invest in renewable energy, an energy-efficient production system, green infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration,” she added.